Correspondence on “Submarine Groundwater Discharge Exceeds River Inputs as a Source of Nutrients to the Great Barrier Reef”
Journal Contribution ResearchOnline@JCUAbstract
[Extract] Tait et al.’s (hereafter Tait) recent 2023 ES&T publication (1) uses observations of sea surface concentrations of radium isotopes to infer that submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) exceeds river inputs as a source of nutrients to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Specifically, they claim that total SGD is ∼10–15 times greater than average river inputs and that total SGD accounts for >30% of all known nutrient inputs. The study’s failure to differentiate between catchment-derived nearshore groundwater and recirculated nearshore marine waters, however, raises concerns relating to both interpretation and stated implications for GBR pollution management (e.g., Nature’s research highlights (2) assumes the SGD nutrient source Tait quantifies is pollution from catchment-derived SGD). Here we compare results with existing catchment water budgets, use a three-dimensional (3D) model to quantify the mixing of radium in the GBR, and discuss the role of riverine particulate nutrients in recirculated SGD. Overall, we show that radium distribution can be explained without significant catchment-derived SGD.
Journal
Environmental Science and Technology
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Volume
58
ISBN/ISSN
1520-5851
Edition
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Issue
23
Pages Count
2
Location
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Publisher
American Chemical Society
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EISSN
N/A
DOI
10.1021/acs.est.4c01490