Search results for: marine ecosystems

Authors: Shivankar Agrawal, Sunil Kumar Deshmukh, Colin Barrow, Alok Adholeya

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A variety of genetic and environmental factors cause various cosmetics and dermatological problems. There are already claimed drugs available in market for treating these problems. However, the challenge remains in finding more potent, environmental friendly, causing minimal side effects and economical cosmeceuticals. This leads to an increased demand for natural cosmeceutical products in the last few decades. Plant derived ingredients are limited because plants either contain toxic metabolites, grow too slow or seasonal harvesting is a problem. The research work carried out in this project aims at isolation, characterization of marine fungal secondary metabolite and evaluating their potential use in future cosmetic skin care products. We have isolated and purified 35 morphologically different fungal isolates from various marine habitats of the India. These isolates have been functionally characterized for anti-tyrosinase, antioxidant and anti-acne activities. For molecular characterization, the Internal Transcribed spacer (ITS) region of 15 functionally active marine fungal isolates was amplified using universal primers, ITS1 and ITS4 and sequenced. Out of 15 marine fungal isolates crude extract of strains D4 (Aspergillus terreus) and P2 (Talaromyces stipitatus) showed 70% and 57% tyrosinase inhibition at 1mg/mL respectively. Strain D5 (Simplicillium lamellicola) has showed significant inhibition against Propionibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis. In addition, all these strains also displayed DPPH- radical scavenging activity and may be utilized as skin cosmeceutical applications. Purification and characterization of crude extracts for identification of active lead molecule is under process.

Keywords: anti-acne, anti-tyrosinase, cosmeceutical, marine fungi

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Authors: Sanjay Kumar, Saikat Dutta, Devendra S. Rawat, Jitendra K. Pandey, Pankaj Kumar

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Exploding demand for various types of fuels and gradually growing impacts of atmospheric carbon dioxide have forced the researchers to search biofuels in general and algae-based biofuels in particular. However, strain identification in terms of fuel productivity and over all economics of fuel generation remains a debatable challenge. Utilization of marine biomass, especially the ones important in the Indian subcontinent, in forming furanic fuels and specialty chemicals would likely to be a better value-addition pathway. Seaweed species e.g. Ulva, Sarconema, and Gracilaria species have been found more productive than land-based biomass sources due to their higher growth rate. Additionally, non-recalcitrant nature of marine biomass unlike lignocellulosics has attracted much attention in recent years towards producing bioethanol. Here we report the production of renewable, biomass-derived platform molecules such as furfural and 5-(chloromethyl) furfural (CMF) from a seaweed species which are abundant marine biomass. These products have high potential for synthetic upgradation into various classes of value-added compounds such as fuels, fuel-additives, and monomers for polymers, solvents, agrochemicals, and pharmaceuticals.

Keywords: seaweeds, Ulva, CMF, furan

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Authors: Benjamin L. Freidman, Sally L. Gras, Ian Snape, Geoff W. Stevens, Kathryn A. Mumford

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Increasing transportation and storage of petroleum hydrocarbons in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions have resulted in frequent accidental spills. Migrating petroleum hydrocarbon spills can have a significant impact on terrestrial and marine ecosystems in cold regions, as harsh environmental conditions result in heightened sensitivity to pollution. This migration of contaminants has led to the development of Permeable Reactive Barriers (PRB) for application in cold regions. PRB’s are one of the most practical technologies for on-site or in-situ groundwater remediation in cold regions due to their minimal energy, monitoring and maintenance requirements. The Main Power House site has been used as a fuel storage and power generation area for the Macquarie Island research station since at least 1960. Soil analysis at the site has revealed Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) (C9-C28) concentrations as high as 19,000 mg/kg soil. Groundwater TPH concentrations at this site can exceed 350 mg/L TPH. Ongoing migration of petroleum hydrocarbons into the neighbouring marine ecosystem resulted in the installation of a ‘funnel and gate’ PRB in November 2014. The ‘funnel and gate’ design successfully intercepted contaminated groundwater and analysis of TPH retention and biodegradation on PRB media are currently underway. Installation of the PRB facilitates research aimed at better understanding the contribution of particle attached biofilms to the remediation of groundwater systems. Bench-scale PRB system analysis at The University of Melbourne is currently examining the role biofilms play in petroleum hydrocarbon degradation, and how controlled release nutrient media can heighten the metabolic activity of biofilms in cold regions in the presence of low temperatures and low nutrient groundwater.

Keywords: groundwater, petroleum, Macquarie island, funnel and gate

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Authors: Sahar Fahmy Mehanna

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Wild fisheries and aquaculture offer excellent opportunities to decrease hunger and improve nutrition, relieve poverty, create economic growth and guarantee healthier use of natural resources. Employment in fisheries and aquaculture has grown continuously quicker than in the agriculture sector, providing up to 55 million jobs worldwide. Fisheries and aquaculture supplied Egypt with 2.1 million tons of fish in 2021, mostly used as food for people. Fish production in Egypt has grown dramatically in the last three decades, where fish production increased from about 346 thousand tons in 1990 to up to 2.1 million tons in 2021. In contrast to natural resources, which increased by only 30% in the period from 1990 to 2021, aquaculture production increased by 2502% during the same period. The majority of wild fisheries production in Egypt arises from coastal areas, where pollution is one of the main challenges severely affected both the productivity and quality of fish stocks. Our marine resources are at the risk of irreversible loss to habitats, ecological functions, and biodiversity because of overfishing, pollution, destructive fishing methods, climatic changes, unsustainable coastal area development and the competing demands from different industrial uses and human activities. Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing continues to be a big challenge to achieve sustainable fisheries. Furthermore, poor governance, management and practices are a further challenge. Reducing overfishing, stimulating responsible and sustainable fisheries management, applying aquaculture new and friendly practices and conserving the marine environment health are among the government’s best opportunities to provide highly nutritious food to the increasing population in Egypt. The present presentation will discuss the fishery regulations in the Egyptian marine fisheries that taken to maintain, protect and promote the different Egyptian marine environments and to what extent these regulations were effective.

