Document of bibliographic reference 334211

BibliographicReference record

Type

Bibliographic resource

Type of document

Journal article

BibLvlCode

AS

Title

Marine water quality of a densely populated Pacific atoll (Tarawa, Kiribati): cumulative pressures and resulting impacts on ecosystem and human health

Abstract

The resilience of coastal ecosystems and communities to poor environmental and health outcomes is threatened by cumulative anthropogenic pressures. In Kiribati, a developing Pacific Island country where human activities are closely connected with the ocean, both people and environment are particularly vulnerable to coastal pollution. We present a survey of environmental and human health water quality parameters around urban South Tarawa, and an overview of their impacts on the semi-enclosed atoll. Tarawa has significant water quality issues and decisions to guide improvements are hindered by a persistent lack of appropriate and sufficient observations. Our snapshot assessment identifies highest risk locations related to chronic focused and diffuse pollution inputs, and where mixing and dilution with ocean water is restricted. We demonstrate the importance of monitoring in the context of rapidly changing pressures. Our recommendations are relevant to other atoll ecosystems where land-based activities and ocean health are tightly interlinked.

WebOfScience code

https://www.webofscience.com/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:000620267400012

Bibliographic citation

Graves, C.A.; Powell, A.; Stone, M.; Redfern, F.; Biko, T.; Devlin, M. (2021). Marine water quality of a densely populated Pacific atoll (Tarawa, Kiribati): cumulative pressures and resulting impacts on ecosystem and human health. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 163: 111951. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111951

Topic

Marine

Is peer reviewed

true

Access rights

open access

Is accessible for free

true