High tides of sand digging: an increasing threat to marine life

In the delicate balance between human development and the protection of the fragile natural world, sand is pushing down the scales of humanity.

A group of international scientists in this week’s journal one Earth Calls for balance of these scales to better identify the enormous damage to global accumulation in marine biodiversity. Step 1: Acknowledge sand and gravel (the sand in this publication is discussed as sand), the world’s most-quality solid material – is hidden in a naive threat.

“Sand is a key resource that shapes the architecture and the natural world,” said Jianguo “Jack” Liu, senior writer at Michigan State University’s chair of sustainability. “Sand extraction is a complex global challenge. Systematic approaches such as the MetaCoupling framework for solutions Opening complexity is crucial. They can help uncover hidden cascade-level effects, not only on the sand extraction site, but also on the sand for construction.

Sand is the literal basis for global human development, a key element in concrete, asphalt, glass and electronics. It is relatively cheap and easy to extract.

Unlike critical minerals or deep-sea mining (both caused serious scrutiny), although it was the second most extensive human activity in coastal areas after fishing, extraction in marine environments is still largely scrutinized. Ignore and often take its supply for granted.

Sand mining around the world is associated with coastal erosion, habitat destruction, the spread of invasive species and its impact on fisheries. Extracting sand will suffocate seaweeds and corals by blocking water and rumbling sediments. Destroying the span of the ocean can damage habitat, alter the pattern of the waves and other issues that can confuse marine life.

“This resource is often seen as an inert, abundant material, but in fact, it is an important resource that shapes coastal and marine ecosystems, protects coastlines and maintains them,” said Aurora Torres, a researcher at the University of Spain. Ecosystems and livelihoods.” Alicante. “Because sand extraction is closely related to coastal erosion, climate adaptation and biodiversity loss, it is integrated into broader environmental policies such as marine protected areas, blue carbon strategies, climate resilience programs and strategic natural resource management, This is crucial to ensure it – not to be considered an isolated issue.”

Torres and Liu first brought the sand problem to the first time in 2017 science The looming sand tragedy on paper. exist A globe The comments are two former and current members of the MSU Center for System Integration and Sustainability, former and current members, asking Sand to increase the attention level of fishing, aquaculture and tourism industries on the scale of global attention and action.

“Ultimately, the key to taking action is to make sand extraction visible – through stronger data, improved governance and direct links to pressing environmental and economic issues. “The more obvious and tangible it has, the harder it can be overlooked.” Responsible management needs. “Torres said that as climate change intensifies threats to human life, sand extraction near fragile, densely populated coastlines can stimulate action.

Jean-Baptiste Jouffray, Vera van Lancker and Arnaud Vander Velpen also wrote “Reducing the growing impact of Sand Mining on marine biodiversity.” This work was supported by the National Science Foundation, Michigan Agbioresearch, Generalitat Valenciana and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.