Keywords: egypt, marine fisheries, fishery regulations, fisheries management, Marine ecosystem conservation

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Authors: Rebecca E. Dalli Gonzi, Joseph Falzon

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Background: Islands in the Mediterranean region offer opportunities for various industries to take advantage of the facilitation and use of versatile floating structures in coastal areas. In the context of dense land use, marine structures can contribute to ensure both terrestrial and marine resource sustainability. Objective: The aim of this paper is to present and critically discuss an array of issues that characterize the design process of a floating structure for coastal areas and to present the challenges and opportunities of providing such multifunctional and versatile structures around the Maltese coastline. Research Design: A three-tier research design commenced with a systematic literature review. Semi-structured interviews with stakeholders including a naval architect, a marine engineer and civil designers were conducted. A second stage preceded a focus group with stakeholders in design and construction of marine lightweight structures. The three tier research design ensured triangulation of issues. All phases of the study were governed by research ethics. Findings: Findings were grouped into three main themes: excellence, impact and implementation. These included design considerations, applications and potential impacts on local industry. Literature for the design and construction of marine structures in the Maltese Islands presented multiple gaps in the application of marine structures for local industries. Weather conditions, depth of sea bed and wave actions presented limitations on the design capabilities of the structure. Conclusion: Water structures offer great potential and conclusions demonstrate the applicability of such designs for Maltese waters. There is still no such provision within Maltese coastal areas for multi-purpose use. The introduction of such facilities presents a range of benefits for visiting tourists and locals thereby offering wide range of services to tourism and marine industry. Costs for construction and adverse weather conditions were amongst the main limitations that shaped design capacities of the water structures.

Keywords: coastal areas, lightweight, marine structure, multi purpose, versatile, floating device

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Authors: Hyelim Park, Juan Martin Zorrilla

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Climate change influences very widely and in various ways ocean ecosystem functioning. The consequences of climate change on marine ecosystems are an increase in temperature and irregular behavior of some solute concentrations. These changes would affect fisheries catches in several ways. Our aim is to assess the quantitative contribution change of fishery catches along the time and express them through four environment variables: Sea Surface Temperature (SST4) and the concentrations of Chlorophyll (CHL), Particulate Inorganic Carbon (PIC) and Particulate Organic Carbon (POC) at two spatial scales: Global and the nineteen FAO Major Fishing Areas divisions. Data collection was based on the FAO FishStatJ 2014 database as well as MODIS Aqua satellite observations from 2002 to 2012. Some data had to be corrected and interpolated using some existing methods. As the results, a multivariable regression model for average Global fisheries captures contained temporal mean of SST4, standard deviation of SST4, standard deviation of CHL and standard deviation of PIC. Global vector auto-regressive (VAR) model showed that SST4 was a statistical cause of global fishery capture. To accommodate varying conditions in fishery condition and influence of climate change variables, a model was constructed for each FAO major fishing area. From the management perspective it should be recognized some limitations of the FAO marine areas division that opens to possibility to the discussion of the subdivision of the areas into smaller units. Furthermore, it should be treated that the contribution changes of fishery species and the possible environment factor for specific species at various scale levels.

Keywords: fisheries-catch, FAO FishStatJ, MODIS Aqua, sea surface temperature (SST), chlorophyll, particulate inorganic carbon (PIC), particulate organic carbon (POC), VAR, granger causality

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Authors: Vivek Anand, Rainer Naegele

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Industry 4.0 is a global mega-trend revolutionizing the world of advanced manufacturing, but also bringing up challenges for SMEs. In response, many regional, as well as digital Industry 4.0 Platforms, have been set up to boost the competencies of established enterprises as well as SMEs. The concept of 'Clusters' is a policy tool that aims to be a starting point to establish sustainable and self-supporting structures in industries of a region by identifying competencies and supporting cluster actors with services that match their growth needs. This paper is motivated by the idea that Clusters have the potential to enable firms, particularly SMEs, to accelerate the innovation process and transition to digital technologies. In this research, the efficacy of Industry 4.0 platforms as Cluster ecosystems is evaluated, especially for SMEs. Focusing on the Baden Wurttemberg region in Germany, an action research method is employed to study how SMEs leverage other actors on Industry 4.0 Platforms to further their Industry 4.0 journeys. The aim is to evaluate how such Industry 4.0 platforms stimulate innovation, cooperation and competitiveness. Additionally, the barriers to these platforms fulfilling their promise to serve as capacity building cluster ecosystems for SMEs in a region will also be identified. The findings will be helpful for academicians and policymakers alike, who can leverage a ‘cluster policy’ to enable Industry 4.0 ecosystems in their regions. Furthermore, relevant management and policy implications stem from the analysis. This will also be of interest to the various players in a cluster ecosystem - like SMEs and service providers - who benefit from the cooperation and competition. The paper will improve the understanding of how a dialogue orientation, a bottom-up approach and active integration of all involved cluster actors enhance the potential of Industry 4.0 Platforms. A strong collaborative culture is a key driver of digital transformation and technology adoption across sectors, value chains and supply chains; and will position Industry 4.0 Platforms at the forefront of the industrial renaissance. Motivated by this argument and based on the results of the qualitative research, a roadmap will be proposed to position Industry 4.0 Platforms as effective clusters ecosystems to support Industry 4.0 adoption in a region.

