I think you make the case for other possibilities well Bugsy, but the point I am trying to make, is that the toxicity of what ever the problem may be in Gladstone on such a massive scale as Gladstone Harbour and adjacent ocean and reef, maybe indicative of something like pesticide poisoning or worse and is therefore of considerable concern.

I think we should start by testing for cumulative things, things worse, or at least as bad as heavy metal contaminants, things like Dioxin levels.

Actually thinker 2, I very much doubt that the waxy layer you observed has anything to do with pesticides. Pesticides are not applied in any sort of waxy formulation, as that would defeat the purpose of what they need to achieve. The symptoms you obsetrved are not consitent with any termite pesticide that I know of. Acute and chronic exposures tend to manifest quite differently to what you described.

I would hazard to guess that what you saw was more likely to be biological in origin, perhaps spore forming moulds or fungus. Many households have these sorts of 'toxic building syndromes', especially under floors and in ceiling spaces, and they quite often affect respiratory tracts and often also have a 'chronic fatigue' sort of syndrome associated.

As for the Gladstone harbour situation, I doubt that pesticides/heavy metals are unlikely to be the causal agents there either, the fish symptoms and the fishermens symptoms appear to be more microbiological/infectious types. Considering the dilution factor of the harbour, I doubt that even a direct spray of pesticide into the harbour would have such an effect.

I would be guessing that the current investigators have come to similar conclusions and are first looking at changes in nutrient content and pH (probably stirred up by dredging) affecting the types of infectious microbes in the water. It wouldn't be the first time this type of thing has happened around the world.

Some events,, far far too many, take place and are white washed or hidden.
Here is just one.
30 years ago on the mid North coast of NSW a tragic event took place on the Pacific Highway.
A TRUCK AND CAR COLLIDED.
Truck had in its cargo 12 tons of chemicals.
About the same of dried foods, and tinned fruit.
Two containers , in such a load?
Containing radio active ISOTOPES!
Powder from the burst freight, that poison , covered every thing, by standers, well not, but remain unnamed, and not road workers eat sugar coated nuts, coated too with the dust.
Car driver died,local hospital refused to take his body.
TV filmed both Isotope containers opened by police, and Isotopes being ? handled.
A lot, 3 different crews, of then DMR workers spent the day working to clean that site, in heavy rain.
TWO had doctors tell them they had? RADIO ACTIVE POISONING.
All, about 20 had blood tests, and never got told the results.
6 years after obeying orders, burying that load, poisons too, on the road side.
A very large fish kill took place in the adjoining lake.
DMR/RTA on Dick Smith offering $100.000 to dig it up and remove it? said it was not there never had been.
I worked all day ,in rain , my arms burned and still today do.
Another fish kill took place.
2 police officers both in 20,s never worked again.
Research this today and you will find it is not there, never took place..
The 40 year old dead trees, still there, that is how old they had been before death still stand.

fisher folk reported a simular thing some years ago
it turned out that sewrage outflow from a pig farm...made normanaly harmless bacteria turn into flesh eating

the main noted symptom was the fishermen returned home with leisions and a loss of reasoning abilities..[they couldnt find their way home]

the name might be wisteria..

[but heck with these water desal plants.].
we no doudt will in time al catch that disease..
it might just be the plan man

or get mad cow from our yanki mac burgers
sems that one mad cow can end up contaminating huge quantities of ';burgers'..but we will never know..nor in the end have any mind that cares

so im getting into the couldnt care less mode early
not going nuts about how/when/who..

just give me the poisen and get on wit ya life
thank god my web acces expires in a few weeeks..then i wont even have to read about it

by accident or design
dont understimate the chemical affect
under one god,
well said. Just think of 5000 tourists every day swimming on the same locations on the GBR.
Then think of about 50-100 ml of sunscreen lotion per tourist being washed off into the water. That's a fair bit of poison going into the reef.

I am a bit surprised we did not get a little more response to the subject.
It may very well be true, bacteria maybe the problem.
And also not true, that it is the beginning of the end.
However if each of us, contributed just one, true happening such as mine , we would understand , we must never take this country for granted.