The combined toxicity of 22 of the most common pesticides found in waterways flowing into the Great Barrier Reef is in many cases not meeting pollution reduction targets.
University of Queensland researchers, along with the Queensland Department of Environment and Science, reached the conclusion after devising a new method to estimate the percentage of species protected in waterways that discharge to the Great Barrier Reef.
School of Earth and Environmental Sciences’ Associate Professor Michael Warne said research looking at cumulative impacts and multiple stressors was critical for the reef’s health.
“We’ve known for a while that rivers and creeks that discharge to the reef usually contain multiple pesticides,” Dr Warne said.
Continue reading at University of Queensland
Image via University of Queensland