Keywords: cluster policy, digital transformation, industry 4.0, innovation clusters, innovation policy, SMEs and startups

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Authors: Salma Aboussalam, Karima Khalil, Khalid Elkalay

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An Ecopath model was employed to investigate the trophic structure, function, and current state of the Moroccan Mediterranean Sea ecosystem. The model incorporated 31 functional groups, including 21 fish species, 7 invertebrates, 2 primary producers, and a detritus group. The trophic interactions among these groups were analyzed, revealing an average trophic transfer efficiency of 23%. The results indicated that the ecosystem produced more energy than it consumed, with high respiration and consumption rates. Indicators of stability and development were low for the Finn cycle index (13.97), system omnivory index (0.18), and average Finn path length (3.09), indicating a disturbed ecosystem with a linear trophic structure. Keystone species were identified through the use of the keystone index and mixed trophic impact analysis, with demersal invertebrates, zooplankton, and cephalopods found to have a significant impact on other groups.

Keywords: Ecopath, food web, trophic flux, Moroccan Mediterranean Sea

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Authors: Hamid Yazdani, Fatemeh Abbasi

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Biomimicry, where flora, fauna or entire ecosystems are emulated as a basis for design, is a growing area of research in the fields of architecture and engineering. This is due to both the fact that it is an inspirational source of possible new innovation and because of the potential it offers as a way to create a more sustainable and even regenerative built environment. The widespread and practical application of biomimicry as a design method remains however largely unrealised. A growing body of international research identifies various obstacles to the employment of biomimicry as an architectural design method. One barrier of particular note is the lack of a clear definition of the various approaches to biomimicry that designers can initially employ. Through a comparative literature review, and an examination of existing biomimetic technologies, this paper elaborates on distinct approaches to biomimetic design that have evolved. A framework for understanding the various forms of biomimicry has been developed, and is used to discuss the distinct advantages and disadvantages inherent in each as a design methodology. It is shown that these varied approaches may lead to different outcomes in terms of overall sustainability or regenerative potential. It is posited that a biomimetic approach to architectural design that incorporates an understanding of ecosystems could become a vehicle for creating a built environment that goes beyond simply sustaining current conditions to a restorative practice where the built environment becomes a vital component in the integration with and regeneration of natural ecosystems.

Keywords: biomimicry, bio-inspired design, ecology, ecomimicry, industrial ecology

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Authors: Hesham Shaalan

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Senior design projects teach students many important skills. One of the major goals is to prepare students to apply effective problem-solving techniques to a problem that represents a real-world situation. This includes the ability to define the problem, compare alternative solutions, identify the best solution, and design the system. This paper describes the design of a shipboard power plant as a senior project in the Marine Engineering program at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. The design project was supervised by faculty members who guided a multidisciplinary group of seniors. The research project was sponsored by the Office of Naval Research. Each group of seniors focused on one of the main design aspects of the project, including the electric power system, nuclear power plant, ship hull design, and economics.

Keywords: senior design project, shipboard power system, engineering education, marine engineering

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Authors: Gorbunova Tatiana L.

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The research is dedicated to the study of the polluted river inflow impact on the Black Sea coastal marine environment within the watercourse’s plumes in the Greater Sochi area applying bioassay methods using freshwater and marine microalgae. River waters were analyzed using microalgae Chlorella vulgaris Beijer and sea waters were tested with marine diatoms Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin. Experiments included algae cell abundancy growth assessments in acute (24 hours), sub-acute (72 hours) and chronic (168 hours / 7 days) tests. The increase in algal cell growth rates compared to the control in the summer period was detected as a consequence of the recreational activities intensification during the tourism seasonal peak. Most of the analyzed samples demonstrated a significant effect of algae cell growth stimulation compared to the control. It is established that under the impact of contaminants carried by river drain to the sea, the capacity of the coastal marine ecosystem is partially capable of compensating for its effect on the coastal biocenosis, but the general trends of the impact processes remain constant.

Keywords: algae abundance growth, bioassay, microalgae, modeling

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Authors: Md. Refat Jahan Rakiba, M. Belal Hossaina, Rakesh Kumarc, Md. Akram Ullaha, Sultan Al Nahiand, Nazmun Naher Rimaa, Tasrina Rabia Choudhury, Samia Islam Libaf, Jimmy Yub, Mayeen Uddin Khandakerg, Abdelmoneim Suliemanh, Mohamed Mahmoud Sayedi

