A review of the 'natural' ecological features of waterways in the Botany Bay catchment, in southern Sydney, Australia

This paper provides a synopsis of the ecological structure and function of waterways in the Botany Bay catchment, informed by a comprehensive review of literature. Botany Bay is one of Australia's best known and most studied waterways. It is a large sheltered embayment with a marine-dominated estuary that receives freshwater discharges mainly from the Georges and Cooks Rivers. The catchments of those rivers, and much of the northern shoreline of the bay, have been intensively developed over the past two centuries. Thus, the structure and functioning of all ecosystems in the region have been modified to varying extents. However, some natural features have been retained across the Botany Bay catchment, particularly in protected areas in and around Towra Point Nature Reserve and the National Parks in the upper Georges River catchment. Studies of those natural features have provided valuable information about community structure, fish behaviour and food webs in a range of estuarine habitats (particularly seagrass, mangroves and saltmarsh). In contrast to the extensive information about estuarine ecology, there is minimal published information about the natural features of freshwater ecosystems in the catchment. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Botany Bay is a well-known and extensively studied waterway in Australia, impacted by intensive development while retaining some natural features, with valuable research information being provided in certain national parks within the region.