Ex-Cyclone Debbie dumped rain in an erosion hot spot in the Burdekin catchment estimated to generate nearly a third of all the sediment that flows to the Great Barrier Reef.
Flood plumes from the Gregory and Fitzroy rivers are also pushing sediment and nitrogen pollution into Reef waters.
It is another blow to the Reef which has just suffered unprecedented back-to-back mass coral bleaching events.
Griffith University scientist Associate Professor Andrew Brooks has released dramatic pictures and video of the Burdekin and Gregory river flood plumes heading out to sea, and erosion in the Burdekin catchment.
His post cyclone helicopter flight (on March 31) to assess damage was jointly funded by Griffith University, the Federal Government’s National Environmental Science Program, the Queensland Government, and NQ Dry Tropics.
Dr Brooks said much of the cyclone deluge fell in an 11,000 sq km section of the Burdekin catchment which is a known erosion hot spot.
This area is currently the
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