According to one marine scientist, mining constitutes a greater threat to the health of the Great Barrier Reef than agriculture. Last Tuesday, federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt authorized dredging and dumping associated with four coal terminals on the Great Barrier Reef coast, as well as the building of a liquid natural gas refinery and pipeline. While the government predicted that water quality would improve along the coast due to plans for a reduction in farm-related sediments and chemical runoff, some researchers fear that mining activities will actually cause more harm than agriculture. Since clear water is crucial to the health of the reef, they fear the dredging and dumping of seabed material associated with the expansion of the coal terminals could prove a significant threat to the marine habitat. Furthermore, according to research scientist Jon Brodie, the expansion of ports has been going on without transparent management of the risks. For the full story, see http://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/mining-dwarfs-farming-as-threat-to-health-of-great-barrier-reef-marine-scientist-warns-20131211-2z6im.html.