The plumes of sediment and debris generated by flooding on this scale can have a wide range of impacts on marine habitats and species. These range from entanglement of marine life in debris such as plastic bags to the smothering effects of large amounts of deposited sediments on sensitive habitats like seagrass meadows and coral reefs.

The impacts on the local marine environment of the current flood events in Central and South East Queensland are just beginning to be assessed. A coordinated monitoring program is in place in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park to assess levels of sediments and agricultural chemicals associated with the flood plume, as well as the overall health of corals and seagrass beds.

For more information about the potential impacts of the Fitzoy River flood event, please see the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's Central Queensland Floods information page here. The Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management is leading the assessment of environmental impacts of the flooding in South East Queensland flood events.

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