Toxic Runoff Poses Risk To Reef

Until now, most scientists thought the sediment and pollutants that washed into coastal waters after torrential rain slowly dispersed along the coastline, affecting only coral living on the inner reef. However, a group headed by remote sensing expert Arnold Dekker of CSIRO Land and Water claimed the images clearly showed that potentially polluting plumes of water quickly travel to the outer regions of the reef, putting coral at risk. "I was surprised and impressed," Dr Dekker said, recalling his first look at the pictures...