Plastic particle characterization and concentrations found in the river and marine water environment of Algoa Bay, South Africa
- Authors: Moss, Kerry-Leigh
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Marine pollution , Plastic marine debris --Environmental aspects , Algoa Bay -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/55645 , vital:53403
- Description: With just 4% of published plastic pollution research, the African region remains one of the most poorly 221 understood areas, leaving a large knowledge gap in our understanding of this global pollution problem 222 (Hurley, Woodward, & Rothwell, 2018). It is estimated that 64 to 90% of the ocean’s plastics originate 223 from fluxes in the terrestrial environment, however determining the exact source is not a simple task 224 (Andrady, 2011; Hurley et al., 2018). Plastic items, including the biodegradable plastic items, 225 breakdown in the marine environment through mechanical action resulting in non-degradable 226 microscopic fragments of synthetic polymers (Thompson et al., 2004). However, the consequences of 227 these microplastic fragments.This research intends to address two aims; first, to provide an estimation of the quantity of plastic 235 transportation via African rivers to the greater body of knowledge of global plastic emissions. This aim 236 will specifically focus on determining plastic output via Port Elizabeth rivers into the Algoa Bay marine 237 environment. The second aim of this research is to quantify and characterize the amount of microplastic 238 in the marine environment of Algoa Bay. The second aim will focus on identifying microplastic (MP) 239 throughout the water column. 240 This research consists of six objectives; first, to identify, design and field test a cost-effective system for 241 monitoring macroplastic quantity output from riverine to marine environments. Second, to contribute to 242 the body of knowledge of African river plastic pollution through quantification and characterisation of 243 macroplastics in the Port Elizabeth rivers. Third, to compare three very different rivers with different 244 levels of urbanisation (industrial, urban, and remote) to ascertain the impact of population and 245 government pollution management protocols on plastic emissions. Fourth, to measure microplastic 246 quantities at three depths from eight locations across the marine environment of Algoa Bay. Fifth, quantitatively characterize the microplastics in Algoa Bay to highlight any patterns of distribution. Sixth, 248 to compare the Algoa Bay concentrations with published international marine microplastic findings. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Ocean Science, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
- Authors: Moss, Kerry-Leigh
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Marine pollution , Plastic marine debris --Environmental aspects , Algoa Bay -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/55645 , vital:53403
- Description: With just 4% of published plastic pollution research, the African region remains one of the most poorly 221 understood areas, leaving a large knowledge gap in our understanding of this global pollution problem 222 (Hurley, Woodward, & Rothwell, 2018). It is estimated that 64 to 90% of the ocean’s plastics originate 223 from fluxes in the terrestrial environment, however determining the exact source is not a simple task 224 (Andrady, 2011; Hurley et al., 2018). Plastic items, including the biodegradable plastic items, 225 breakdown in the marine environment through mechanical action resulting in non-degradable 226 microscopic fragments of synthetic polymers (Thompson et al., 2004). However, the consequences of 227 these microplastic fragments.This research intends to address two aims; first, to provide an estimation of the quantity of plastic 235 transportation via African rivers to the greater body of knowledge of global plastic emissions. This aim 236 will specifically focus on determining plastic output via Port Elizabeth rivers into the Algoa Bay marine 237 environment. The second aim of this research is to quantify and characterize the amount of microplastic 238 in the marine environment of Algoa Bay. The second aim will focus on identifying microplastic (MP) 239 throughout the water column. 240 This research consists of six objectives; first, to identify, design and field test a cost-effective system for 241 monitoring macroplastic quantity output from riverine to marine environments. Second, to contribute to 242 the body of knowledge of African river plastic pollution through quantification and characterisation of 243 macroplastics in the Port Elizabeth rivers. Third, to compare three very different rivers with different 244 levels of urbanisation (industrial, urban, and remote) to ascertain the impact of population and 245 government pollution management protocols on plastic emissions. Fourth, to measure microplastic 246 quantities at three depths from eight locations across the marine environment of Algoa Bay. Fifth, quantitatively characterize the microplastics in Algoa Bay to highlight any patterns of distribution. Sixth, 248 to compare the Algoa Bay concentrations with published international marine microplastic findings. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Ocean Science, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
Noise pollution at sea
- Authors: Karomo, Adelaide Aquiline
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Marine pollution
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/48091 , vital:40470
