The Reef Water Quality Protection Plan (RWQPP), is a Federal and State government initiative to improve water quality in the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s primary role in this strategy is the implementation of a long-term water quality and ecosystem-monitoring program in the Great Barrier Reef lagoon (Strategy I4). This program will help assess the long-term effectiveness of the RWQPP in reversing the decline in water quality of runoff originating from Queensland catchments.

 An integrated monitoring program to assess water quality and ecosystem status in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area has following basic components:

 
a.         Marine water quality flood monitoring;
b.         Inshore marine water quality monitoring;
c.         Inshore marine water pesticide monitoring;
d.         Remote sensing of GBR wide water quality;
e.         Inshore coral reef monitoring; and
f.          Intertidal seagrass monitoring.

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David Haynes is the Manager of Water Quality Research and Monitoring at the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

Joelle Prange is the Senior Project Officer - Community Monitoring Coordination Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.