Turning the Tide Newsletter – Spring 2023
Wonderful Wetlands
Coastal wetlands are nature’s water filters – acting like the kidneys of our oceans, they help to reduce nutrient pollution from runoff before it enters our Great Barrier Reef.
They are biodiverse ecosystems that support an incredible abundance of marine and freshwater life. Coastal wetlands link our land to the sea by connecting landscapes by waterways such as rivers, creeks and estuaries. They consist of areas of saltmarsh, mangrove, seagrass and shallow inshore waters.
Along Queensland’s tropical coastline, wetlands’ hidden and unique superpower is their ability to help tackle the biggest threats to the Reef:
- species loss by providing important fish habitats and nurseries,
- climate change through their ability to capture and store carbon, and protect our coastline from extreme weather events,
- water pollution through their ability to treat and filter agricultural runoff, such as nitrogen from fertilisers.
But coastal wetlands are under threat from water pollution and climate change. They are also at great risk from clearing for agricultural, industrial and urban development.
Take action to help establish a coastal wetland restoration program to rapidly improve the water quality in our Reef.