Concerns that massive east coast storms are causing polluting run-off

Emma Johnston - she's concerned about
 rubbish from our increasingly urbanized
coastlines polluting our aquatic ecosystems.

The massive storms that have lashed Australia’s east coast over the past few days are not just a threat to lives and property, but also to our marine wildlife.

The increasing urbanisation of our coastlines, and proliferation of impervious surfaces, has meant that up to 80% of stormwater now runs rapidly into a dense underground network of drains.

These drains act like an expressway for pollution and debris in our cities, roads, gutters and gardens, sending a cocktail of contaminants directly into the aquatic ecosystems that lie at the end of the pipe.

Stormageddons

Earlier this year, Newcastle recorded its wettest January day since 1862. In 2015, New South Wales experienced a “once in a century” storm event.

These storms along Australia’s east coast originated mainly from naturally occurring low-pressure systems, which may become less frequent but more severe in the future. Worldwide extreme weather events are becoming more common, with about 18% of heavy precipitation events attributed to global warming.

Read the thoughts of a Senior Research Associate in Marine Ecology at the University of New South Wales, Katherine Dafforn, and Professor and Pro Vice-Chancellor, also from the university, Emma Johnston, on The Conversation -  “Massive storms are pumping pollution into our oceans: time to clean up our cities.”