What Happened to the Australian Aquatic Biota 18 000 years Ago?

Abstract

There is now ample evidence that hydrological conditions in lakes, rivers and the grounwater in sourth-eastern Australian have varied continuously during the last 50 000 years. The most dravatic event culminated around 18 000 years ago when most lakes dried. During this arid phase, much of the aquatic biota probably survived in lakes located near the coast. These lakes were subsquently inundated by a relatively rapid rise in sea level. The biota survived this phonomenon becuase it had good dispersal mechanisms. Some organisms of the arid phase also survived in a few inalnd baodies of water (notably in mound springs). It is important that limnologists and water managers remember that the key to full understanding of the present nature of Australia's aquatic environment is knowledge of past events.