Towards A Pollution-Free Coastal Environment

With students’ return to school and the rainy season in full gear, our beaches bear the signs of the busy vacation months and an active rainy season with litter of all sorts- plastic and otherwise dotting the coastlines of popular bathing sites. Solid waste pollution, such as plastic wrappers and bottles, may have been left behind following times of family fun or brought to the shores through tidal wave action. This unsightly occurrence may seem insignificant; however, the impact of marine litter and pollution on the fragile ecosystems along our coastlines can be devastating for marine organisms, our fellow inhabitants of this planet. We all must take responsibility for our waste and adopt responsible waste management practices to prevent further damage to our coastal environments.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) defines marine litter as ‘any persistent, manufactured or processed solid discarded, disposed of or abandoned in the marine and coastal environments’. Much of this litter, such as macro-plastics, has become ubiquitous as scientists have found remnants in some of the most remote areas of the world’s oceans – from the most frequented beaches and shorelines to the deepest parts of the sea floor. Marine litter remains a growing threat to the health of the marine environment, including marine organisms, human livelihoods, and well-being. 

On Saturday 14th of September 2024, the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA), in partnership with the Guardian Group, joined the global community for the International Coastal Cleanup – Trinidad and Tobago (ICC-TT). The site chosen was Harts Cut Bay, in Chaguaramas, under the theme, “Sea the Change” (with a particular focus on plastic foam, commonly known as Styrofoam). The Hart’s Cut Bay beach cleanup led by the IMA was one of several beaches cleaned along the northwest peninsula of Trinidad in collaboration with the Environmental Planning and Policy Division (EPPD) of the Ministry of Planning and Development (MOPD) and the Environmental Management Authority (EMA). 

Drone Technology

The IMA and the Guardian Group staff, armed with garbage bags, digital scales, data forms, and peoplepower, were also aided by smart technology. Due to Hart’s Cut’s topography, the IMA utilised an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), or drone to detect and quickly identify the widespread litter and debris dispersed along the shoreline.   Drone-based imagery of the coastline equates to a more efficient strategy in identifying an accumulation of marine litter and determining the types of litter, thereby reducing the time taken for volunteers to walk across a vast stretch of the rocky shoreline terrain at Hart’s Cut to remove litter from inaccessible areas.  The IMA’s use of the detailed imagery generally associated with drones will also generate quantitative data on pollutants found at the Harts Cut Bay in Chaguaramas. The imagery will enhance ongoing monitoring and research on coastal and marine pollution conducted by the IMA. Operated by the trained research staff of the IMA, drone usage is becoming more widespread in research as this technology facilitates remote sensing and data collection in real time, fostering a better understanding of marine health and contributing to informed policy and decision-making as it relates to national marine policies and conservation.

Provided with data cards, the IMA marshalled approximately ninety volunteers into groups comprising four persons each to carefully scan the shoreline for material alien to the ecosystem. An experienced captain led each group, with some persons assigned to collect the trash, others to hold open the garbage bags, and others to record the kind of trash collected. At the end of the exercise, the volunteers collected enough debris to fill over 50 trash bags, all weighing approximately/over 500 pounds.  Pleased with the volunteer turnout, the Institute of Marine Affairs’ Director, Dr Ava Maxam, applauded each volunteer who made the difference in removing trash from the shoreline.  She said, “By removing trash from the beach today, each of you made the difference by your actions thereby demonstrating your commitment to environmental stewardship”. Guardian Group Chief Managing Director, Ms. Samantha Saugh,  commended the participation and action of the volunteers, explaining why activities such as beach cleanups are a part of the organisation’s strategic priorities. 

Established by Ocean Conservancy (a non-profit environmental organisation based in the United States) in the early 1970s, the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Day is considered the largest volunteer one-day beach cleanup. It represents more than just removing and cleaning beaches. Volunteers collected, removed, and recorded types and quantities of litter using standardised data forms.  In addition to standardised data forms, the ICC has provided the Clean Swell mobile application which can also be used to record the data.   The data collected from the cleanup exercise is tabulated and forwarded it to Ocean Conservancy to generate the annual global marine debris report.  

The 2023 Ocean Conservancy Report for Trinidad and Tobago indicated that volunteers removed approximately 16,976 plastic bottles and 4,957 bottle caps from beaches across the twin-island Republic. For the English-speaking Caribbean, volunteers collected 435,000 plastic beverage bottles and 330,972 Styrofoam containers during the International Coastal Cleanup initiative in 2023. 

Planning and Development Minister, the Honourable Pennelope Beckles, visited the IMA’s cleanup exercise, assisting with removing trash and litter from the shoreline of Hart’s Cut and entering the relevant information on the data cards provided.  Delighted with the level of support fromall the volunteers who turned up for the exercise,  the Honourable Minister said, “The cleanup exercise was part of the global coastal cleanup activity which represents more than just removing and cleaning beaches”. She added that “the cleanup exercise included recording the types and quantities of litter found and collected on the shoreline”. She further added that “the data collected is used for research and to help make informed decisions. Eight million tons of garbage is collected every year during the ICC event and data has shown that 60 per cent of the garbage (marine litter) collected represents plastics”.  Also, on hand to lend his contribution to the conservation of coastal resources on the western peninsular was the Chairman of the IMA’s Board of Governors, Mr. Ermath Harrington. He stated that, “one of the three pillars of a developed society is how it treats about its natural environment and so your participation was instrumental in promoting environmental sustainability.”

Several coastal communities across Trinidad and Tobago rely on the ocean to support their livelihoods, making them quite vulnerable to the adverse impacts of marine litter. A 2019 World Bank entitled, ‘Marine Pollution in the Caribbean: Not a Minute to Waste’ notes that over 320,000 tons of plastic waste remained unmanaged in the English-speaking Caribbean in 2018 and are resistant to biodegradation. The report explained that the waste adversely impacts the health of marine life, especially that of fish.  The report further highlighted that the marine litter also degraded coral reefs. As you may be aware, coral reefs are important because they contribute to the tourism and fishing industries. An estimated annual revenue loss of about 350 million USD was the result.  

The IMA acknowledges that the ongoing removal of marine litter is as much an economic priority as it is an ecological issue. It continues to support the reduction of marine litter through its applied research and ongoing monitoring of the marine and coastal environments across the twin-island state.  In its capacity as the Regional Activity Centre (RAC) for the Cartagena Convention with the responsibility for addressing land-based sources of pollution, the IMA’s research programmes are aligned to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Target 14.1 which aims to prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, from land-based-sources such as marine litter to nutrient pollution.  This responsibility aligns with Societal Outcome No. 1 of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030. This outcome promotes a clean ocean whereby scientists and stakeholders identify sources of pollution and become actively involved in reducing or removing such pollutants. The IMA also plays a pivotal role in developing the Integrated Coastal Zone (ICZM) Policy, which addresses pollution controls and waste management, among other issues that impact coastal zone use.

While beach cleanups aid in addressing the scourge of solid waste pollution along coastlines, it is only the first step in reducing the amount of debris and trash that ends up in waterways and, ultimately, the oceans.  The protection and conservation of our marine and coastal environments start with you. Here’s how:

1. Be responsible! – Adopt the Five Rs of waste management – Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Repurpose.
2. Participate in local or community beach and river cleanup events.
3. Download trash and recycling mobile applications, such as ‘Recycle Right’ or ‘Recycle Coach’ to your smartphones and incorporate them into your daily lives.
4. Embrace technology to start a business venture and let artificial intelligence help you turn marine trash into several treasures!

Written by: Ms Lorraine Barrow; Ms Alicia Carter-Fisher