School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia.
Mar Pollut Bull. 2012;65(4-9):236-48. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2012.01.043. Epub 2012 Feb 24.
The extreme 2010-2011 wet season resulted in highly elevated Burdekin River discharge into the Great Barrier Reef lagoon for a period of 200 days, resulting in a large flood plume extending >50km offshore and >100km north during peak conditions. Export of suspended sediment was dominated by clay and fine silt fractions and most sediment initially settled within ∼10km of the river mouth. Biologically-mediated flocculation of these particles enhanced deposition in the initial low salinity zone. Fine silt and clay particles and nutrients remaining in suspension, were carried as far as 100km northward from the mouth, binding with planktonic and transparent exopolymer particulate matter to form large floc aggregates (muddy marine snow). These aggregates, due to their sticky nature, likely pose a risk to benthic organisms e.g. coral and seagrass through smothering, and also by contributing to increased turbidity during wind-induced resuspension events.
极端的 2010-2011 年湿季导致伯德金河大量洪水涌入大堡礁泻湖，持续了 200 天，形成了一个大型洪水羽流，在高峰期向海延伸超过 50 公里，向陆延伸超过 100 公里。悬浮泥沙的输出主要由粘土和细粉砂组成，大部分泥沙最初在河口附近约 10 公里内沉降。这些颗粒的生物介导絮凝作用增强了初始低盐度区的沉积。细粉砂和粘土颗粒以及悬浮的养分被带到离河口向北 100 公里远的地方，与浮游生物和透明的外聚物颗粒物质结合形成大的絮聚体（泥质海洋雪）。这些絮聚体由于其粘性，可能通过窒息对底栖生物（如珊瑚和海草）构成威胁，并通过在风引起的再悬浮事件中增加浊度来造成危害。
