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Water Quality
Currently, over 170 water sites are used to assess the water quality and health of Port Curtis, with sites ranging from the Narrows in the north to Colosseum Inlet and Seal Rocks in the south. Different types of buoys, including large yellow buoys in the harbour and small pink buoys in the creeks, are used to attach oysters and passive sampling devices (DGT), which measure the amount of contaminants in the harbour. Collection of physiochemical parameters and measurement of nutrient and metal concentrations in the water at each site is also used to assess the water quality of the harbour.
The oysters and other passive samplers act like sponges to give an indication of the average amount of contaminants in the water over the time (up to eight weeks) they spend out in the water. The measurement of nutrient concentrations allows us to examine whether algal blooms, which may include toxic blooms, are likely to occur. Due to the extensive spatial coverage of Port Curtis, a good understanding of conditions can be gained and changing trends in water quality identified over time.
The Water Quality monitoring program commenced in 2005 with a pilot study which examined 37 sites across the harbour. In the past years, the number of sites has expanded to over 170. Generally, water conditions in the harbor, including metal concentrations, have met Australian Water Quality Guidelines.
The Water Quality program is carried out annually in winter. However in early 2010, a summer Water Quality program will be carried out in order to examine conditions during the warmer monsoonal months, to gain a fuller understanding of water quality in Port Curtis.
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