Gulf St Vincent is a reverse estuary which has only limited exchange with the Southern Ocean. Throughout much of the region extensive habitats comprising seagrasses and macroalgal dominated reef communities are prominent features of the environment. These systems support a range of activities including recreational and commercial fisheries and a growing aquaculture industry. A range of pollution pressures present significant threats to the marine and coastal environment and their ability to support these values. This report reviews these threats in order to identify and prioritise risks to inform management decisions.
The risk assessment identified the major risks to water quality with potential to impact on environmental values of the protection of:
* ecosystems * aquaculture * recreational users of water * aesthetic values of water.
