The Immaculate Choir performing at The Jamaica Association of Music Teachers' High Achievers concert and awards presentation, held at the School of Music Auditorium, Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, Arthur Wint Drive last year. - Winston Sill Photo

Our concern today is that of coastal pollution. Let me begin this topic by referring to the specific objective as stated in the syllabus.

You are required to - 'identify and describe the causes and effects of and possible solutions to coastal pollution.'

Whenever there is an addition into nature of things not found there, an unnatural situation results and this will cause problems.

So, when chemical wastes and solid matter are added into the sea, pollution occurs.

The sea is downstream of everything. Sooner or later, everything ends up there. The sea then is treated as the sewer of the environment since everything ends up there.

Although it might be felt that the sea is big enough and that it can flush out and dilute the waste hence taking care of everything, there is a major problem. The sea cannot take it forever.

In short, there is a limit to the amount of waste the sea can take. There are consequences in dumping things in the sea.

The causes of coastal pollution are as a result of man's activities on the land. These activities will include those mentioned in the previous lessons that threatened the coral reefs.

Let me restate them briefly and give some additional ones.

* NUTRIENT POLLUTION

The discharge of domestic sewage and wash water into the sea contribute to this. Artificial fertilizers used in agricultural production when washed out of the soil into the rivers and aquifers, will eventually find their way down into the sea also resulting in nutrient pollution. Nutrient pollution encourages the growth of marine algae.

* SEDIMENTATION

Excessive amount of sediments often reach the sea when there is soil erosion resulting from poor farming techniques and deforestation, as well as construction of buildings and roads. Sediments have a negative effect on coral reefs and other marine animals and plants, which live on the seafloor. Sediment also fills up ship channels requiring more frequent dredging.

* CHEMICAL SPILLS

Sometimes, there may be accidental oil spills from ships. Although this may have occurred some distance from the coast, the material can reach the coast by the action of the winds and waves.

Oil spills also occur at ports while the oil is being transferred on land. Oil spills from whatever source will foul beaches and docks, and will kill mangroves, birds, turtles and fish by covering them and smothering them.

By covering the sea surface, oil prevents oxygen from being dissolved in the seawater and being available for animals and plants to respire.

Caustic soda spills, which sometimes occur at bauxite ports, will change the pH of the sea disturbing the natural balance. The precise impact of chemical spills will depend on the type of chemical, but adding anything not found in nature will cause negative changes.

* INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION

Sometimes factories use the sea as a cheap dumping ground for their waste products. These emissions are not necessarily toxic but they can cause harm by disturbing natural processes.

Many substances, for example the remains after brewing beer or distilling rum, have a high Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) or a high Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)

This means that this substance utilises the oxygen dissolved in the seawater. The marine environment becomes starved of oxygen and the animals and plants in the sea that depend on oxygen will die due to suffocation.

So, for example, the fish come to the surface and appear to gasp for breath. They cannot get the oxygen they need as it has been removed by some biological or chemical process.

At the same time, there are toxic discharges from industries such as heavy metals and organic compounds, which directly cause poisoning.

* HEAT POLLUTION

This results when water that is used for cooling operations flows into the sea. A local example is that of the Jamaica Public Service Company plant in Old Harbour Bay.

Hot water from the cooling tower is discharged into the sea. The increase in the temperature of the water causes increases in the rates of all the chemical reactions in the ecosystems nearby. This also means that there are less gases like oxygen in solution, which will affect the fish and other animals and plants.

* SOLID WASTE

Garbage dumped in gullies will wash into the marine environment after rainfall. Aside from being unsightly, there are also negative environmental consequences depending on the nature of the waste. Jellyfish are favorite food for turtles. Floating plastic bags look like jellyfish to marine turtles, which will ingest them and suffocate. Hospital waste can introduce disease and medication.

What are the possible solutions to coastal pollutions? See what information you can find on this during the week.

STUDY TIP

Here is your study tip for the week:
'Reduce distractions in your study space'