| Moreton Bay | |
|---|---|
| Quandamooka | |
 Moreton Bay and theBrisbane metropolitan area | |
  Moreton Bay | |
 Location of Moreton Bay inSouth East Queensland | |
| Location | South East Queensland |
| Coordinates | 27°15′S153°15′E / 27.250°S 153.250°E /-27.250; 153.250 |
| Etymology | In honour ofLord Morton |
| River sources | |
| Ocean/sea sources | Coral Sea |
| Catchment area | 21,220 km2 (8,190 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | Australia |
| Max. length | 125 km (78 mi) |
| Max. width | 35 km (22 mi) |
| Surface area | 1,523 km2 (588 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 6.8 m (22 ft) |
| Frozen | never |
| Islands | |
| Settlements | Brisbane |
| Designated | 22 October 1993 |
| Reference no. | 631[1] |
Moreton Bay is abay located on the eastern coast ofAustralia 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) from centralBrisbane,Queensland.[2] It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources.[3] The waters of Moreton Bay are a popular destination for recreational anglers and are used by commercial operators who provide seafood to market.
ThePort of Brisbane coordinates large traffic along theshipping channel which crosses the northern section of the bay. The bay serves as a safe approach to the airport and reducesnoise pollution over the city to the west of the runway. A number of barge, ferry and water-taxi services also travel over the bay.
Moreton Bay was the site of conflict between theQuandamooka people and earlyEuropean settlers. It contains environmentally significant habitats and large areas of sandbanks. The bay is the only place in Australia wheredugong gather into herds. Many parts of the mainland foreshore and southern islands are settled.
The waters of Moreton Bay are relatively calm, being sheltered from largeswells byMoreton Island andNorth Stradbroke Island.[4] In 2009 as part of theQ150 celebrations, the Moreton Bay was announced as one of theQ150 Icons of Queensland for its role as a "Natural attraction".[5] Moreton Bay is a Pacific OceanHope Spot.[2]
Moreton Bay was formed roughly 6000 years ago as thesea level rose and inundated what was then the floodplains of theBrisbane River. Moreton Bay and its islands were inhabited by the Quandamooka people.[6][7] The indigenous economy was very rich, one of the strongest for its productive yields of edible natural resources on the Australian continent. Of particular importance for the interclan trade and ceremonial life were in particular massive oyster beds, the annual mullet catch, andbunya nut harvesting,[8] on the coast and inland, which led to annual migrations either way to enjoy the abundance of the respective tribal group's territory.
An 1823 account by explorer John Uniacke described the importance of fish, kangaroo and fern-root called dingowa in the diet of the local tribes. His paper, titled 'Natives of Moreton Bay' also has a detailed summary of inter-tribal fights in theBribie Island region, as witnessed by castawaysJohn Finnegan andThomas Pamphlett.[9]
In the 1840s, resident white administrators estimated the Aboriginal population of the area to be around 4,000.[10] They were only outnumbered with the influx over the five-year period of 1850–1855 that saw the disembarkation of 3,000 European migrants on their land.[8]
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The name Morton's Bay was given byCaptain Cook when he passed the area on 15 May 1770, honouringLord Morton, president of theRoyal Society.[11] The spelling Moreton was an error in the first published account of Cook's voyage[12] (Hawkesworth'sVoyages).[13] Cook gave the name only to thebight formed by the northern end of Stradbroke Island (in 1770, there was only one island) and the eastern side of Moreton Island. He was unaware of theSouth Passage (as it's now called) between the two islands, and did not sail into what is the present Moreton Bay.
