e led to areas of the Broadwater listed as an international Ramsar site and inclusion to international migratory bird arrangements. The Broadwater provides a vital function in the provision of feeding, spawning and nursery sites for recreationally and commercially important finfish species.
The Broadwater catchment includes a number of watercourses including the Logan/Albert, Coomera, Pimpama and Nerang Rivers. Creeks such as the Loders, Biggera and Behm and Wasp also flow into the estuary.
The most common seagrass species in the body of water is Zostera muelleri which grows in the shallower parts. Halophila ovalis and Halophila spinulosa are also found in the deeper waters of the Broadwater.
Captain Patrick Logan was the first European to discover this southern entrance to Moreton Bay. In 1925, the Jubilee Bridge opened to traffic, replacing ferry services which transported passengers across the Broadwater. In the early 1880s the first Southport Pier was opened to the public.
In 1966, the Jubilee Bridge was replaced by the Sundale Bridge. Construction of the Gold Coast Seaway was undertaken between 1984 and 1986. Plans for a cruise ship terminal and resort on Wave Break Island were rejected by the Queensland Government in 2015.
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- The Spit arm
- the Marine Stadium,
- western Spit foreshores (including Sea World, Fishing fleet, Versace Hotel, Marina Mirage, Fishermans Wharf, Water Police, Sea Scouts and the Southport Yacht Club)
- Pelican Beach at Main Beach
- Southport Broadwater Parklands
- Marine Parade and Harley Park Labrador
- Broadwater Esplanades of Biggera Waters, Runaway Bay and Hollywell.
- Paradise Point Broadwater Parklands
- List of rivers of Queensland
- Southern Moreton Bay Islands
- Southern Moreton Bay Islands National Park
- Sports on the Gold Coast, Queensland
- Ryan, J. K.; Waltham, Nathan J.; Benfer, Nathan P.; King, Brian A.; Lemckert, Charles J.; Zigic, Sasha (2013). "Gold Coast Broadwater: Southern Moreton Bay, Southeast Queensland (Australia)". In Wolanski, Eric. Estuaries of Australia in 2050 and beyond. Dordrecht Springer. pp. 93–109. ISBN 978-94-007-7019-5.
- Gourlay, Michael R. (1996). "History of Coastal Engineering in Australia". In Kraus, Nicholas C. History and Heritage of Coastal Engineering. ASCE Publications. p. 44. ISBN 0784474141. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
- "Broadwater Catchment". City of Gold Coast. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
- McPhee, D. (2015). "Marine environments of the Gold Coast: out with the old, in with the new". In Hundloe, Tor; McDougall, Bridgette; Page, Craig. The Gold Coast Transformed: From Wilderness to Urban Ecosystem. Csiro Publishing. p. 85. ISBN 1486303307. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- Jensen, Jo; Barrett, Peta (1996). Patrick Logan. Moorooka, Brisbane: Future Horizon Publishing. p. 24. ISBN 0-9587622-7-9.
- Longhurst, Robert (1995). Gold Coast:Our heritage in focus. South Brisbane, Queensland: State Library of Queensland. p. 27. ISBN 0-7242-6563-5.
- Stevenson, Ashleigh (28 April 2015). "Gold Coast cruise terminal proponent ASF Consortium willing to negotiate Broadwater plans". ABC News (Australia). Retrieved 27 September 2015.
Media related to The Broadwater, Queensland at Wikimedia Commons