Pandora Reef, Havannah Island - Ba/Ca Data McCulloch, M.T.; Fallon, S.R.; Wyndham, T.; Hendy, E.J.; Lough, J.M.; Barnes, D.J. McCulloch, M.T. Fallon, S.R. Wyndham, T. Hendy, E.J. Lough, J.M. Barnes, D.J. earth science/paleoclimate/corals and sclerosponges (age,null,null,year Common Era,null,corals and sclerosponges,null,null,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/corals and sclerosponges (barium/calcium,Porites sp.,null,mole per mole,null,corals and sclerosponges,raw,inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry,N,null) earth science/paleoclimate/instrumental (streamflow,null,null,unspecified unit,null,instrumental,null,null,N,in situ data logger) earth science/paleoclimate/corals and sclerosponges (Pandora Reef>LATITUDE -18.82>LONGITUDE 146.43) (Havannah Island>LATITUDE -18.85>LONGITUDE 146.55) The effect of European settlement on water quality in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia is a long-standing and controversial issue. Erosion and sediment transport in river catchments in this region have increased substantially since European settlement, but the magnitude of these changes remains uncertain. Here we report analyses of Ba/Ca ratios in long-lived Porites coral from Havannah Reefŋa site on the inner Great Barrier Reef that is influenced by flood plumes from the Burdekin riverŋto establish a record of sediment fluxes from about 1750 to 1998. We find that, in the early part of the record, suspended sediment from river floods reached the inner reef area only occasionally, whereas after about 1870ŋfollowing the beginning of European settlementŋa five- to tenfold increase in the delivery of sediments is recorded with the highest fluxes occurring during the drought-breaking floods. We conclude that, since European settlement, land-use practices such as clearing and overstocking have led to major degradation of the semi-arid river catchments, resulting in substantially increased sediment loads entering the inner Great Barrier Reef. STUDY NOTES: Ba/Ca ratios in long-lived Porites coral from Havannah Reef and Pandora Reef as a proxy for Burdekin river sediment fluxes to the inner Great Barrier Reef. Weekly and monthly Burdekin River flow data also reported. NCDC-Paleoclimatology https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/data-access/paleoclimatology-data - Bauer Bruce Investigator : McCulloch, M.T. Investigator : Fallon, S.R. Investigator : Wyndham, T. Investigator : Hendy, E.J. Investigator : Lough, J.M. Investigator : Barnes, D.J. 2003-03-31 ONLINE Files online, ASCII https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/1874 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/coral/west_pacific/great_barrier/mcculloch2003.txt https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/coral/west_pacific/great_barrier/mcculloch2003.txt English https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/study/1874 https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/coral/west_pacific/great_barrier/mcculloch2003.txt McCulloch, M., S.R. Fallon, T. Wyndham, E. Hendy, J. Lough, and D. Barnes. 2003. Coral record of increased sediment flux to the inner Great Barrier Reef since European settlement. Nature 421(6924):727-730. McCulloch, M., S.R. Fallon, T. Wyndham, E. Hendy, J. Lough, and D. Barnes. 2003. Coral Record of increased sediment flux to the inner Great Barrier Reef since European settlement. Nature, Vol 421, No. 6924, 727-730, doi:10.1038/nature01361 START YEAR: 1758 AD * END YEAR: 1998 AD 146.43 -18.85 146.55 -18.82