Matthew Flinders was the first recorded European to enter the bay in 1799 touching down at thePumicestone Passage,Redcliffe andCoochiemudlo Island. He was followed byJohn Oxley who explored the Brisbane River in 1823. On a subsequent visit in the following year, Oxley established the first European settlement in the bay at the present site of Redcliffe.[14]
After Oxley in 1823 came convicts and soldiers. As theSouth Passage between Moreton and Stradbroke Islands was the shortestshipping route, a depot andpilot station were established atAmity Point in 1825.[15]
European settlement began in earnest after the abandonment of the Redcliffe settlement, and work began on the newconvict settlement several miles up the Brisbane River in 1825. Within a couple years, this new settlement was growing rapidly and the number of ships entering the bay was increasing. As a result, the facilities required to service the pilot station at Amity grew, and in 1827 convicts were sent to the island to build a new causeway atDunwich, remnants of which can still be found on the same site. Within a year the first permanent European settlement at Dunwich had been built.[15] Due to poor weather, smuggling, and conflict with aborigines this convict out-station was difficult to sustain and was closed in 1831.[16]
The first immigrant ship from England, theArtemisia, reached Moreton Bay in December 1848 after a four-month journey.[17] The next year saw the arrival of theFortitude carrying more free immigrants to the settlement.[18]
By the 1850s, the region's earliest industry was utilising the bay for the transport of timber. After felling, the logs were dragged or rolled into flooded streams from where they were washed downstream to tidal reaches and bound together into rafts. After the floods had ceased and tides returned to normal, thecurrents of the bay and sometimes boats were used to delivered the timber north to the Brisbane River or to Dunwich for shipment to Sydney.[19]
The bay was home to theLightship Rose which provided a permanent navigation aid to passing ships at the mouth of the Brisbane River. TheSS John Oxley was another notable boat which temporarily acted as a pilot ship.
Car ferries began crossing the bay to reach North Stradbroke Island in 1947, leading to an increase in tourism on the island.[15] In the 1950s both sand mining and the first land sales atPoint Lookout occurred.[15]
On 1 September 2007, four people were killed in a boat accident on the bay, two kilometres from thePinkenba boat ramp. Ten others were injured.[20]
Moreton Bay has at least 102 shipwrecks of which 26 have their exact location known.[21]
Problems came about when the newcomers displayed a lack of respect for Aboriginal marriage rules, stole bones and other artefacts and desecrated sites important to the Aboriginals.[22]
In 1843, Catholicmissionaries chose Dunwich as the site for the first Catholic mission to Australian Aborigines.[16] The existence of thequarantine station on Stradbroke Island from 1850 to the 1870s led to the official discouragement ofpastoralism or wider settlement for fear of spreading disease.[15]
Thus the European usage and occupation of Quandamooka in the 19th century was largely restricted to government institutions on small portions on the islands, and withfree enterprise business men like the Campbell brothers who ran a saltworks and sugarplantations onRussell andMacleay islands, and the early fishing and oystering businesses in the bay who employed the Aboriginal people of Quandamooka.
Large Aboriginal campsites remained throughout the Moreton Bay region,including on the mainland, until as late as the 1920s.[23]
The bay extends some 125 kilometres (78 mi) fromCaloundra in the north almost toSurfers Paradise in the south.[24] The bay's southern navigation entrance is theGold Coast Seaway. The bay is 35 kilometres (22 mi) across at its widest point.
It is separated from the Coral Sea by a chain of threesand islands:Moreton Island in the north,North Stradbroke Island, andSouth Stradbroke Island in the south. Tipplers Passage is the main channel on the western coast of South Stradbroke Island. The Gold Coast Seaway is at the southern extent of Moreton Bay, before theGold Coast Broadwater.
The bay itself contains around 360 islands in total. This includes the populatedRussell,Macleay,Lamb andKarragarra Islands collectively known as theSouthern Moreton Bay Islands. Together with Coochiemudlo and Garden Island these arebedrock islands.[25]Residential development has also occurred onCoochiemudlo Island andBribie Island. In the pastPeel Island has been used as a sisal plantation, quarantine station, asylum and a leper colony.
Moreton Bay is generally shallow and sandy, though a substantive channel is maintained to allow access to the Port of Brisbane at Fisherman Islands at the mouth of the Brisbane River, for international shipping. Channels in the south of the bay are only rarely deep.[25] Waves penetrate a small way into the bay at its four southern passages.[25] Most waves in the bay are generated by local winds.[25] Thetidal range is moderate at 1.5–2 metres (4 ft 11 in – 6 ft 7 in) in range. Moreton Bay has an average depth of 6.8 metres (22 ft),[4] however parts of the bay are deeper than 30 metres (98 ft).[26] This relatively shallow depth lets light filter through to the seafloor, allowing an array of marine plants to grow which support a diverse range of fauna. The bay itself covers 1,523 square kilometres (588 sq mi) and has a catchment area 14 times larger, covering 21,220 square kilometres (8,190 sq mi).[4] The waters of the bay are mostly blue in colour. Western parts of the bay are sometimes tinted green from algae, brown from suspendedsediments or yellow-brown fromhumic runoff.[4] The average annual temperature of the sea ranges from 21.0 °C (69.8 °F) in July to 27.0 °C (80.6 °F) in February.[27]
As well as the Brisbane River, thePimpama River,Logan River,Albert River,Pine River,Tingalpa Creek and theSchulz Canal all empty into Moreton Bay. Within Moreton Bay are the smaller bays ofWaterloo Bay, Redland Bay,Raby Bay,Deception Bay andBramble Bay.
