Title: An Unexpected Link: Jamaican Coastal-Marine Systems and Bauxite Mining
By: Curtis Mosier
Transcript:
Jamaica is currently the sixth largest producer of bauxite for the world. It is also the most overfished island nation in the Caribbean; suffering from: highly fish stocks, integrated coral reef ecosystems, coastal marine and terrestrial ecosystems can be inherently linked and unknowingly influence one another ecologically and socially. My name is Curtis Mosier, I am an environment research studies undergraduate at the University of Waterloo. In the winter of 2014, I travelled to Jamaica with a research group for the University of Waterloo to research coastal marine ecosystems. My focus was linking one of Jamaica's largest terrestrial industries (bauxite mining) to one of Jamaica's most vulnerable industries that is reliant on a coastal marine ecosystems (small scale fisheries). Bauxite is the most rarely mined ore in Jamaica and is used in the refinement of aluminum. The bauxite mining industry inherently exploits land based natural resources which cannot be pursued without negative environmental impacts. It is the industry's responsibility to minimize these negative effects where possible under governmental regulations. However, some ecosystems have a tendency to be overlooked by the terrestrial centric mining industry; one such being: coastal marine ecosystems. So, how are coastal marine ecosystems, small scale fisheries, and Jamaica's bauxite mining industries linked? One way surge makes only crude bauxite shipping port located in the Discovery Bay along the northern coast. The bauxite loading dock exists as a point source polluter having subjected the bay to 50 years of bauxite sentiment deposits (rich in heavy metals), and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The loading dock is situated in a relatively new fish sanctuary that was established to better the local fishing economy and restore ecological integrity. Sanctuaries are scientifically proven to increase fish stocks by 3 to 21 times its degraded biomass. But how effective can a sanctuary be when it is subject to rigorous sedimentation? Academic studies suggest there are many potential impacts of bauxite sedimentation in Discovery Bay; such as altering diagenetic processes, impeachment of coral fertilization success, and heavy metal uptake of reef biotic; such as fish and urchin embryo. Dr. Donovan Campbell – Ph.D in geography from Caribsave – had this to say regarding bauxite mining in coastal marine ecosystems: “There are many social implications for bauxite mining. West and East. So I'm not very sure if the same geomorphology characteristics are true for the coastal areas. But it's definitely starting to look at. But bauxite is associated with the coastal topography in general.” Discovery bay is an example of one of the many ways in which bauxite mining industry is connected to coast marine systems in Jamaica. Although, not all of the links are prominent. They are nonetheless influential on the system and have received minimal attention. All of the linkages front complex social issues. Prompting questions to arise that require further research in regimes; such as: terrestrial marine co-management and the zoning of protected areas. Understanding both of the marginal and obvious systems links in the study of coastal marine ecology is key protecting marine life now and in the future.