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The rivers of the Wet Tropics in northeast Australia are perennial, meaning that they flow throughout the year. The Little Mulgrave River (shown above) is one of these perennial flowing rivers, and a tributary to the Mulgrave-Russell River complex that ultimately empties into the Great Barrier Reef. The perennial flows of the Little Mulgrave River, and rivers like it, support some of the highest freshwater fish species diversity in all of Australia. Perennial flows in these rivers are maintained through both wet season rainfall and dry season cloud capture; a phenomenon that is possible because of the mountain ranges that traverse the region. You can learn more about the rivers of the Wet Tropics, and the region’s diversity of ecosystems and species, here.

Haiku and photo: Steph Januchowski-Hartley