The bay contains a number of island villages such as the settlement on the bayside of Moreton Island,Tangalooma and on North Stradbroke,Dunwich andAmity Point. Prominent coastal communities and mainland suburbs situated on the bay includeDeception Bay,Scarborough,Redcliffe,Margate,Woody Point,Brighton,Sandgate,Cleveland,Victoria Point andRedland Bay. Other attractions in the bay includePumicestone Passage and numerous boat ramps,marinas andjetties, including theShorncliffe pier.
Moreton Bay is filled withsandbanks from sand supplied via littoral drift along the coast of Moreton Island.[28] The field of sandbanks extends across the entrance to Moreton Bay and evolved after sea level reached its present position, about 6,500 years ago after the last ice age[28] Between Tangalooma and Skirmish Point on Bribie Island are the Middle Banks, Central Banks and Western Banks. From north of Moreton Island towards Caloundra are the Yulle Road, Spitfire Bank, and the Salamander Bank, amongst others.
Amity Banks are found just west of Amity Point, while the Moreton Banks lie to the west of the southern tip of Moreton Island. These banks can be hazard for marine navigation because they are constantly changing due to tidal currents.
The Middle Banks area close to Moreton Island has been used in the past as a source ofsand for large projects such as the nearbyBrisbane Airport and port facilities.[29] Past dredging has removed 18 million metres3 and the removal of another 40 million metres3 is planned.[30] Future sand extraction is expected to aid a major shipping channel straightening project.
To ensure the shipping channel remains open, several areas of the bay have been allocated for dredged material dumping sites. These sites have been selected to providebeach nourishment, aiding the natural long shore transport of sand along ocean beaches.
The bay's heritage protected wetlands, mudflats, and waterways are some of the healthiest in the region, supporting seasonally up to 25% of Australia's bird species.[31] The combination of muddy habitats on the western side of the bay and sandy habitats on the eastern side of the bay together with coral andseagrass beds support more than 43 species of shorebird.[32] Seven species of seagrass live in Moreton Bay.[25]Zostera capricorni is the most common species.[25] Seagrass has been lost since colonization due to increased turbidity and sedimentation from erosion in the catchment.[33]
Collectively, around 50,000 wading birds visit the Moreton Bay each year,[24] and its wetlands are classified byBirdLife International as anImportant Bird Area (IBA).[34] In its Shorebird Management Strategy, the Queensland Government notes that: "Moreton Bay's extensive intertidal areas are essential for shorebirds as they provide roosting, feeding and, in some cases, breeding habitat."[35]
The bay is also home to other abundant wildlife, including whales, dolphins,dugong,sharks and turtles. From 1824 to 1950 turtles were hunted for commercial purposes.[2] Theloggerhead turtle population in the bay is the most significant in the country.[36]
The bay is ranked among the top ten dugong habitats in Australia and together with the Gulf of Carpentaria and Torres Strait is considered one of the most important areas for dugong in Queensland.[32] Moreton Bay is the only place in Australia where dugongs gather in herds.[37] In the past the dugongs in herds numbered in the thousands. Some herds 5 km long by 250 m wide were seen during the 1800s.[37] In 2009, there were just between 600 and 800 remaining.[36] The dugongs were traditional foods of indigenous Australians.[25] They were hunted for their oil and to make other products by early Europeans up until the 1920s.[25]
Many whale and dolphin species can be found in Moreton Bay includinghumpback whales,killer whales,southern right whales,sperm whales,melon-headed whales,blue whales,Bryde's whales,minke whales, common dolphins,spinner dolphins andRisso's dolphins.[38] Under Australia'sEPBC Act the southern right whale is listed as endangered and the humpback whale is listed as vulnerable.[39] Commercial tour operators offerwhale watching cruises between June and September each year.[40] Most of larger cetaceans observed in the bay are humpbacks, and several smaller dolphins live or regularly visit the bay.
