Syed Furqan Sayeedi

AP Chemistry
May 15, 2016
Coastal Degradation and Preventive Measures
It's only been in the past few decades where we have fully recognized the importance of
earth's marine ecosystems. The oceans are like the life blood of our planet, they make up about
70% of the earth's surface, process essential gases by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing
carbon dioxide, and contain the bulk of water on earth. Oceans, putting it plainly, are important.
Bahrain, a small island country situated in the arabian gulf, has one of the most diverse marine
ecosystems in the world. Not only do the islands of Bahrain house numerous coral reefs, they are
home to estuaries that are crucial to productivity of coastal fisheries. Recently Bahrain has been
exhibiting a case of coastal degradation. Coastal degradation (CD) is defined as the alternation
or destruction of coast lines due to human activity which means it is a gradual process that
destroys many of the marine ecosystems of a certain area. CD is always onset due to harmful
human activity in the area which, in Bahrains case, is due to the offshore oil rigs.
Not only is Bahrain known for its diverse marine ecosystems, but it is also recognized for
its wealth in oil. The problems occurring in the coast of Bahrain are due to pollution and
population. Offshore oil rigs are a major contribution to pollution as oil spills and discharge from
the processing plants add pollutants to the water, which reduce the water quality. The growing
population of Bahrain contributes as well, coastal infilling for residential purposes has a hand in
destroying marine ecosystems. Why is CD a problem? CD causes destruction to existing coral
reefs, which serve as homes to many sea life and, also protect the inland as they can hold sea
storms at bay. Marine biodiversity also suffers, a reduction of biodiversity can lower the
productivity of organisms, impacting coastal fisheries to produce a lower yield. Finally, CD puts
essential organisms at risk. The Bahraini coast is home to mangroves which make up estuaries
that act as breeding sites for fish, infilling has reduced the size of the mangroves and destroyed
nesting sites. CD is a big problem as it negatively impacts ecosystems and furthermore the food
web which includes human beings.
Is there anyway to stop coastal degradation? Unfortunately there is no way to completely
stop the effects of coastal degradation, however there are ways to reduce the impact of CD on
ecosystems. When it comes to dealing with CD there are two different approaches one can take,
there are Hard and Soft engineering techniques. Hard engineering techniques are usually to do
with the construction of seawalls or other man made barriers. These barriers tend to be super
expensive and also degrade the aesthetic quality of the sea and coastline areas, they also require
approval from the state and its people to begin construction. Some of the constructions may
include breakwaters; heavy concrete walls in the sea, or even tidal barriers; which are retractable
barriers. However not only are they expensive, but they are prone to being damaged by sea
storms and require heavy maintenance. Soft engineering techniques are those that are low in cost

but also not as effective as hard engineering techniques. These methods include things such as
beach nourishment; replacing the sand on a beach from elsewhere, and marsh landing; growing
plants specific to marsh land areas to reduce the effect of waves. These processes are cheaper
but, they also bring their own problems. New sand leads to the destruction of other ecosystems to
obtain that sand and marsh landing introduces species not native to the area which may cause
more harm than good. So what is a solution that is best in the case of CD? Bahrains problem
was a direct effect of pollution from oil refineries and oil rigs, if the source can be minimized,
then the later effects of CD can be lowered. Therefore, tackling the oil rigs is a first priority,
companies already produce environmentally safe oil absorbents and can also use bioremediation
to help clean up oil spills and oil wastes. Situating refineries inland would reduce the pollution in
the water drastically and therefore reduce the effects of CD. As Bahrains source of CD is clear
cut, unlike many other places where the source is unknown, tackling the source directly will be
the most effective way to reduce the effects of late term CD and protect not only the coasts, but
also all the organisms that live in them.

Sources Used
http://www.eef.org.bh/cnsrvnbhr.htm
https://www.google.com.sa/url?
sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjnruDuNvMAhVCxxQKHbppAUkQFggbMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwhc.unesco.org
%2Fdocument

%2F105357&usg=AFQjCNGuGvUgmlTpWS_IATvu8ybuBQJz0Q&sig2=AsF3WxRsPc
GKQKNuJ27a7Q
http://oilandgas.livingearth.org.uk/key-challenges/marine-and-coastalbiodiversity-conservation-summary/
http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/east_african_coast/area/index
/causes_effects/
https://geographyas.info/coasts/coastal-management/