Context:

Six billion tonnes of annual sand extraction from the world’s ocean floors is causing irreversible harm to marine benthic life, as revealed by a new global data platform on marine sediment extraction.

About Marine Sand

• Marine sand (or ocean sand) is a granular particle composed of silica, rock fragments and mineral particles.

Key Findings of Marine Sand Watch Platform:

• Developed by: GRID-Geneva, a Centre for Analytics within the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).Estimation of Sand Dredging: Between four and eight billion tonnes of sand are being dredeged from the ocean floor every year. 
• Sand Turbidity: The extraction of sand increases the turbidity of water. 
  • It changes nutrient availability and causes noise pollution, thus affecting marine organisms greatly.

• Impact on Living Organism: Not just benthic organisms, people living in coastal communities will also be severely affected by this magnitude of sand dredging.  Salinisation of Aquifers: Coastal or near-shore extraction can affect the salinisation of aquifers and future tourist development.
• Ban on Marine Sand Export: Some countries — including Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Cambodia — have banned marine sand export in the last 20 years.

News Source: Down to Earth