Marine ecosystems along a stretch of Sydney's coastline from the Hawkesbury River down to Botany Bay have been devastated by a 'chemical event'.
Marine ecosystems along a stretch of Sydney's coastline from the Hawkesbury River down to Botany Bay and beyond have been devastated by a combination of drought, bushfire debris and severe storms in recent months.
Invertebrate species down to as deep as eight metres appear to have heavily affected by a sequence of changed water quality and conditions.Salinity in shallow estuaries rose as freshwater inflows dropped with the drought, and then the bushfires brought additional nitrogen and phosphorous - including from fire retardants - that spurred cyanobacteria growth. The big storms provided the final blow for much of the aquatic life, Mr Fallon said.
"They are all completely gone except for this one algae that has literally covered everything," Mr Fallon said. Effects on fish may take a while to show up. For instance, some grazing species may fare better than others depending on the mix of plant species that return.
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