TheMoreton Bay bug (Thenus orientalis) is a species ofslipper lobster found throughout the waters of Australia's north coast. The bug is a relatively expensive delicacy served in many restaurants in Queensland.
TheMoreton Bay fig (Ficus macrophylla) is a large tree endemic to the east coast of Australia within a range centred on the shores and surrounds of Moreton Bay.
The southern and western parts of the bay contain shallow mud-layered waters that are protected from strong wave action by the barrier islands. This has provided excellent habitat formangroves of which seven different species thrive within the bay,[41] particularly in the sheltered, southern sections of the bay.[42] The speciesAvicennia marina predominates.[42]
About 1% of the bay is coral reef.[43] Land clearing and settlement in the catchment has led to unfavourable conditions for coral growth. Climate change is expected to raise sea levels and produce warmer waters that will aid coral growth in the bay.[43]
The bay may experience widespread outbreaks of bacterialyngbya which can cause skin lesions and asthma attacks upon contact.[44]
Theeastern shovelnose ray is found in high abundance in Moreton Bay and has an important role in thetrophic structure of the area.[45]
One of serious threats to marine animals in Moreton Bay is ship-strikes. Dugongs and turtles in Moreton Bay are often killed or injured when struck by speeding boats.[46]
Unlike the southern and south-western population of Australia,southern right whales off the east coast of Australia, along with the west coast,Tasmania, and easternVictoria, are critically endangered, consisting of only 10 or more individuals.[47] Whales have not been seen on the east coast for many years (unlike humpbacks) as the first whale came back to both Australia andNew Zealand in the early 1960s,[48] largely due to mass illegal hunts by the Soviet Union as well as Japan,[49] although at first it was reported to take only four whales.[50]
Recent increases in sightings along the east coast indicate very slow but certain recovery of the species in that area, and Moreton Bay was probably a prominent calving ground for these coast-loving whales.[51] Very small but steady appearances of southern rights have been confirmed in Moreton Bay, Gold Coast, andHervey Bay.[52] Seasonal presences of right whales have been recorded in Moreton Bay at least in the late 1990s,[53] and small family groups of whales have been observed visiting the southern bay each year since 2002,[54] especially aroundToondah Harbour.
However, there was an instance of a southern right whale being fatally struck by a ferry in August 2014.[55] This whale was a calf, and her mother was also seriously injured by the accident and her fate is still unknown. Another southern right whale, possibly with a calf was also hit few days prior to the incident with a sighting of possibly the same whales nearVictoria Point.[56] These ship-strikes and entanglements in fishing gear may contribute severely to preventing the future re-establishment of the species in the former habitats.[57]
Moreton Bay's sea grass beds and corals are subject to ongoing threat from soil run-off caused by agriculture in the Lockyer Valley and construction activity in south east Queensland. Professor John Olley has noted that mud is now flowing out to Moreton Bay 10 times as fast as it did before Europeans settled in the region 120 years ago.[58] The 2013 Healthy Waterways Report shows a downward trend in the ecosystem health of Moreton Bay over the period from 2012 to 2013, with water quality also affected by major flood events such as those in 2009 and 2011.[59]
After the2011 Brisbane River floods washed contaminated water into the bay, commercial fishermen and recreation anglers were warned not catch or eat seafood from its waters.[60] The floodplume was investigated to monitor its impact on the bay's marine ecosystems. It contained sewerage, pesticides, heavy metals such as lead and zinc as well as hydrocarbons.[60][61]
Anoil spill occurred in March 2009 from theMV Pacific Adventurer dumping 100 tonnes (98 long tons; 110 short tons) of oil, 30 tonnes (30 long tons; 33 short tons) of fuel and other toxic chemicals on Brisbane's suburban beaches. PremierAnna Bligh described the spill as the "worst environmental disaster Queensland has ever seen".[62]
On 2 November 2012 the Queensland Government announced that in conjunction with the Gold Coast City Council it would call expressions of interest to develop an international cruise ship terminal and associated development for the Southport Broadwater at the southern end of Moreton Bay.[63] On 13 February 2014 the Government announced that the ASF Consortium's proposal "has demonstrated a cruise ship terminal is a possibility that could be further developed, should the Council and the proponent choose to progress it".[64] This project is opposed by the Gold Coast and Hinterland Environment Council.[65]
