Hydrodynamic and Ecological Study of a Sub-Tropical Estuary in Queensland

Abstract

A series of detailed multi-disciplinary field studies was conducted in a small subtropical creek in Eastern Australia. Hydrodynamic and ecological measurements were conducted simultaneously in the river mouth to assess the complexity of the estuarine system, and the interactions between hydraulic engineering, environmental issues, biology and ecology. The results provide unique and original snapshots of subtropical creek system, and the methodology set new standards for comprehensive surveys of small estuaries in sub-tropical zone. A key fea-ture of the field studies was the contrasted outcomes, and the results impact on the selection of "key indicators" (?). Fauna observations showed strong bird and fish activities. But, other re-sults demonstrated on-going pollution