Suspended Marine Litter in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria: A Case Study of Cross River, QUA Iboe River and Jaja Creek

A study of Ten coastal communities along the Cross River, Qua Iboe River and Jaja Creek (all in Akwa Ibom, Nigeria) was conducted to: Identify and Geo-reference affected navigable channels in Akwa Ibom State; create a map of affected navigable channels in the state; qualitatively and quantitatively characterize floating marine debris in affected channels; Delineate the affected channels; and create awareness among coastal communities on marine litter dangers. The data for average depth revealed that the water body in Essene had the highest depth (13m) while Ufak had the least (3m); average width was highest (850m) at Akpam Nfrugam and Enitan while the least width (250m) was recorded in Ikot Ibritan; and the average flow velocity was highest (1.1 m/s) at Akpam Nfrugam and Essene, least (0.4 m/s) at Edik Ipa and Akuakpa Urang. The result of the characterization of the suspended debris showed that the debris comprised of plastic, nylon, can, foil and “others”. “Others” was made up of mainly nypa palm and unidentified objects. Nylon recorded the highest amount, followed by plastic, can, others and foil recorded the least value across all locations. Average weight of suspended material per square kilometer ranged from the least value of 90,220 kg/km2 at Akpam Nfrugam and the highest value of 199,820 kg/km2 at Jaja creek. Based on 20 tons capacity estimate for dumper trucks, this study location would require between 5-10 dumper trucks to evacuate the suspended debris per square kilometers. In conclusion, navigable channels in the Akwa Ibom are faced with the recalcitrant problem of suspended debris clogging their paths making it difficult for the public to put them to good use while causing harm to aquatic life. It is a clear call for all stakeholders to be cautious of this increasing problem and device means to tackle it.