BLOG: Tackling Eutrophication: From small islands to big nations with GEM-in-a-Box

The challenges we face in tackling eutrophication 

Eutrophication occurs when water becomes overly enriched with nutrients, causing increased algae and other plant life growth. This leads to ocean acidification, which impacts the health of marine life. 

Throughout our freshwater, brackish, and marine ecosystems, we face two eutrophication problems: a scarcity of in-country technical expertise and the requisite equipment to tackle this phenomenon. The recent Commonwealth Blue Charter Incubator-supported training at the Quadra Institute in Canada, alongside the GEM-in-a-Box (Global Eutrophication Monitoring) team, simultaneously helped to resolve both issues.  

We learned how to use cutting-edge instruments for taking water samples and measuring eutrophication parameters in the laboratory using standardised methods. With this low-cost tool, we can now monitor and understand the gradient of pollution. We will then work to mitigate the ever-increasing effect of this phenomenon.  

Besides the impact of climate change - which exacerbates eutrophication - the complexity of the eutrophication process, the resource and infrastructure gap, data availability and standardisation all leave us with a global challenge in eutrophication monitoring. 

To better address policies in our home countries, and anticipate the onslaught of eutrophication, good quality data is necessary. This is all possible through the GEM-in-a-box project. 

Paying it forward 

In Cameroon, Ernest had the pleasure of presenting the highlights of the training at a meeting ​​​​between the Institute of Fisheries Sciences, companies in the fisheries sector and the University of Douala, as well as during the Street Whale Symposium in December 2024.  

These events brought together 27 countries and almost 200 national and international experts. He used the example of the African manatee in Lake Ossa, struggling for survival owing to the invasion of Salvinia Molesta or Kariba weed. 

In the Small Island Sustainability team at the University of The Bahamas, Brandon and the team intend on taking full advantage of GEM-in-a-Box to advance the monitoring and safeguarding of ocean health in that country and throughout the Caribbean. 

And in South Africa, Nokubonga will continue raising awareness of how this tool can result in better water quality and a healthier ocean. 

Citizen Science: Water quality assessment for all 

In the South African context, though regulatory bodies like the Department of Water and Sanitation have an established eutrophication management strategy to mitigate excessive nutrient enrichment in water bodies and protect water ecosystems, infrastructure management remains an issue. It contributes to the load of nutrient inputs from sources such as untreated sewage systems, industrial discharges, and mining and agricultural runoff, which end up in coastal waters.  

Scientists, non-scientists and other stakeholders, collaboratively working with coastal rural communities, environmental conservancies, and maritime industries, we can improve eutrophication monitoring using this highly effective tool.  

Also needed to address these issues is stronger stakeholder engagement, including public awareness, of eutrophication to support further policy and governance interventions. GEM-in-a-Box encourages data sharing, and we can now ensure open access to data for local authorities, stakeholders, and collaborative networks to develop effective solutions. 

​​​​​Led by the team at the Commonwealth Blue Charter Incubator, in collaboration with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the Ocean Foundation, recently collaborated in the GEM-in-a-Box project to provide eight Commonwealth countries with the tools to test their waterways.  

Read more about the GEM-in-a-Box project: Eight Commonwealth countries advance ocean science with Canada’s GEM-in-a-Box project | Commonwealth