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Microplastics (MPs) have become an emerging global pollutant due to their wide spread and dispersion and potential threats to marine ecosystems. However, studies on MPs of estuarine and coastal ecosystems of Bangladesh are very limited or not available. In this study, we conducted the first study on the abundance, distribution, characteristics and potential risk assessment of microplastics in the sediment of Karnaphuli River estuary, Bangladesh. Microplastic particles were extracted from sediments of 30 stations along the estuary by density separation, and then enumerated and characterize by using steromicroscope and Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. In the collected sediment, the number of MPs varied from 22.29 - 59.5 items kg−1 of dry weight (DW) with an average of 1177 particles kg−1 DW. The mean abundance was higher in the downstream and left bank of estuary where the predominant shape, colour, and size of MPs were films (35%), white (19%), and >5000 μm (19%), respectively. The main polymer types were polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, polyethylene, cellulose, and nylon. MPs were found to pose risks (low to high) in the sediment of the estuary, with the highest risk occuring at one station near a sewage outlet, according to the results of risk analyses using the pollution risk index (PRI), polymer risk index (H), contamination factors (CFs), and pollution load index (PLI). The single value index, PLI clearly demonastated that all sampling sites were considerably polluted (as PLI >1) with microplastics. H values showed toxic polymers even in lower proportions possess higher polymeric hazard scores and vice versa. This investigation uncovered new insights on the status of MPs in the sediments of Karnaphuli River estuary, laying the groundwork for future research and control of microplastic pollution and management.

Keywords: microplastics, polymers, pollution risk assessment, Karnaphuli esttuary

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Authors: Junki Min, Heeyoung Lee, Wonseok Chung

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Traditional marine concrete structures are difficult to construct and may cause environmental pollution. This study presents new concrete bridge system in the marine. The main feature of the proposed bridge is that precast girders and precast coping are applied to facilitate assembly and to improve constructability. In addition, the moment of the girder is reduced by continuation the joint. In this study, a full-scale joint specimen with a span of 7.0 m was fabricated and tested to evaluate the composite behavior of the joint. A finite element model was also developed and compared against the experimental results. All members of the test specimen behaved stably up to the design load. It was found that the precast joint of the proposed bridge showed the composite behavior efficiently before the failure.

Keywords: finite element analysis, full-scale test, coping, joint performance, marine structure, precast

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Authors: Eleni Akritopoulou, Katerina Topouzoglou

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The last 20 years marine debris has been identified as one of the main marine pollution sources caused by anthropogenic activities. Plastics has reached the farthest marine areas of the planet affecting all marine trophic levels including the, recently discovered, amphipoda Eurythenes plasticus inhabiting Mariana Trench to large cetaceans, marine reptiles and sea birds causing immunodeficiency disorders, deteriorating health and death overtime. For the time period 2016-20, in the framework of the national initiative ‘Keep Aegean Blue”, All for Blue team has been collecting marine debris (coastline and underwater) following a modified in situ MEDSEALITTER monitoring protocol from eight Greek islands. After collection, marine debris was weighted, sorted and categorised according to material; plastic (PL), glass (G), metal (M), wood (W), rubber (R), cloth (CL), paper (P), mixed (MX). The goal of the project included the documentation of marine debris sources, human trends, waste management and public marine environmental awareness. Waste management was focused on plastics recycling and utilisation into daily useful products. This research is focused on the island of Mykonos due to its continuous touristic activity and lack of scientific information. In overall, a field work area of 1.832.856 m2 was cleaned up yielding 5092 kg of marine debris. The preliminary results indicated PL as main source of marine debris (62,8%) followed by M (15,5%), GL (13,2%) and MX (2,8%). Main items found were fishing tools (lines, nets), disposable cutlery, cups and straws, cigarette butts, flip flops and other items like plastic boat compartments. In collaboration with a local company for plastic management and the Circular Economy and Eco Innovation Institute (Sweden), all plastic debris was recycled. Granulation process was applied transforming plastic into building materials used for refugees’ houses, litter bins bought by municipalities and schools and, other items like shower components. In terms of volunteering and attendance in public awareness seminars, there was a raise of interest by 63% from different age ranges and professions. Regardless, the research being fairly new for Mykonos island and logistics issues potentially affected systemic sampling, it appeared that plastic debris is the main littering source attributed, possibly to the intense touristic activity of the island all year around. However, marine environmental awareness activities were pointed out to be an effective tool in forming public perception against marine debris and, alter the daily habits of local society. Since the beginning of this project, three new local environmental teams were formed against marine pollution supported by the local authorities and stakeholders. The continuous need and request for the production of items made by recycled marine debris appeared to be beneficial socio-economically to the local community and actions are taken to expand the project nationally. Finally, as an ongoing project and whilst, new scientific information is collected, further funding and research is needed.

Keywords: Greece, marine debris, marine environmental awareness, Mykonos island, plastics debris, plastic granulation, recycled plastic, tourism, waste management

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Authors: S. H. Park, D. W. You

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This study is about to the field survey and repair works in a marine approach-bride. In order to evaluate the stability of the ground and the structure, field surveys such as exterior inspection, non-destructive inspection, measurement, and geophysical exploration are carried out. Numerical analysis is conducted to investigate the cause of the abutment displacement at the same time. In addition, repair works are practiced to the region damaged with intent to sustain long-term safety.