- Description: Marine species heavily rely on sound to perform day to day functions and, since the advent of industrialisation, anthropogenic noise in the marine environment has been on the increase and is expected to increase further as countries continue to develop. The impacts of anthropogenic noise on marine species have been deeply scrutinised especially by the international community and it has been established that this humaninduced noise at sea must be reduced to conserve marine biodiversity. A background of the major contributors to anthropogenic noise is discussed, as well as the international instruments regulating them. For instance the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (hereinafter referred to as “the UNCLOS”),1 is discussed because it is the primary instrument regulating activities at sea and the protection of the marine environment and the species therein. South Africa has ratified the UNCLOS and is under a legal obligation to comply with its provisions by implementing them into domestic rules and regulations. Furthermore, the applicable global and regional instruments dealing with marine environmental protection from anthropogenic noise are weighed against the national South African legislation and this assessment serves the purpose of ascertaining the extent to which South Africa has complied with its international law obligation. The dissertation goes a step further by identifying and assessing the efforts made by foreign jurisdictions, specifically Australia, Greenland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. This determination is meant to determine whether there are lessons South Africa can learn, if any, from these jurisdictions in order to improve its current marine environmental protection legislation in fulfilment of international law. The dissertation also shows that there is need to improve the South African environmental protection legislation by taking into account some of the developments made by international organisations, such as the International Maritime Organisation (hereinafter referred to as “the IMO”) and by foreign jurisdictions. These improvements to South African legislation would comprise of adopting activity-specific regulations, such as the IMO’s guidelines on minimising noise emitted by commercial shipping vessels and the United Kingdom’s Joint Nature Conservation Committee (hereinafter referred to as the “JNCC”) guidelines on seismic surveys. The regulations adopted by the international community are especially essential to fill the gap as far as the South African regulation of noise emitted by offshore renewable energy processes and naval operations are concerned.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Karomo, Adelaide Aquiline
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Marine pollution
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/48091 , vital:40470
- Description: Marine species heavily rely on sound to perform day to day functions and, since the advent of industrialisation, anthropogenic noise in the marine environment has been on the increase and is expected to increase further as countries continue to develop. The impacts of anthropogenic noise on marine species have been deeply scrutinised especially by the international community and it has been established that this humaninduced noise at sea must be reduced to conserve marine biodiversity. A background of the major contributors to anthropogenic noise is discussed, as well as the international instruments regulating them. For instance the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (hereinafter referred to as “the UNCLOS”),1 is discussed because it is the primary instrument regulating activities at sea and the protection of the marine environment and the species therein. South Africa has ratified the UNCLOS and is under a legal obligation to comply with its provisions by implementing them into domestic rules and regulations. Furthermore, the applicable global and regional instruments dealing with marine environmental protection from anthropogenic noise are weighed against the national South African legislation and this assessment serves the purpose of ascertaining the extent to which South Africa has complied with its international law obligation. The dissertation goes a step further by identifying and assessing the efforts made by foreign jurisdictions, specifically Australia, Greenland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. This determination is meant to determine whether there are lessons South Africa can learn, if any, from these jurisdictions in order to improve its current marine environmental protection legislation in fulfilment of international law. The dissertation also shows that there is need to improve the South African environmental protection legislation by taking into account some of the developments made by international organisations, such as the International Maritime Organisation (hereinafter referred to as “the IMO”) and by foreign jurisdictions. These improvements to South African legislation would comprise of adopting activity-specific regulations, such as the IMO’s guidelines on minimising noise emitted by commercial shipping vessels and the United Kingdom’s Joint Nature Conservation Committee (hereinafter referred to as the “JNCC”) guidelines on seismic surveys. The regulations adopted by the international community are especially essential to fill the gap as far as the South African regulation of noise emitted by offshore renewable energy processes and naval operations are concerned.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
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