Ever wondered what effect your antifouling has on sea life? Or whether using your sea toilet has any effect on water quality? Answers to questions like these are now available on the Green Blue’s website at www.thegreenblue.org.uk/sciencematters under ‘database’.
To mark World Ocean Day (Thursday 8th June), The Green Blue has published its comprehensive database of knowledge on the environmental impacts of boating. The database, the first of its kind, brings together over 550 scientific and regulatory papers which analyse the environmental effects of boating. The Green Blue has also launched an initiative to encourage further studies into the environmental interactions of boating, where gaps in knowledge have been identified.
The collation of such a large databank of research will provide essential knowledge for regulators, academics and marine organisations as to the real impacts of boating. It is hoped that this will assist regulators and planners when making vital and significant decisions on environmental matters which affect the marine leisure industry.
The database can be searched in a variety of ways, and is simple and efficient to use. Searches can be made by subject (e.g. antifouling or waste management), or by author, date or key word. Where available, the papers themselves can simply be downloaded.
Anna Wyse, Project Manager of The Green Blue, said: “We are delighted to be publishing this important database. It is the first time that people will be able to search all relevant environmental papers within one place, and we hope that this proves to of great use to all audiences – companies within the marine industry, regulators and planners and academics as well as anyone with an interest in boating and its environmental issues.â€
The publication of the ‘Science Matters’ database completes Phase One of The Green Blue’s research programme. Phase One also incorporated a major desk study of all the papers contained within the database, in a report titled ‘The Environmental Interactions of Recreational Boating’.
The Green Blue is also using World Ocean Day to launch its ‘Student Research Programme‘. This marks the start of Phase Two of the Green Blue research programme, which will start to plug the knowledge gaps identified in Phase One of the current research. For example, little is known about the impacts of cleaning products used aboard. A list of suggested research topics has been posted on the website and funding is available for students and organisations willing to undertake primary research in these areas.
The Green Blue is keen to capture all available knowledge and organisations who know of papers not currently included in the database are encouraged to submit them for inclusion. Contact info@thegreenblue.org.uk in the first instance.
The Green Blue is an environmental programme initiated by the BMF and the RYA. Its research programme is supported by Defra, The Crown Estate and the Countryside Council for Wales.