Keywords: field survey, expansion joint, repair, maintenance

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Authors: Md Mizanur Rahman, M. Aslam Alam, Muhammad Abu Yusuf

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The abundance of Jellyfish across the coasts of the Bay of Bengal is increasing sharply due to marine pollution, increased sea acidification and climate change. Jellyfish draws our attention to address the local and global stressors. This also indicates that something wrong is happening in this bay behind the scenes. This study aimed to investigate how the policy framework governing the sea can be reformed. To do so, this study evaluated the existing policy, regulatory and institutional framework. Empirical data were collected from the middle coastal zone of Bangladesh. The secondary literature on policy, legal documents, and institutional arrangements were reviewed. The causes of poor coordination among different public sectors and non-compliance of laws were identified. The key findings show that despite the existing of Department of Environment, poor coordination with other departments, and lack of logistics and technical staffs have resulted in severe marine pollution and degradation of coastal and marine living resources. The existing policies had no monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. Non-compliance of the existing laws has been fueling the problems. This study provides an integrated policy and a guideline for updating the legal and institutional mechanism to manage coastal and marine living resources sustainably in Bangladesh to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 14.

Keywords: legal, institutional, framework, jellyfish

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Authors: Victor Igwemezie, Ali Mehmanparast

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The correct knowledge of corrosion fatigue mechanism in marine steel is very important. This is because it enables the design, selection, and use of steels for offshore applications. It also supports realistic corrosion fatigue life prediction of marine structures. A study has been conducted to increase the understanding of corrosion fatigue mechanism in marine steels. The materials investigated are normalized and advanced S355 Thermomechanical control process (TMCP) steels commonly used in the design of offshore wind turbine support structures. The experimental study was carried out by conducting corrosion fatigue tests under conditions pertinent to offshore wind turbine operations, using the state of the art facilities. A careful microstructural study of the crack growth path was conducted using metallurgical optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDX). The test was conducted on three subgrades of S355 steel: S355J2+N, S355G8+M and S355G10+M and the data compared with similar studies in the literature. The result shows that the ferrite-pearlite morphology primarily controls the corrosion-fatigue crack growth path in marine steels. A corrosion fatigue mechanism which relies on the hydrogen embrittlement of the grain boundaries and pearlite phase is used to explain the crack propagation behaviour. The crack growth trend in the Paris region of the da/dN vs. ΔK curve is used to explain the dependency of the corrosion-fatigue crack growth rate on the ferrite-pearlite morphology.

Keywords: corrosion-fatigue mechanism, fatigue crack growth rate, ferritic-pearlitic steel, microstructure, phase morphology

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Authors: Milton Jusu

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Efforts by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources and its development partners to introduce “modern” aquaculture in Sierra Leone since the 1970s have not been successful. A number of reasons have been hypothesized, including the suggestion that the market infrastructure and demand for farmed fish were inadequate to stimulate large-scale and widespread aquaculture production in the country. We have assessed the size, structure, networks, and opportunities in fish markets using a combination of Participatory Rural Appraisals (PRAs) and questionnaire surveys conducted in a sample of 29 markets (urban, weekly, wholesale, and retail) and two hundred traders. The study showed that the local fish markets were dynamic, with very high variations in demand and supply. The markets sampled supplied between 135.2 and 9947.6 tonnes/year. Mean prices for fresh fish varied between US$1.12 and US$3.89/kg depending on species, with smoked catfish and shrimps commanding prices as high as US$7.4/kg. It is unlikely that marine capture fisheries can increase their current production levels, and these may, in fact, already be over-exploited and declining. Marine fish supplies are particularly low between July and September. More careful attention to the timing of harvests (rainy season, not dry season) and to species (catfish, not tilapia) (could help in the successful adoption of aquaculture.

Keywords: fisheries, aquaculture, marine, fish ponds

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Authors: L. Mota, O. Frausto

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Marine Protected Areas can benefit from nature based tourism, monitoring environmental impacts and also become target for human presence. From more than 3 million tourists visiting Cozumel Island every year, an average of 2,8 million arrive by cruise ship, and 41% are estimated to have motivation for water activities. The destination is relying so much on the tourism activity, that scuba diving and snorkeling in the National Park Reef of Cozumel sustain the major economic activity. In order to achieve the sustainable development indicator designed for regional environmental development, the PNAC offers a training course for tourism providers acceding the protected area. This way, the update of the last 5 years of such training is directed to diving staff, boat crew and professionals, making them able to assist in managing the natural resource. Moreover, the case study is an example to be used for raising awareness among tourists visiting protected areas.

Keywords: education, marine protected area, scuba diving, sustainability, tourism

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Authors: Asmat Siddiqui, Noor Us Saher

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Heavy metal contamination in the marine environment is a global issue, and in past decades, this problem has intensified due to an increase in urbanization and industrialization, especially in developing countries. Marine sediments act as a preliminary indicator of heavy metal contamination in the coastal and estuarine environment, which has adverse effects on biota as well as in the marine system. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the contamination status, enrichment, and flux of heavy metals in two monitoring years from coastal sediments of Pakistan. A total of 74 sediment samples were collected from seven coastal areas of Pakistan in two monitoring years, 2001-03 (MY-I) and 2011-13 (MY-II). The geochemical properties (grain size analysis, organic contents and eight heavy metals, i.e. Fe, Zn, Cu, Cr, Ni, Co, Pb, and Cd) of all sediment samples were analyzed. A significant increase in Fe, Ni and Cr concentrations detected between the years, whereas no significant differences were exhibited in Cu, Zn, Co, Pb and Cd concentrations. The extremely high enrichment (>50) of Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd were scrutinized in both monitoring years. The annual deposition flux of heavy metals ranged from 0.63 to 66.44 and 0.78 to 68.27 tons per year in MY-I and MY-II, respectively, with the lowest flux evaluated for Cd and highest for Zn in both monitoring years. A significant increase (p <0.05) was observed in the burial flux of Cr and Ni during the last decade in coastal sediments. The use of geo-indicators is helpful to assess the contamination analysis for management and conservation of the marine environment.

