The Central Role of Geomorphology in the Management of Water Quality in The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area
Assoc. Prof. Andrew Brooks is a leading Australian geomorphologist and river scientist with over 30 years of experience in fluvial processes, catchment management, and river rehabilitation. Based at Griffith University’s Centre for Coastal Management, he leads the Precision Erosion and Sediment Management (PrESM)research group and serves as Honours Program Director within the School of Environment and Science.
His research has significantly shaped national policy and practice around sediment management, especially in relation to the Great Barrier Reef. He was a lead author of both the 2017 and 2022 GBR Scientific Consensus Statements and developed the Reef Credit Gully Method. Brooks has secured over $14.4 million in research and consultancy funding and has published extensively across top geomorphology and environmental science journals.
He is a past recipient of the prestigious Eureka Prize for Environmental Research and continues to advise federal and state agencies on sediment control strategies. He is the current chair of the SEAC for the EIANZ Certified Environmental Practitioner (CEnvP) Geomorphology Specialisation. His pioneering work on alluvial gully erosion, river rehabilitation with Engineered Log Jams (with Dr Tim Abbe) and landscape scale restoration has led to measurable improvements in water quality outcomes. Brooks is also a widely sought speaker and educator, known for integrating rigorous science with practical, policy-relevant outcomes across catchments in Australia and internationally.