Threats to Coastal Ecosystems (Edexcel IGCSE Geography)

Industrialisation

The Value of Coastal Ecosystems

• All ecosystems offer people a range of opportunities – goods and services

  • Goods – a material resource that can be extracted and used

  • Services – general benefits and advantages

• Coastal ecosystems can provide the following:

Industrial Threats

• Threats to Coral Reefs

  • Coral reefs are easily stressed by human action, if the stress persists, then the death of the reef soon follows

  • Pollution, overfishing and quarrying of coral for building stone

  • Industrialisation is responsible for rising sea temperatures and sea-level rise, putting coral reefs under threat

  • Rising sea temperatures increase levels of coral bleaching

• Threats to Mangroves

  • Pollution, overfishing and deforestation for aquaculture

  • Clearance for land development particularly in developing countries

• Threats to Sand Dunes

  • Least threatened at a global level due to value being mainly tourism and leisure

  • Local level the biggest threat is sand mining

• Threats to Salt Marsh

  • Industrial pollution

  • Ideal sites for nuclear power stations 

  • Clearance for development - commercial and private

  • Development can lead to increased noise and light pollution which may affect wildlife behaviour and nesting 

Agricultural Practices

• Threats to Coral Reefs

  • Overfishing reduces the number of grazing fish that keep coral clear of algae

  • Fishing using explosives damage coral reefs

  • Commercial farming 

  • Fertiliser runoff

  • Pesticide overspray 

• Threats to Mangroves

  • Aquaculture - intense fish and shrimp farms

  • Pesticide use

  • Antibiotics used in aquaculture practices

  • Clearance for farm development particularly in developing countries

• Threats to Sand Dunes

  • Destabilisation due to grazing animals on dunes

• Threats to Salt Marsh

  • Drained and cleared for farming 

  • Eutrophication through heavy use of fertilisers 

  • Pollution from pesticides and herbicides 

  • Slurry run-off from cattle

Tourism

• Threats to Coral Reefs

  • Tourism is the biggest threat globally and locally to coral reefs

  • 58% of all coral reefs are at threat from human activity

  • Any contact with the human body is likely to kill coral immediately around the point of contact

  • Propellers and anchors directly damaging corals from boat tours

  • Pollution through diesel spills

• Threats to Mangroves

  • Clearance of mangroves to build hotels and other tourist attractions

  • Diversion of fresh water to hotels etc

  • Disturbance of habitats

  • Collection of souvenirs by tourist

  • Tours in waterways and pollution through spills of boat fuel

• Threats to Sand Dunes

  • Largest threat to sand dunes due to trampling of delicate, unfixed dunes

  • Driving using 4x4 or quadbikes over sand dunes

  • Sporting events - sand surfing etc

  • Collecting shells and driftwood

  • Pollution from rubbish left by tourists

  • Car parks

  • Sand mining for building hotels

  • Development of seaside towns

• Threats to Salt Marshes

  • Tourism is limited to the local level and nature reserves

  • Roads have divided salt marshes cutting off parts of it

  • Trampling by visitors

  • Dog walkers letting dogs roam and disturb the wildlife

  • Noise from local tourist areas may disturb the wildlife

Deforestation

• Threats to Coral Reefs

  • Clearance of coastal forests and mangroves disturbs natural flows of water and nutrients leading to stress and coral bleaching

  • Removal of coral reef for stone building or tourist sales 

  • Any destruction of coral reef leaves the coastline open to coastal flooding and storm surges

• Threats to Mangroves

  • Removal of the trees leads to the collapse of the ecosystem

  • Leaves the coast open to storms, flooding and coastal retreat

  • Mangrove wood is used for timber and fuel

  • Cleared to reduce malaria - unsupported evidence that this works

• Threats to Sand Dunes

  • Removal of trees destroys the mature dunes and allows for dune migration

  • Leaves coast open to storms and flooding

• Threats to Salt Marshes

  • Real threat is through industrialisation and agriculture