River loads of suspended solids, nitrogen, phosphorus and herbicides delivered to the Great Barrier Reef lagoon

► This study reports current and pre-European river pollutant loads to the GBR lagoon. ► The mean-annual load of total suspended solids has increased by 5.5 times. ► Mean-annual loads of nitrogen and phosphorus have increased by 5.7 and 8.9 times. ► The current mean-annual load of PSII herbicides is 30,000 kg/yr. ► These estimates can facilitate target setting and enable management prioritisation.