Rising tides in sand mining: an increasing threat to marine life

In the act of delicate balance between human development and the protection of the vulnerable natural world, sand is oppressing the scales of the human side.

On one planet, an international group of scientists are hoping to balance these scales and better identify the extraction of sand from around the world along marine biodiversity. The first step: to acknowledge its sand and gravel (discussed as sand in this publication) – the most extracted solid material in the world – is a threat and hidden in front of you.

“Sand is an important resource that shapes the natural world built,” said Yong Jiango “Jack,” Michigan State University’s Rachel Carson’s sustainability chair and senior author at Michigan State University.

“Sand extraction is a complex global challenge. System approaches such as meta-coupling frameworks are essential to solving complexity. Not only are sand extraction sites, but other locations such as sand transport routes and sites. It also helps to reveal the hidden influence of cascades. Sand for construction.”

Sand is the literal foundation of human development around the world and is an important component of concrete, asphalt, glass and electronics. It is relatively inexpensive and easy to extract.

Unlike serious minerals and deep-sea mining (both that cause serious scrutiny), sand extraction in marine environments is also the second widest human activity in post-fishing coastal areas. Regardless, its supply is often ingested. Of course.

Sand mining around the world is linked to coastal erosion, habitat destruction, spread of invasive species and impacts on fisheries. Extracting sand can harm marine life by clouding water and covering sediments that can choke sea grass and corals. Destroying ocean sand spans can fragment habitats and alter wave patterns and other issues that can disrupt marine life.

“This resource is often considered an inert and abundant material, but in reality it is an important resource that shapes coastal and marine ecosystems, protects coastlines, and maintains ecosystems and livelihoods,” Alicante’s.

“Sand extraction is closely linked to coastal erosion, climate adaptation and biodiversity losses, making it even broader, including marine protected areas, blue carbon strategies, climate resilience plans, and strategic natural resource management. It is important to integrate into environmental policies. It is not treated as an isolated issue.”

Torres and Liu first revealed the issue of sand in 2017 in “The Impending Tragedy of the Sand Commons.” One Earth commentary shows that two former and current members of the MSU System Integration and Sustainability Centre will raise sand to attention levels for fishing, aquaculture and tourism at the scale of global attention and action. I’m looking for something.

“Ultimately, the key to action is to make sand extract visible. Stronger data, improved governance, direct links to environmental and economic concerns. The impact is more obvious and concrete. The more it becomes, the more difficult it is to ignore the need for responsibility. Torres says that as climate change exacerbates the threat to human life, sand extraction will promote action near vulnerable, densely populated coastlines. He added that it is possible.