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Mini Case Scenarios
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The longstanding battle of sustainability-conscious citizens and the distressing state of plastic pollution in the oceans have brought new causes to light. One of which, that’s hardly spoken about, is the percentage of plastic pollution that comes from garbage being thrown overboard marine vessels, particularly the Chinese merchant marine vessels. These vessels are constantly crossing the ocean to keep up with the high demand of global markets. Of course, these vessels aren’t the only culprit as there are hundreds of marine vessels a year going out to sea to keep up with the global supply and demand. Often, these vessels operate with limited supervision or sustainability regulations...
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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is 80,000 tons of plastic floating in 1.6 million km2 of space between Hawaii and California. For a conceptual idea of how large of an area this is, it is three times the size of France. Due to the currents in this area, plastic will get drawn in by the gyre and become trapped in the stable centre. Approximately 90 per cent of this is large debris that will break down over time into microplastics due to waves and UV rays. 75-86 per cent of GPGP plastic comes from fishing activities, 46 per cent of which is comprised of fishing nets alone which highlights the need to look at this practice when combating this issue. In total, there was approximately 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic floating in the GPGP which equates to 250 pieces per human on earth...
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Marine biodiversity conservation plays a crucial role in maintaining the health and resilience of our oceans. With threats such as climate change, overfishing, and habitat destruction, the preservation of marine biodiversity is essential for the well-being of both ecosystems and human communities. Numerous scientific studies have highlighted the importance of marine biodiversity in sustaining ecosystem services, such as fishery productivity, carbon sequestration, and coastal protection (Kareiva et al., 2011). Additionally, diverse marine ecosystems support a wide array of species, some of which may hold potential for medical and biotechnological advancements (Mora et al., 2011). Therefore, it is imperative that we prioritize marine biodiversity conservation efforts to safeguard these invaluable resources...
Discussion Topics
- How might we prioritize the numerous issues regarding life below water that require attention?
- Discuss the importance of marine biodiversity and the threats it faces.
- Explore topics such as overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change impacts on marine ecosystems.
- Discuss strategies for marine biodiversity conservation, including the establishment of marine protected areas, sustainable fishing practices, and the restoration of degraded habitats.
- Engage in a discussion about the issue of ocean pollution, particularly plastic waste. Explore the sources and impacts of plastic pollution on marine ecosystems and human health. Discuss potential solutions, such as reducing plastic consumption, promoting recycling, and developing innovative alternatives to single-use plastics.
- Discuss the challenges and opportunities in achieving sustainable fisheries management. Explore topics such as overfishing, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and the role of fisheries subsidies.
- Debate the effectiveness of different management approaches, such as fisheries quotas, ecosystem-based management, and community-based fisheries management.
- Engage in a discussion about the importance of coral reefs and the threats they face. Discuss topics such as coral bleaching, ocean acidification, and the impacts of tourism and coastal development on coral reef ecosystems. Explore strategies for coral reef conservation, including reef restoration, sustainable tourism practices, and marine spatial planning.
- Discuss the role of marine protected areas (MPAs) in conserving marine biodiversity and promoting sustainable use of marine resources. Debate the challenges of implementing and enforcing MPAs, as well as the potential benefits for local communities and ecosystem resilience.
- Engage in a discussion about the need for effective ocean governance to ensure the sustainability of marine resources.
Assessment Ideas
- Position Paper: Pick a life below water issue and create a project proposal for why and how the coastal engineering lab can resolve it.
- Research Paper: Conduct a research project on a specific aspect of marine pollution, such as plastic waste, chemical contaminants, or oil spills. Investigate the sources and impacts of pollution, analyze existing mitigation strategies, and propose innovative solutions.
- Case Study Analysis: Provide students with a case study that highlights a specific marine conservation project or success story. Ask them to critically analyze the case study, evaluate its effectiveness, and identify key factors contributing to its success.
- Policy Brief: Prepare a policy brief on sustainable fisheries management. Analyze the challenges and opportunities in achieving sustainable fishing practices, assess the effectiveness of existing policies, and propose recommendations for policy improvement. Present your policy brief, emphasizing evidence-based arguments and practical policy solutions.
- Group Presentation: Develop a marine conservation project proposal aimed at addressing a specific issue related to SDG 14. Identify a problem, analyze its causes and impacts, and propose strategies for conservation and sustainable use of marine resources.
- Data Analysis and Recommendations: Conduct an ecosystem impact assessment of a specific human activity or industry on marine ecosystems. Assess the environmental impacts, evaluate potential risks to marine biodiversity, and propose mitigation measures.
- Communications Strategy: Develop a stakeholder engagement plan for promoting marine conservation and sustainable practices. Identify key stakeholders, assess their interests and roles, and propose strategies for effective collaboration and communication. Present your engagement plan, including engagement methods, strategies for conflict resolution, and evaluation metrics.
Additional Resources
Faculty Subject Matter Experts
You may wish to contact one of the following departments who may have subject matter experts in this area:
Environmental Biology ( ; )
Experiential Learning Contact
Christina Dinsmore (pronouns: she/her)
Associate Director, Experiential Learning & Programming
asc.el@queensu.ca
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Ryan, P. G., Dilley, B. J., Ronconi, R. A., & Connan, M. Rapid increase in Asian bottles in the South Atlantic Ocean indicates major debris inputs from ships. 2019. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1909816116
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Winn, P. 5 countries spew more plastic into the oceans than the rest of the world together. 2016 [cited 2023; Available from: 5 countries spew more plastic into the oceans than the rest of the world together | The World from PRX.
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Woodward, A. New research suggests we might be thinking about the ocean plastic problem all wrong — trash dumped from ships could be a major culprit. 2019 [cited 2023; Available from: https://www.businessinsider.com/plastic-pollution-ocean-comes-from-ships-trash-2019-10.