How does dredging affect the water quality?
Dredging primarily occurs in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area for development of marinas and maintenance of navigation channels. Dredging of marine sediments can release toxic substances contained in the sediments back into the water column as well as increase the amount of suspended matter in the local area. Resuspended pollutants (such as heavy metals, antifoulants and agricultural pesticides) can have a detrimental impact on marine life that come in contact with them, and increased local turbidity levels can result in smothering of animals and plants as well as reduce the amount of light available to photosynthesising plants.
