ITMEMS 1998 Proceedings - Case Studies

Session 4 - Pollution Control

Water Quality Management Initiative: The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority [Adobe Acrobat Format 36 Kb]

It is an ambitious task for any marine management agency to attempt to influence coastal development and land management. While the potential for coastal catchments to impact on the integrity of nearshore marine environments is apparent to marine managers, the concept is still foreign to many land managers. Decreasing water quality associated with non-point source pollution is considered one of the greatest future threats to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). However, without controlling legislation, the management tools of trade are limited to education and extension. The approach is an assertive, targeted extension program combined with a focused, applied research program to answer the ‘so what’ management questions.

This case study examines current coastal development adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA) and presents the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s (GBRMPA) coastal management initiative. It offers an opportunity to assess the success of presenting such an initiative to a culture that is only just becoming aware of dwindling natural resources. There is a pressing need for proactive resource management in this time of rapidly changing technology that affords new mechanisms for resource exploitation.

The Role of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary in the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Initiative  [Adobe Acrobat Format 36 Kb]

The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the United States Department of Commerce. The Sanctuary is one of twelve national marine sanctuaries that are managed as a system spread throughout coastal United States.

The Florida Keys extend approximately 404 km (220 miles) southwest from the southern tip of the Florida peninsula. Located adjacent to the Keys landmass are nationally significant marine environments, including seagrass meadows, mangrove islands and extensive living coral reefs. These marine environments support rich biological communities possessing extensive conservation, recreational, commercial, ecological, historical, research, educational, and aesthetic values which give this area special national significance. The lure of the Florida Keys has attracted visitors for decades. The clear tropical waters, bountiful resources, and appealing natural environment were among the many fine qualities that attracted visitors to the Keys in the past.

Integrated Management of Bays and Coastal Zones in the Wider Caribbean Region: Facts and Needs  [Adobe Acrobat Format 95 Kb]

The Wider Caribbean Area comprises the marine environment of the Gulf of Mexico,  the Caribbean Sea and the 200 mile zone of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the countries in the Region, as well as their internal waters and the terrestrial environment up to the limit of the watersheds. Economic activity in the region focuses on the expansion of tourism, agriculture and extractive industries that are often directly or indirectly linked to coastal and marine resources.

The Caribbean Sea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean, is partially enclosed on the north and east by the Islands of the West Indies, bounded to the South by South America and Panama and to the west by Central America. It is approximately 2415 km long and between 640 and 1450 km wide. It has an area of about 1 942 500 km².

The pollution of coastal areas from land-based sources is increasing in the Wider Caribbean, affecting the biodiversity of the natural coastal ecosystems. This is due to the rapid growth of coastal population centres without adequate sanitation facilities, making sewage one of the most significant pollutants affecting the coastal zone and the Wider Caribbean. Untreated sewage also poses serious health problems for the public.

Most of the countries in the Wider Caribbean Region have adopted legal instruments to control various aspects of domestic and industrial wastewater disposal to coastal and marine waters. The degree to which these legal instruments are applied in the practical management and control of environmental pollution varies from country to country, but is generally rather weak.

The Cartagena Convention (CAR) was adopted as the legal instrument for the implementation of the Caribbean Action Plan (CAP). The goal of this action plan is the protection of the marine and coastal environments through the promotion of ecologically and socially sustainable development of marine and coastal resources.

Pollution Control Report [Adobe Acrobat Format 29 Kb]