Estuarine Health

What is an AusRivAS-type approach to environmental health? (continued)

The model is most accurate for the most frequently collected species so we based predictions on species with a 0.5 or greater probability of being collected.

In the river health project pristine or near pristine reference sites are used. It is not possible to find pristine or near pristine estuarine sites because the catchments of most Australian estuaries have been modified by urban, agricultural, pastoral or forestry activities. Even where the catchment is included in national parks the collection of bait and fish, the upper level preditors, occurs. Therefore, at best, an AusRivAS approach to assessing estuarine health would only be able to compare reference sites from estuaries with low levels of environmental impact or to make temporal comparison to assess how environmental management practices were affecting species richness within estuaries.