On 31 May 2014 an approved development scheme was released for theToondah Harbour Priority Development Area inCleveland which would allow development of a large marina up to 400 berths in southern Moreton Bay between Toondah Harbour, G.J. Walter Park and Cassim Island.[66] The Queensland Government released at the same time a lengthy report on the 583 submissions received in response to a draft scheme released for consultation in January 2014.[67] The draft Toondah scheme was opposed by marine planning experts[68] and various environmentally concerned community groups including the Bay Wilderness Society.[69] On 4 March 2014 a petition with 1,211 signatures calling for the Government's plans to be withdrawn was tabled in the Queensland Parliament.[70]
In 1993 large areas of Moreton Bay with a total area exceeding 113,000 hectares (280,000 acres) were recognised aswetlands of international significance under theRamsar Wetland Convention 1971. Listing as a Ramsar site is justified on many grounds including:
Many of the migratory shorebirds which use the bay as part of theEast Asian–Australasian Flyway are protected in accordance with three bilateral agreements:
Actions that have a significant impact on a Ramsar listed site or on species which are the subject of international bird migratory agreements are "matters of national environmental significance" which are protected by the Federal Government in accordance with provisions of theEnvironment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.[73]
Moreton Island is protected asMoreton Island National Park. The bay itself containsSt Helena Island National Park and theMoreton Bay Marine Park with areas designated under the Marine Park Zoning Plan. The Marine Park was declared in 1993 and covers 3,400 square kilometres.[74] Parts of the bay are also protected under theSouthern Moreton Bay Islands National Park.
The bay'smarine park zoning plan was renewed in 2008. Despite angst from both commercial and recreational fishers, draftQueensland Government plans indicate further fishing restrictions aiming to protect more than 15% of important marine and coastal environments.[75]Artificial reefs could be placed in Moreton Bay to ease the concerns of fishermen who fear they are being forced out. The Queensland Government will spend A$1 million on research, planning and construction of a new concrete reef in the bay.[76]
To make up for the fishing areas lost to the 2009 expansion of the Moreton Bay Marine Park, the Queensland Government agreed to create a total of six artificial reefs for anglers. The reefs are constructed from specially designed balls of concrete which will provide habitat for fish species.[77] According to former Sustainability MinisterAndrew McNamara the bay produces a commercial catch valued at $25 million and that $4 million worth of this figure has become off-limits with the rezoning.[78]
In March 2012 the Queensland Government signalled its intention to allow recreational anglers back into marine park green zones in parts of Moreton Bay.Mark Robinson, the Government's fishing spokesman, was quoted as saying: "Any changes we make would be evidence-based".[79] On 31 January 2014 the Queensland Government announced a proposed change to marine park zoning that would relax fishing restrictions at Scotts Point on the Redcliffe Peninsula.[80] This policy change was criticised by the Australian Marine Conservation Society whose spokesperson said: "We question why Premier Newman is going against the science and the rigorously surveyed opinions of local recreational fishers to adopt a proposal that was being pushed by disgraced former MPScott Driscoll whilst he was still the member for Redcliffe. There was no scientific process behind this decision".[81]
In May 2014 the Queensland Government announced that MRAG Asia Pacific had been engaged to review fishing management in Queensland.[82] MRAG has stated that while the green zones were not formally part of the review scope, it is likely that they would be discussed in the review team's report.[83]
The economic value of recreational fishing in Moreton Bay has been estimated at approximately $20 million per year.[84]
The bay is popular with recreationalanglers. TheMoreton Bay Classic fishing competition is held annually from the Manly foreshore. There is a fishing spot near the shipwreck of Mount Elliot.[85]
There are many sailing events held on Moreton Bay including:
The bay is home to many other watersports and activities including kayaking, jet-skiing, windsurfing and water-skiing. Diving and snorkelling are popular aroundTangalooma on Moreton Island.
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| Other | |
