SYLLABUS REFERENCE

[A6.3] assess the implications of pollution of marine and wetland environments;

INTRODUCTION

A couple years ago in Trinidad & Tobago, Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS) drew international attention to an oil tanker that was threatening to dump tonnes of crude oil into the Caribbean Sea.

Thanks to their efforts, and extensive talks between governments, the tanker was stabilised, removing the possibility of a devastating oil spill.

However, this is not the only incident of pollution impacting our marine and wetland ecosystems, as shown in the following video. There are several sources of pollution that are currently threatening ecosystems and, by extension, the livelihoods and economies of our vulnerable island states.

This article will be exploring the marine and wetland ecosystems in the Caribbean, as well as the types, sources, and impact of pollution on them and, by extension, state economies.

DEFINITIONS

Pollutant

Anything released into the environment as a result of human activity that has the potential to cause harm.

Apart from the chemical substances that we are familiar with, the heat released from power stations and noise from industrial or domestic sources can also be pollutants.

Pollution

The release of substances from human activities that are harmful to the environment.

Benthic Organisms

Any living thing associated with or occurring on the bottom of a body of water. The animals and plants that live on or in this location are known as the benthos.

MARINE & WETLAND ECOSYSTEMS

There are three (3) main types, found in the Caribbean.

1 - Coastal ecosystems, dominated by mangrove trees

2 - Ecosystems in shallow water where seagrasses are the dominant vegetation

3 - Coral reefs

Go to this link for a comparison of marine vs wetland ecosystems.

SOURCES & IMPACT OF POLLUTION

About Eutrophication...

About the manatee die-off as of August 2021.

CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES AS SIDS

SIDS: Small Island Developing States

"Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are a distinct group of 38 UN Member States and 20 Non-UN Members / Associate Members of United States regional commissions that face unique social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities. [1]

The three geographical regions in which SIDS are located are:

the Caribbean Sea
the Pacific
the Atlantic
the Indian Ocean
the South China Sea.

SIDS were recognised as a special case both for their environment and development at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) for each country is the region of surrounding oceans under their control. The EEZ of SIDS are, on average, 26 times the country's land mass.

For this reason, for many SIDS, most of the natural resources that contribute to the country's economy come from the ocean.

In addition, the following factors make SIDS particularly vulnerable to biodiversity loss and climate change. In addition, SIDS tends to lack economic alternatives in the face of these challenges.

Impact of Climate Change on SIDS

As demonstrated by the 2017 hurricane season, with the onslaught of hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Nate, these weather events are currently the most direct effect of climate change on Caribbean SIDS.

These storms destroy communications, energy, and transport infrastructure, plus homes, health facilities & schools.

There are also the slow onset events, such as sea level rise. These pose a threat to the very existence of these island communities. They require drastic measures such as relocation of populations, and the related challenges they pose. These challenges are compounded by:

limited institutional capacity
scarce financial resources
high vulnerability to system-level shocks.

The Importance of Biodiversity

This is very important to the livelihood of many SIDS. Industries that depend of biodiversity, such as tourism and fisheries, make up more than 50% of the GDP or most small island economies.

Beyond the economic, biodiversity holds aesthetic and spiritual value for many island communities. As long as humans have lived on these islands, the benefits of biodiversity included:

food supply
clean water
reduced beach erosion
soil & sand formation
protection from storm surges.

In modern times, strong biodiversity provides the additional benefit of reducing the impact of climate change in the form of soil erosion, pollution, floods, and natural disasters.

SUMMARY

There are three main types of marine and wetland ecosystems in the Caribbean, namely mangrove, seagrass, and coral reef.

There are three main sources of pollution that have a negative impact on these ecosystems. These are agriculture, industry, and mismanaged solid waste. Some of the pollutants that interfere with these ecosystems are fertilisers, heavy metals, and sediment.

The impact of pollution on marine and wetland ecosystems is very important to Caribbean countries. As SIDS, a major proportion of their economic zones are the surrounding ocean and coastal areas. They are pivotal to the fishing and tourism industries in particular. So damage to these ecosystems has a significant economic impact, apart from the ecological.

REFERENCES

[1] About Small Island Developing States | Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States - the United Nations. Accessed 31 Aug 2021.

Search This Blog

CSEC Biology Notes

MARINE & WETLAND POLLUTION [CSEC BIOLOGY]