A spatial framework for improved sanitation to support coral reef conservation.

Autor: Kuempel CD; Coastal and Marine Research Centre, Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, 4111, Australia. Electronic address: c.kuempel@griffith.edu.au., Thomas J; School of Civil Engineering, The University of Sydney, NSW, 2008, Australia., Wenger AS; Wildlife Conservation Society, Marine Program, Bronx, NY, USA; School of the Environment, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, 4072, Australia., Jupiter SD; Wildlife Conservation Society, Melanesia Program, 11 Ma'afu Street, Suva, Fiji., Suárez-Castro AF; Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia., Nasim N; School of Civil Engineering, The University of Sydney, NSW, 2008, Australia., Klein CJ; School of the Environment, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, 4072, Australia., Hoegh-Guldberg O; School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, QLD, Australia.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987) [Environ Pollut] 2024 Feb 01; Vol. 342, pp. 123003. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Nov 29.
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123003
Abstrakt: Coral reefs are one of the most valuable yet threatened ecosystems in the world. Improving human wastewater treatment could reduce land-based impacts on coral reefs. However, information on the quantity and spatial distribution of human wastewater pollution is lacking. Here, we develop a spatial model linking residential human wastewater pollution (nitrogen and phosphorus/year) and conservation sectors [coral reefs] to better understand the relative differences in the distribution and efficacy of different sanitation services and their potential implications for conservation monitoring and management. We apply our model to Fiji, where ongoing initiatives and investments in wastewater treatment for human health could be leveraged to cost-effectively improve coral reef condition. We estimate that wastewater treatment plants account for nearly 80% of human wastewater nutrients released into surface waters. Wasterwater nutrient pollution is widespread, affecting 95% of reefs, but is concentrated across a few watersheds. Our spatially explicit approach can be used to better understand potential benefits and trade-offs between sanitation service improvements and coral reef health, helping to bridge the sanitation and conservation sectors as well as inform and prioritize on the ground action.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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