A $200,000 glider from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is to be deployed in Moreton Bay to investigate the impact of the recent flooding on marine ecosystems.

The move is part of a research program to monitor the effect of the floods on Moreton Bay, off Brisbane.

Andy Steven from the CSIRO's Wealth from Oceans Flagship said the glider will generate three-dimensional maps, illustrating the impact of the flooding on the marine waters receiving the flow of the Brisbane River.

“The disastrous flood also provides us with a rare opportunity to understand how our marine ecosystems respond to massive inputs of fresh water and sediments,” he said.

The glider’s sensors will measure light, oxygen, temperature, salinity, nutrients, organic matter and phytoplankton. Only two such robotic monitors exist.

Data obtained during the daily glider surveys will be used together with satellite images and other data.

In collaboration with the Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management, CSIRO started deploying research teams into the bay last week to collect water samples to complement the glider data, satellite images and existing monitoring activities.

The information will be used to help researchers understand the dynamics of the flood plume and its likely effects on seagrass, fish, dugong, turtles, coral and other marine flora and fauna.