Australian floods send dirty water across the Great Barrier Reef

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Fine sediment plumes of the Burdekin River begin to touch the former reef — Legend

The floodwaters extended more than 60 km offshore

Dirty water from a flooding crisis in northern Australia has spread in parts of the Great Barrier Reef, subjecting it to tensions, have said scientists.

The floods are the result of weeks of devastating rain in Queensland.

Aerial images show that runoff from a river has covered some reef areas more than 60 km from the shore.

Scientists are concerned that sediment-laden waters will block light and effectively "choke" coral. The tests must still be undertaken.

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The Great Barrier Reef, located in the Coral Sea off the coast of Queensland, is a diverse World Heritage site covering an area of 344,400 square kilometers.

In recent weeks, runoff from several rivers has merged to touch about 600 km from the periphery of the reef, scientists said.

The water is not dispersed due to its size and the recent lack of wind.

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"Generally, a little wind and waves can break the plumes fast enough, but we literally did not have wind, so they are suspended," said Dr. Frederieke Kroon of the Australian Institute of Marine Science.

She told the BBC that nutrient-rich water had also caused the growth of algae in some areas, turning the waters into "a thick blanket of green".

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"The biggest concern at the moment is this reduced light – if it persists much longer, in some cases we can even witness a smothering of the system," said Jane Waterhouse, scientist at the TropWATER research unit from James Cook University.

However, she said that strong winds – if they came – could mitigate the impact.

The reef is already facing threats to its survival, such as coral bleaching caused by warmer sea temperatures. Mass bleaching episodes occurred in 2016 and 2017.

Legend of the mediaThe warming of the water resulted in massive coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef

It has also been damaged by cyclones and thorny starfish.

Large areas of Queensland have been affected by floods in recent weeks, with some areas recording the equivalent of a 10-day rainy year.

Last week, two people were found dead in the floodwaters that flooded the lowlands of Townsville.

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The UN calls the Great Barrier Reef "richer in biodiversity" than all World Heritage sites and "of enormous scientific and intrinsic importance".

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