Estuarine & coastal ecosystems

Our habitats are highly valued culturally, socially and economically

Significant features of the South East Queensland coastal system include:

• The Noosa River estuary internationally recognised as a Biosphere Reserve.
• The Sunshine Coast beaches, Maroochy and Mooloolah estuaries, and in-shore coral reefs.
• Pumicestone Passage
• Moreton Bay and Islands internationally recognised for their biodiversity value under the RAMSAR convention.
• Estuaries, intertidal areas and mud-flats of the Western Bay.
• The Gold Coast Broadwater and estuaries.

Quandamooka (Moreton Bay) has been internationally recognised for its biodiversity values, and as critical habitat for migratory shorebirds under the RAMSAR convention. The Bay and associated estuaries provide substantial sociocultural and economic benefit to the residents of the region, supporting some of Queensland’s most productive fisheries, including indigenous, commercial, and recreational sectors.

Many of the region’s estuaries are highly urbanised, with a long history of human disturbance including channel modification. This has led to issues such as seagrass die-off and periodic blooms of toxic cyanobacterial species such as Lyngbya majuscula. Key threats to the Bay and estuaries of South East Queensland include: pollution, ecosystem modification, climate change, population growth, and direct use.

Here's a snapshot of just some of the action over the past 5 years. These numbers will grow as more groups from across the region contribute their data.