Stephen Lewis

Brief description

Dr Stephen Lewis

My research broadly covers water quality in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) catchment area and lagoon. I examine the water quality issues for a variety of land use types (e.g. agriculture, industry, urban) and potential improvements that can be made to reduce runoff to receiving ecosystems. This is achieved through a combination of various monitoring and modelling activities.Specifically, I am interested in the use of trace elements and stable isotopes in coral core records to investigate changes in water quality since the time of European settlement in north Queensland (c. 1850). I also examine the sources, transport and risk of pesticides in the GBR catchment area and lagoon, the sediment trapping efficiency of reservoirs, quantifying changing pollutant loads delivered to the GBR and the transport and behaviour of trace metals in the estuarine zone.