Keywords: coastal contamination, enrichment factor, geo-indicator, heavy metal flux

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Authors: A. Al-Yaqout, A. Al-Alawi, T. Al-Said, E. Al-Enezi, M. Al-Roumi

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Kuwait’s marine environment suffers from increased organic pollution. Sea cucumbers play an important role in the marine environment. They create a healthier environment for many types of benthic micro-organisms through their slow movement and feeding mechanism on micro-organisms and organic material. A preliminary study has been conducted in Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research to assess the possibility of using sea cucumbers for mitigation of the coastal pollution. Sediments were collected from locations identified to be heavily loaded with organic pollutants. Ten aquaria glass tanks, 65x 40x 30cm will be supplied with 10 cm height (14 kg) of the sediments added in each tank and filled with 70 L of filtered seawater. Two species were used in this study, Stichopus hermanni, and Holothuria atra. Water and sediment samples were analyzed weekly. The results showed promising possibility for using sea cucumber to lower the organic load in sediments.

Keywords: organic pollution, sea cucumbers, mitigation, Stichopus hermanni, Holothuria atra

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Authors: Zongyao Sha

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Green vegetation plays a vital role in energy flows and matter cycles in terrestrial ecosystems, and vegetation phenology may not only be influenced by but also impose active feedback on climate changes. The phenological events of vegetation, such as the start of the season (SOS), end of the season (EOS), and length of the season (LOS), can respond to climate changes and affect gross primary productivity (GPP). Here we coupled satellite remote sensing imagery with FLUXNET observations to systematically map the shift of SOS, EOS, and LOS in global vegetated areas and explored their response to climate fluctuations and feedback on GPP during the last two decades. Results indicated that SOS advanced significantly, at an average rate of 0.19 days/year at a global scale, particularly in the northern hemisphere above the middle latitude (≥30°N) and that EOS was slightly delayed during the past two decades, resulting in prolonged LOS in 72.5% of the vegetated area. The climate factors, including seasonal temperature and precipitation, are attributed to the shifts in vegetation phenology but with a high spatial and temporal difference. The study revealed interactions between vegetation phenology and climate changes. Both temperature and precipitation affect vegetation phenology. Higher temperature as a direct consequence of global warming advanced vegetation green-up date. On the other hand, 75.9% and 20.2% of the vegetated area showed a positive correlation and significant positive correlation between annual GPP and length of vegetation growing season (LOS), likely indicating an enhancing effect on vegetation productivity and thus increased carbon uptake from the shifted vegetation phenology. Our study highlights a comprehensive view of the vegetation phenology changes of the global terrestrial ecosystems during the last two decades. The interactions between the shifted vegetation phenology and climate changes may provide useful information for better understanding the future trajectory of global climate changes. The feedback on GPP from the shifted vegetation phenology may serve as an adaptation mechanism for terrestrial ecosystems to mitigate global warming through improved carbon uptake from the atmosphere.

Keywords: vegetation phenology, growing season, NPP, correlation analysis

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Authors: Precious Roselyn Obuobi

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Background: In Ghana, water-borne diseases remain a public health concern due to its impact. While marine pollution has been linked to outbreak of diseases especially in communities along the coast, associated risks such as oil spillage, marine debris, erosion, improper waste disposal and management practices persist. Objective: The study seeks to investigate sanitation practices that contribute to marine pollution in Prampram and the prevalence of selected water-borne diseases (diarrhea and typhoid fever). Method: This study used a descriptive cross-sectional design, employing the mix-method (qualitative and quantitative) approach. Twenty-two (22) participants were selected and semistructured questionnaire were administered to them. Additionally, interviews were conducted to collect more information. Further, an observation check-list was used to aid the data collection process. Secondary data comprising information on water-borne diseases in the district was acquired from the district health directorate to determine the prevalence of selected water-borne diseases in the community. Data Analysis: The qualitative data was analyzed using NVIVO® software by adapting the six steps thematic analysis by Braun and Clarke whiles STATA® version 16 was used to analyze the secondary data collected from the district health directorate. A descriptive statistic employed using mean, standard deviation, frequencies and proportions were used to summarize the results. Results: The results showed that open defecation and indiscriminate waste disposal were the main practices contributing to marine pollution in Prampram and its effect on public health. Conclusion: These findings have implications on public health and the environment, thus effort needs to be stepped up in educating the community on best sanitation practices.

