The study, which looked into various links between water quality and marine turtle health, included a clinical examination of 56 green turtles and found that elevated metal levels found in stranded turtles were likely to be due to dredging work in the Port Curtis/Gladstone harbour area from late 2010 through to 2012.

"It is likely that the large-scale dredging in Gladstone harbour may be associated with these elevated levels of metals and POPs [organochlorine pesticides]," the study claimed.

While other turtle threats such as "ghost nets" were delved into, the study also attributed "vessel strike" fatalities of turtles to LNG construction activity on Curtis Island.

"Increased boat activity increases the likelihood of strikes," the report said.

"This has been of great concern in Gladstone harbour given the large increase in vessel traffic associated with the development of Curtis Island and associated dredging."

The study was triggered by substantial and rapid increases in turtle mortality and illness rates in Queensland over the last 3-4 years.

"The number of stranding records for green turtles along the coastline between Upstart Bay and Edgecumbe Bay increased from five in 2009 to 172 in 2012 - that is a 34-fold increase."

Earlier this year, federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt tasked an independent commission to investigate the Gladstone harbour dredging project, which included delving into a bund wall that had failed and leaked material into the harbour.