On the association between aerosol optical depths and surface meteorological conditions in a tropical coastal environment

Columnar aerosol spectral optical depth data, estimated using a ground based passive multi-wavelength solar radiometer at the tropical coastal station of Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) (8.55°N, 77°E) during the period November 1985 to May 1991, are examined to study the association of the seasonal variations in the optical depths and their association with the prevailing meteorological conditions. A systematic seasonal variation has been observed, with the optical depths maximising in the summer/pre-monsoon season and reaching a minimum in the winter season. Significant association has been observed between the seasonal variations of aerosol spectral optical depths with those of the (on-shore) surface wind speed and the rainfall. The implications of the findings are discussed.

CAN TOUR GUIDES PROTECT THE MARINE AND COASTAL ENVIRONMENT FROM MASS TOURISM IMPACTS: SITUATION OF ANDAMAN OCEAN, THAILAND, PRE-COVID-19

This article studies the role of Thai guides in protecting marine and coastal environment against impacts from international tourism, in the Andaman Ocean, Thailand. This is a qualitative study with in-depth interviews of 26 licensed guides that were selected by using purposive and snowball sampling. Quantitative data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, and qualitative data from in-depth interviews and field notes were analyzed with qualitative data analysis. The results show that behaviors affecting marine and coastal environment mostly involve chasing and catching beautiful fish and/or marine animals (76.9%), feeding fish (73.1%), and collecting beautiful stones, rare shells, and/or coral reefs (73.1%). Guides act in the roles of educator, psychologist, entertainer, ambassador, and servant, and protect against impacts to the extent that they can. While some impacts can be avoided, others remain out of scope and control of the guides.

Qualitative Evaluation of Factors Inducing Environmental Pollution of the Sandy Beaches of Jeju Island Using Styrene Oligomers

Objectives : Plastic pollution is a very important environmental issue in Korea as well as abroad. The objective of this study is to evaluate the internal and external factors that cause pollution of the coastal environment of Jeju Island using styrene oligomers (SOs) originated from polystyrene (PS) plastic.Methods : In order to achieve the above objective, this study is conducted to quantitatively measure the concentration of 12 individual SOs chemicals, through gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS) analyzing seawater and beach sand samples around sandy beaches in Jeju Island. This study evaluates the degree of environmental pollution according to internal or external factors of the sandy beach by using the physicochemical characteristic that SOs species are adsorbed on the surface of sand particles.Results and Discussion : The average concentration of SOs in the beach sand of Jeju Island ranges from a minimum of 9.80 ng/g to a maximum of 13.62 ng/g, and the average concentration of SOs in seawater is relatively low with a constant 0.05 to 0.11 µg/L. Although the concentration distribution of SOs species differs considerably depending on the sample collected, the concentration of SOs decreases in the order of styrene trimers (7 isomers) > styrene dimers (4 isomers) > styrene monomer. As a result of monitoring, the concentration of SOs at the sandy beaches of Jeju Island is much higher in the beach sand than in the seawater. This result means that the major beaches of Jeju Island can be polluted mainly by internal factors (e.g. population density, number of travelers according to population movement, and so on), because SOs species are adsorbed on the surface of the sand particles and their mobility is limited.Conclusions : This study shows that the sandy beaches of Jeju Island are mainly polluted by internal factors. It is thought that the pollution degree of the sandy beaches is the highest in the order of Gwakji Beach < Samyang Beach, Hamdeok Beach, Pyoseon Beach < Ihoteho Beach, Sagye Beach < Seopjikoji Beach, Gimnyeong Beach, and Hyeopjae Beach. This study is expected to contribute to the evaluation of the causes of plastic pollution in the coastal environment of Jeju Island.

The Effect of Human Activities Towards Coastal Dynamics and Sustainable Coastal Management

One of the disasters that often occur in coastal areas is abrasion. Abrasion causes coastal dynamics, including the East Coast of Rembang, Kragan Village, Kragan District, Rembang Regency. From 1975 to 1990, at least 50 meters of land from this area has been lost due to abrasion. This dynamic may become one of the causes of unsustainable management of the coastal environment and its natural resources. Various efforts have been made to overcome abrasion, but abrasion continues to hit this area, even until 2020. Qualitative and quantitative approaches were carried out in this study to discover the coast dynamics and various human activities that may trigger abrasion. Image interpretation, observation, interviews, and questionnaires were used as data collection techniques at three observation points in the Kragan Village area. This study concludes that the beach in Kragan Village has experienced dynamics with a total land loss of 46 meters from 2003 to 2020. Harmful activities carried out by humans resulted in abrasion so that the coast experienced dynamics. Human activities also affect coastal management, namely the basic principles of integrated coastal management and processes in the management of coastal areas.

A Review of Microplastics Risk Assessment in the Coastal Environment

Pollution from microplastics has recently become a prevalent threat to the ecosystem. Microplastics with a dimension less than or equal to 5 mm are smaller. There are many ways that microplastics can reach the atmosphere. By various mechanisms, the breakdown of macro plastics will happen. Chemical degradation, tire abrasion, is the most common forms of degradation. Microplastics (MPs) pollution in the coastal and marine ecosystem is currently a global problem. Transferring MPs from land to sea and allowing them to enter the food chain has a direct negative impact on marine life and human health. The combined toxicity effects of MicroPlastics (MPs) and other contaminants in marine environments, as well as their toxicity effects and mechanisms based on a variety of environmentally important test organisms, were also covered in this study.

A Paleoenvironmental Interpretation of the Pukenui Limestone and Hautotara Formation, Southeastern Wairarapa, New Zealand

<p>Two sections from the northern part of the Nga-Waka-A-Kupe Range have been documented in detail. Both sections were expected to cut through sediments of Pleistocene age which at the southern end of the range have been attributed to the Greycliffs Formation, Pukenui Limestone, Hautotara and Te Muna Formations. The Longbush Road section only included the upper Pukenui Limestone to Hautotara Formation. The Hinakura Road section was as expected and included the entire Pukenui Limestone and Hautotara Formation. Previous works in the Popes Head area have recognised the same sequence there. However, only a few correlations can confidently be made between the two areas. This is largely due to the Pukenui Limestone at Popes Head exhibiting a markedly different set of facies to the section in the southern part of the range – its type section. The facies analysis on the two sections here reveals that the depositional environment for the Pukenui Limestone in the Popes Head area is of a near-coastal environment close to the discharge of a large river, where the nearby type section is interpreted as representing deeper marine conditions. The differences in environments could be due to shallowing section or increased discharge from the river in the Popes Head area. More likely, however, it is a combination of these two factors that result in a shallow-water facies.</p>