The 30 priority questions addressed in the 2022 Scientific Consensus Statement capture evidence about how different land uses can influence the water quality and health of Great Barrier ecosystems and how Great Barrier Reef ecosystems can be affected by water quality. A series of Topic Summaries defined by policy and stakeholder interests, have been developed that draw on the evidence presented in the 30 questions to provide a concise overview for specific ecosystems and land uses.
The Topic Summaries on ecosystems (coral reefs, seagrass and wetlands) include an overview of the current status and condition of the ecosystem on the Great Barrier Reef, the key threats, water quality impacts, confidence in the evidence and links to related Questions.
The Topic Summaries for land uses (grazing, sugarcane, horticulture and bananas, grains and urban) provide a brief introduction to the land use within a Great Barrier Reef context, describe the primary pollutants related to that land use, the ecological impacts of those pollutants on aquatic ecosystems, identify the main sources and transport pathways of the pollutants from the land use, and outline the management actions available to help alleviate pressure on the Great Barrier Reef including, where available, the effectiveness of actions in improving water quality, cost-effectiveness and impacts on production outcomes. Confidence in the evidence is presented for the related Questions with links for further reading.