Palaeoecological tools for improving the management of coastal ecosystems: a case study from Lake King (Gippsland Lakes) Australia

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dc.contributor.authorSaunders, KMen_AU
dc.contributor.authorHodgson, DAen_AU
dc.contributor.authorHarrison, JJen_AU
dc.contributor.authorMcMinn, Aen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2009-06-16T05:52:27Zen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2010-04-30T05:05:54Zen_AU
dc.date.available2009-06-16T05:52:27Zen_AU
dc.date.available2010-04-30T05:05:54Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2008-07en_AU
dc.date.statistics2008-07en_AU
dc.description.abstractSince European settlement began over 200 years ago, many southeast Australian coastal lakes and lagoons have experienced substantial human impacts, including nutrient enrichment. Present day management and conservation efforts are often hampered by a lack of data on pre-impact conditions. We used a palaeoecological approach at Lake King, Gippsland Lakes, southeast Australia in order to determine its pre-impact condition and to establish the nature and direction of subsequent environmental changes, including responses to the construction of a permanent entrance to the sea in 1889. A 120 cm sediment core was analysed for diatoms, chlorophyll a, total carbon, nitrogen and sulphur, and dated using Pb-210. Past phosphate and salinity concentrations were reconstructed using diatom-phosphate and diatom-salinity transfer functions developed from a calibration set based on 53 sites from 14 southeast Australian coastal lakes and lagoons. Results show changes in the diatom assemblage that record a shift from a brackish-water to marine diatom flora since construction of the permanent entrance. Phosphate concentrations increased at the same time and experienced major peaks in the 1940s and 1950s to > 100 mu g/l. Chlorophyll a concentrations were generally below 24 mu g/l/gTOC in the core, but there has been a clear increase since the 1980s, peaking at 120 mu g/l/gTOC, likely associated with a recorded increase in the frequency of nuisance algal blooms. These results indicate that the Lake King environment is now very different to that present during early European settlement. We conclude that by identifying the nature and direction of environmental change, palaeoecological studies can contribute towards developing realistic and well-informed management, conservation and restoration strategies in Australian coastal ecosystems. © 2008, Springer.en_AU
dc.identifier.citationSaunders, K. M., Hodgson, D. A., Harrison, J., & McMinn, A. (2008). Palaeoecological tools for improving the management of coastal ecosystems: a case study from Lake King (Gippsland Lakes) Australia. Journal of Paleolimnology, 40(1), 33-47. doi:10.1007/s10933-007-9132-zen_AU
dc.identifier.govdoc1379en_AU
dc.identifier.issn0921-2728en_AU
dc.identifier.issue1en_AU
dc.identifier.journaltitleJournal of Paleolimnologyen_AU
dc.identifier.pagination33-47en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10933-007-9132-zen_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/1379en_AU
dc.identifier.volume40en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherSpringeren_AU
dc.subjectBaltic Seaen_AU
dc.subjectHuman intrusionen_AU
dc.subjectDiatomsen_AU
dc.subjectCoastal regionsen_AU
dc.subjectLakesen_AU
dc.subjectAustraliaen_AU
dc.titlePalaeoecological tools for improving the management of coastal ecosystems: a case study from Lake King (Gippsland Lakes) Australiaen_AU
dc.typeJournal Articleen_AU
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