An integrated coastal ecosystem monitoring strategy: Pilot case in Naf-Saint Martin Peninsula, Bangladesh

Subrata Sarker; Lilian A Krug; Kazi Mainul Islam; Shyamal Chandra Basak; A N M Samiul Huda; Md Shahadat Hossain; Nabanita Das; Shashowti Chowdhury Riya; Eurida Liyana; Gawsia Wahidunnessa Chowdhury

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169718

An integrated coastal ecosystem monitoring strategy: Pilot case in Naf-Saint Martin Peninsula, Bangladesh

Sci Total Environ. 2024 Feb 25:913:169718. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169718. Epub 2023 Dec 30.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Oceanography, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh. Electronic address: subratasrk-ocg@sust.edu.
² Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO), United Kingdom; Algarve Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), University of Algarve, Portugal.
³ Department of Geography and Environment, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh.
⁴ Bangladesh Civil Service (34th BCS, Administration Cadre), Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Bangladesh.
⁵ Department of Oceanography, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh.
⁶ Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

PMID: 38163602
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169718

Abstract

Rapid population growth creating an excessive pressure on the marine environment and thus monitoring of marine ecosystem is essential. However, due to high technical and financial involvement, monitoring of coastal ecosystem is always challenging in developing countries. This study aims to develop an integrated coastal ecosystem monitoring system that combines scientific sampling, numerical model simulation and citizen science observations to monitor the coastal ecosystem of Bangladesh. This concept of integrated monitoring approach was piloted from January 2022 to April 2023 at the South East coastal zone of Bangladesh. Scientific sampling and numerical model simulations were performed for temperature and salinity data collection. Citizen science approach was employed to collect data on environmental conditions, fisheries, plankton, other marine resources, and plastic pollution. Numerical model simulations and citizen scientists observations of temperature and salinity showed good agreement with the scientifically collected data. In addition, citizen scientists observations on fisheries, plankton, other marine resources and plastic pollution were also in line with the existing database and previous studies. The proposed integrated monitoring approach presents a viable technique, creating a new avenue for coastal and marine ecosystem monitoring where infrastructural facilities are limited.

Keywords: Bangladesh; Citizen science; Coastal ecosystems; Marine ecosystem monitoring; Numerical model; Scientific monitoring.