Despite the established role of agrichemicals in harming sea life, glyphosate has yet to be included in marine monitoring programs for its impacts on the reef -- this despite being used at a rate of 30,000,000 lbs annually in Australia. In the new study titled, Glyphosate persistence in seawater, Australian marine researchers describe increasing concern over the global loss of corals and seagrass and this has been particularly well documented for the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef (GBR), pointing out that extensive agriculture activities impact water quality around reefs and seagrass beds, especially during the summer wet season from November to March, when rain-induced flooding delivers runoff containing excess sediments, nutrients, and pesticides, and with satellite imagery reveals their associated plumes travel up to 50 km offshore as far as the midshelf coral reefs.
Posted on: Sat, 01 Feb 2014 07:40:10 +0000
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