Keywords: environment, sanitation, marine pollution, water-borne diseases

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Authors: Soma Sarkar

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A number of authors have recently argued that there are strong links between ecosystem services and sustainable development, particularly development efforts that aim to reduce rural poverty. We see two distinct routes by which the science of ecosystem services can contribute to both nature conservation and sustainable development. First, a thorough accounting of ecosystem services and a better understanding of how and at what rates ecosystems produce these services can be used to motivate payment for nature conservation. At least part of the generated funds can be used to compensate people who suffer lost economic opportunities to protect these services. For example, if rural poor are asked to take actions that reduce farm productivity to protect and regulate water supply, those farmers could be compensated for the reduced productivity they experience. When the benefits of natural ecosystems are explicitly quantified, those benefits are more valued both by the people who directly interact with the ecosystems and the governmental and other agencies that would have to pay for substitute sources of these services if these ecosystems should become impaired. Appreciating the value of ecosystem services can motivate increased conservation investment to prevent having to pay for substitutes later. This approach could be characterized as a ‘‘government investment’’ approach because the payments will generally come from beneficiaries outside of the local area, and a governmental or other agency is typically responsible for collecting and redistributing the funds. Second, a focus on the conservation of ecosystem services could improve the success of projects that attempt to both conserve nature and improve the welfare of the rural poor by fostering markets for the goods and services that local people produce or extract from ecosystems. These projects could be characterized as more ‘‘community based’’ because the goal is to foster the more organic, or grassroots, development of cottage industries, such as ecotourism, or the production of non-timber forest products, that are enhanced by better protection of local ecosystems. Using this framework, we discuss the factors that may have contributed to failure or success for several projects in the district of Purulia, one of the most backward districts of India and inhabited by indigenous group of people. A large majority of people in this district are dependent on environment based incomes for their sustenance. The erosion of natural resource base owing to poor governance in the district has led to the reductions in the household incomes of these people. The scale of our analysis is local or project level. The plight of poor has little to do with the production functions of ecosystem services. But for rural poor, at the local level, the status of ecosystem services can make a big difference in their daily lives.

Keywords: ecosystem services, governance, rural poor, community based natural resource management

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Authors: Swaleh Aboud, Mishal Gudka, David Obura

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Background: Coral reefs are becoming increasingly vulnerable due to several threats ranging from climate change to overfishing. This has resulted in increased management and conservation efforts to protect reefs from degradation and facilitate recovery. Recruitmentof new individuals are isimportant in the recovery process and critical for the persistence of coral reef ecosystems. Local coral community structure can be influenced by successful recruit settlement, survival, and growth Understanding coral recruitment patterns can help quantify reef resilience and connectivity, establish baselines and track changes and evaluate the effectiveness of reef restoration and conservation efforts. This study will examine the abundance and spatial pattern of coral recruits and how this relates to adult community structure, including the distribution of thermal resistance and sensitive genera and their distribution in different management regimes. Methods: Coral recruit and demography surveys were conducted from 2020 to 2022, covering 35 sites in 19coral reef locations along the Kenyan coast. These included marine parks, reserves, community conservation areas (CMAs), and open access areas from the north (Marereni) to the south (Kisite) coast of Kenya and across different reef habitats. The data was collected through the underwater visual census (UVC) technique. We counted adult corals (>10 cm diameter)of23 selected genera using belt transects (25 by 1 m) and sampling of 1 m2 quadrat (at an interval of 5m) for all coloniesless than 10 cm diameter. The benthic cover was collected using photo quadrats. The surveys were only done during the northeast monsoon season. The data wereanalyzed using the R program to see the distribution patterns and the Kruskal Wallis test to see whether there was a significant difference. Spearman correlation was also applied to assess the relationship between the distribution of coral genera in recruits and adults. Results: A total of 44 different coral genera were recorded for recruits, ranging from 3at Marereni to 30at Watamu Marine Reserve. Recruit densities ranged from 1.2±1.5recruit m-2 (mean±SD) at Likoni to 10.3± 8.4 recruit m-2 at Kisite Marine Park. The overall densityof recruitssignificantly differed between reef locations, with Kisite Marine Park and Reserve and Likonihaving significantly large differences from all the other locations, while Vuma, Watamu, Malindi, and Kilifi had significantly lower differences from all the other locations. The recruit generadensity along the Kenya coastwas divided into two clusters, one of which only included sites inKisite Marine Park. Adult colonies were dominated by Porites massive, Acropora, Platygyra, and Favites, whereas recruits were dominated by Porites branching, Porites massive, Galaxea, and Acropora. However, correlation analysis revealed a statistically significant positive correlation (r=0.81, p<0.05) between recruit and adult coral densities across the 23 coral genera. Marereni, which had the lowest densityof recruits, has only thermallyresistant coral genera, while Kisite Marine Park, with the highest recruit densities, has over 90% thermal sensitive coral genera. A weak positive correlation was found between recruit density and coralline algae, dead standing corals, and turf algae, whereas a weak negative correlation was found between recruit density and bare substrate and macroalgae. Between management regimes, marine reserves were found to have more recruits than no-take zones (marine parks and CMAs) and open access areas, although the difference was not significant. Conclusion: There was a statistically significant difference in the density of recruits between different reef locations along the Kenyan coast. Although the dominating genera of adults and recruits were different, there was a strong positive correlation between their coral communities, which could indicate self-recruitment processes or consistent distance seedings (of the same recruit genera). Sites such as Kisite Marine Park, with high recruit densities but dominated by thermally sensitive genera, will, on the other hand, be adversely affected by future thermal stress. This could imply that reducing the threats to coral reefs such as overfishingcould allow for their natural regeneration and recovery.

