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Deluge Inlet, a Pristine Small Tropical Estuary in North-Eastern Australia

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Estuaries of Australia in 2050 and beyond

Part of the book series: Estuaries of the World ((EOTW))

Abstract

Deluge Inlet is a small, tide-dominated estuary on Australia’s north-east tropical coast, located in the central part of the Hinchinbrook Island National Park, Australia’s largest island National Park. It is situated in Australia’s humid tropical zone, and experiences an intense summer wet season and regular impacts of tropical cyclones. Protection by National Parks, World Heritage and Wild Rivers legislation means it remains in near pristine condition. Deluge Inlet sports substantial biodiversity in the form of extensive mangrove forests, seagrass beds, and complex marine mammal, reptile, fish and invertebrate assemblages, all supported by a mosaic of highly interconnected habitat types. The mix of habitats and rich biodiversity makes Deluge Inlet an important nursery for many species, and supports complex food webs. Current threats are from increasing fishing and boating pressure, and effective governance will be needed to ensure Deluge Inlet remains in near-pristine condition into the future.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research, School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Angus Smith Drive, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia

    Marcus Sheaves, Kátya G. Abrantes & Ross Johnston

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  1. Marcus Sheaves
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  2. Kátya G. Abrantes
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  3. Ross Johnston
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Correspondence to Marcus Sheaves .

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  1. TropWATER and School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia

    Eric Wolanski

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Sheaves, M., Abrantes, K.G., Johnston, R. (2014). Deluge Inlet, a Pristine Small Tropical Estuary in North-Eastern Australia. In: Wolanski, E. (eds) Estuaries of Australia in 2050 and beyond. Estuaries of the World. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7019-5_15

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