GBR - Pesticide monitoring of the inshore Great Barrier Reef by the Reef Water Quality Marine Monitoring Program (EnTox UQ)

Pollutants at trace concentrations in water are detected, monitored and quantified using time integrated passive sampling techniques These techniques are based on the diffusion of chemicals from the water into a sampling phase that has a relatively high capacity for the chemicals of interest and provide a quantitative measure of the concentration of analytes in the samplers. Average water concentrations in the environment during the time of deployment are derived from the concentrations sequestered in the sampler from a deployment using calibrations conducted in the laboratory.

In 2007/08 routine monitoring was undertaken at 13 inshore reef sites and 2 river mouths. Routine sampling occurs monthly during the wet season (November to March) and for two month periods during the dry season (April to October).