Keywords: coral recruits, coral adult size-class, cora demography, resilience

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Authors: Willie Eselebor

Abstract:

Environmental governance is not new, but may consist of a series of actions taken to establish sanity and ensure sustainable environment. While there is a growing accord linking disaster risk reduction with the management of environment and natural resources, little is known about failure to act which constitute vulnerability and how improved governance reduces risk globally. The paper reviews emerging trends in the field of application of governance tools and approaches for reducing disaster risk. The Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) enjoin all stakeholders to stimulate the sustainable use and management of ecosystems, which promote the implementation of integrated environmental and natural resource planning that incorporate disaster risk reduction, including structural and non-structural measures, such as integrated management of fragile ecosystems. The methodology adopted is a case study of disaster-prone sites, prompting guided analysis on which hazards are traceable to environmental degradation, why a degraded environment reduces community resilience; how healthy ecosystems provide natural defense, and which opportunities exist to address gaps in reduction of disasters in Nigeria. The paper further analyses the interaction between disaster risk and environmental change. It is established that environmental governance remains a challenge; which implies that there is the need for a shift in traditional approaches to disaster risk management; exploring new initiatives and allowing environmental managers to be docketed as disaster risk managers in context, potentially opening up a window of dialogue on disaster risk management.

Keywords: disaster, ecosystem, environment, risk

Procedia PDF Downloads 352

Authors: Fei Xu, Guofan Zhang, Xiao Liu

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Many major marine invertebrate phyla are characterized by indirect development. These animals transit from planktonic larvae to benthic adults via settlement and metamorphosis, which has many advantages for organisms to adapt marine environment. Studying the biological process of metamorphosis is thus a key to understand the origin and evolution of indirect development. Although the mechanism of metamorphosis has been largely studied on their relationships with the marine environment, microorganisms, as well as the neurohormones, little is known on the gene regulation network (GRN) during metamorphosis. We treated competent oyster pediveligers with epinephrine, which was known to be able to effectively induce oyster metamorphosis, and analyzed the dynamics of gene and proteins with transcriptomics and proteomics methods. The result indicated significant upregulation of protein synthesis system, as well as some transcription factors including Homeobox, basic helix-loop-helix, and nuclear receptors. The result suggested the GRN complexity of the transition stage during oyster metamorphosis.

Keywords: indirect development, gene regulation network, protein synthesis, transcription factors

Procedia PDF Downloads 141

Authors: A. Ridall, J. Ingels

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Microplastics (MPs; < 5 mm) have been cited as exceptionally detrimental to marine organisms and ocean health. They can carry other pollutants and abundant microbes that can serve as food for other organisms. Their small particle size and high abundance means that non-discriminatory feeders may ingest MPs involuntarily and microbial colonization of the particles (a niche coined ‘Plastisphere’) could facilitate particle ingestion. To assess how marine nematodes, the most abundant member of the meiofauna (32-500 um), are affected by microbe-MP associations, an experiment was conducted with three MP concentrations (low, medium, and expected high values of MPs in a local bay system), and two levels of microbe-MP associations (absence or presence). MPs were introduced into sediment microcosms and treatments were removed at three distinct time points (0, 3, and 7 days) to measure mean MP consumption/individual nematode. The quantitative results from this work should inform on microbial facilitation of MP ingestion and MP effects on seafloor ecology. As most MP feeding experiments use straight-from-package or sterile MPs, this work represents an important step in realizing the effects of MPs and their plastispheres in coastal sediments where they likely accumulate microbial biofilms prior to their ingestion by marine metazoans. Furthermore, the results here convey realistic effects of MPs on faunal behaviors, as the MP concentrations used are based on field measurements rather than artificially high levels.

Keywords: ecosystem function, microbeads, plastisphere, pollution, polyethylene

Procedia PDF Downloads 98

Authors: Samira Khalil, Adib Saad, Malek Ali

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The aim of this research is to determine fish species belonging to the order Pleuronectiforme fish found in Syrian marine water confirm or deny the continuity of the previously registered species, and record the unregistered species that appeared during this research for the first time. The research was carried out in the Laboratory of Marine Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture (Tishreen University); fish samples were collected periodically (bi-monthly) from fishermen in landing areas along the Syrian coast caught from depths (3m to 700m), using various mediums. An appropriate hand is available to fishermen on the Syrian coast (cliff bottom, fixed nets, enclosure nets, shelf nest, and manual disposal network; 451 individuals were captured and studied during the research period. During this study, it was found that the Syrian water includes 15 species, including one species recorded for the first time. On the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, it is Pegusa impar.

Keywords: pleuronectiformes, Syrian coast, flatfish, mediterranean

Procedia PDF Downloads 48

Authors: Szu-Hua Wang

Abstract:

Urban ecosystems, as complex coupled human-environment systems, contain abundant natural resources for breeding natural assets and, at the same time, attract urban assets and consume natural resources, triggered by urban development. Land use change illustrates the interaction between human activities and environments factually. However, IPCC (2014) announces that land use change and urbanization due to human activities are the major cause of climate change, leading to serious impacts on urban ecosystem resilience and risk. For this reason, risk assessment and resilience analysis are the keys for responding to climate change on urban ecosystems. Urban spatial planning can guide urban development by land use planning, transportation planning, and environmental planning and affect land use allocation and human activities by building major constructions and protecting important national land resources simultaneously. Urban spatial planning can aggravate climate change and, on the other hand, mitigate and adapt climate change. Research on effects of spatial planning on land use change and climate change is one of intense issues currently. Therefore, this research focuses on developing frameworks for risk assessment and resilience analysis from the aspect of ecosystem based on typhoon precipitation in Taipei area. The integrated method of risk assessment and resilience analysis will be also addressed for applying spatial planning practice and sustainable development.

Keywords: ecosystem, land use change, risk analysis, resilience

Procedia PDF Downloads 417