Project 4.2 Factsheet: The chronic effects of pesticides and their persistence in tropical waters

Pesticides, and particularly herbicides from agricultural sources, have been detected in nearshore sites of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) all year round. The actual impacts from these concentrations of herbicides is under debate and information on  cumulative impacts is required. To address this, a series of experiments will examine how plants and corals are affected by herbicides in the water in conjunction with other stressors such as temperature, low salinity and low light. An important source of herbicides in coastal waters is flood plumes from river runoff. By creating experimental conditions similar to GBR flood plumes we will determine how long herbicides persist and how they are transformed as they travel into coastal waters.