:. It is important to note that restoring the mangrove community and forest in only a partial solution to the problem of contaminated or polluted coastal ecosystems and mangrove areas. Protection and sustaining the re-development of the mangrove ecosystem in the key goal of the rehabilitation process
Our oceans and coastal areas are invaluable to the continuous survival of the earth and all species. Coastal ecosystem areas are regions that extend from the continental shelf break of the ocean, inland to the limits of tidal influence. Coastal ecosystems are highly productive and play important roles in overall marine productivity. These areas especially in Nigeria include coastal wetlands, mangroves, creeks, mangrove and freshwater swamps, estuaries, lagoons and the overlying waters of the continental shelf (neritic waters). In Nigeria and longitudinally, coastal ecosystems and mangroves extend from the Bakassi Peninsula in Cross Rivers State to Badagry in Lagos State covering nine states. These areas are dominated by sandy and mud beaches, flats, creeks, deltaic swamps and salt tolerant mangrove forests. Nigeria has extensive mangrove swamp coverage and is notable worldwide. The Niger delta is largely made up of mangrove wetland areas.
Ecological and economic functions of mangrove include habitat to a diverse community of plants, animals they serve as carbon sink. Additionally, they provide food and shelter for a large and varied group of fishes and shellfishes, serve as spawning, breeding, nursery and feeding grounds for an array of aquatic organisms. They also help stabilize shorelines from storm surges, high coastal winds and act as protection from coastal erosion. They are also important for tourist attractions, aesthetics, educational and scientific values. More importantly they provide resources such as timber, firewood, charcoal, extractives, medicine, sand mineral, natural gas and crude oil. Oil spills maybe due to releases of crude oil from offshore platforms, drilling rigs and oil wells. Refined oils like petrol, kerosene and diesel can also spill.
After the discovery of oil in the 1950’s exploration and exploitation activities in Nigeria has continually polluted the mangrove ecosystem in areas of oil mining. Some observed effects includes aesthetic nuisance, gross pollution, damage to spawning and fishing grounds, anoxic or very low oxygen conditions, elevated oil and heavy metals in water and sediment, decline and death of biodiversity including fishes, shrimps, mollusc, shell fishes, periwinkles, mangrove plant and contamination of water. Oil spills have rendered some parts of the Niger delta area of Nigeria useless for fishing, farming and other noteworthy human and productive activities. Hence the need for mangrove ecosystem restoration and Oil spill cleanup cannot be overstated in this regard. This in the situation in the Niger delta Ogoni land for instance. It becomes important to bring the environment back to its pre-impact condition. Oil cleanup, mangrove restoration and rehabilitation are definitely suited in this regard. Simply put, mangrove restoration is the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged or destroyed. A number of steps are quite important in this endeavour.
First and importantly is to curb or ameliorate the source of the oil pollution. Close or repair (damaged) well heads, broken pipelines and stop leaks from damaged vessels etc. Identifying and handling this in a necessary first step. Additionally, reduce or preferably stop the inflow of oil and oil activities into the area. Secondly, the restoration of proper and free hydrologic flow to the degraded ecosystem is paramount. The tidal inflow and outflow must be adequately re-established and maintained. This is like restoring the heartbeat of a dying person. There may be need to open up formerly closed, dammed or blocked channels or creeks. Thirdly, it is important to physically remove or drain stagnant oil from the ecosystem to be restored. Oil cleanup activities are important to achieve this. Oil removed, must also be properly disposed according to standard regulations and global best practices. Fourthly, is to understand the natural/native plant and animal community structure of the area. Note the endemic or native species, the autecology of species, pattern of reproduction, propagule distribution, successful seedling establishment and how to enhance natural secondary succession, especially in mangrove areas. There will then be need to plant and replant, native species seeds and seedlings.
It is important to note that restoring the mangrove community and forest in only a partial solution to the problem of contaminated or polluted coastal ecosystems and mangrove areas. Protection and sustaining the re-development of the mangrove ecosystem in the key goal of the rehabilitation process. This will then allow these unique coastal areas to come back to life and perform their very important ecological and ecosystem services, including restoration of a cleaner environment for farming and fishing activities including the revival and regeneration of life in the community. But this will come gradually. The involvement of the stake holders and local community members is very essential to the eventual long term survival of the mangrove restoration process. The communities must be properly enlightened organized and carried along through all the stages of the process. There may be need to disallow and allow some kinds of activities in the mangrove area.
Sadly re-mediating the environmental devastation of the Niger delta would take a long time. For instance the Ogoni cleanup is estimated to take about 30 years, to clean up about 50 years of contamination and neglect. There is need for oil spill impacted environments to be cleaned up and restored to their pre-spill healthy conditions
