Aquatic Pollution and Coastal Management

Unit 13 : Coastal zone and anthropogenic activities

13.9.Land Use Practices
The major impact of development on land is excessive sedimentation. Shoreline construction, including harbours, groins, channels and removal of beach sand that often goes along with these activities interferes with natural coastal sediment transport processes. An interruption in this “river of sand” can lead to serious beach erosion, the impacts of which are often seen on beaches downstream of the construction. Sedimentation may lead to the loss of benthic habitats, including coral reefs and grasses and to the consequent decline of commercially important fisheries species. Mangrove clearance for housing and tourism development is a serious problem in many areas of the Caribbean. The clearance of mangroves results in the loss of nursery grounds for many fisheries species, the destabilization and erosion of the shoreline and the loss of a natural filtering system for land- based runoff. Beach sand mining is a destructive activity. Although no pollutants are introduced into the marine environment, the results are severe beach erosion and the adding sediment to the water column. The effects can be more widespread when the natural drift of sand along a shoreline is interfered with, and the beaches downstream of this drift will receive a reduced supply of sand.