The Tunis North Lagoon (TNL), an urban Mediterranean lagoon and Ramsar site in Tunisia, faces increasing pressure from urbanization and industrial activity. This study assessed the concentrations, spatial distribution, and contamination status of seven potentially toxic elements (PTEs: Ni, Zn, Pb, Cu, As, Cd, and Hg) in surface sediments from 20 stations. Elemental concentrations were determined by ICP-MS and evaluated using sediment quality guidelines and four contamination indices. Mean concentrations followed the order Ni (355.6 mg kg-1 dw) > Zn (75.6) > Pb (35.8) > Cu (23.9) > As (14.1) > Cd (0.45) > Hg (0.10). Ni exceeded the Dutch intervention value at all stations, mean Cu and As concentrations exceeded their threshold effect levels (TEL), and Pb exceeded the probable effect level (PEL) at the most contaminated station. Mean contamination factor (CF) values were highest for Ni (19.12) and As (7.06), followed by Cd (4.44), while mean enrichment factors (EF) for Ni and As were 20.36 and 7.65, respectively. Pollution load index (PLI) values exceeded 1 at all stations, ranging from 1.47 to 6.41, indicating widespread sediment contamination. Spatial patterns differed among elements: Zn, Pb, Cu, and Cd reached their highest concentrations in the central-southern sector, As and Ni in the northeastern sector, and Hg near the lagoon outlet. Grain size was significantly correlated only with As concentrations. These findings provide a baseline for risk-based monitoring and highlight the need for targeted pollution control and improved management of water circulation in poorly flushed sectors of the TNL.
Delta shorelines are highly dynamic geomorphological environments that are particularly sensitive to natural and anthropogenic processes. Identifying the temporal and spatial changes of these coasts, which have high potential for variability, is crucial for coastal management and planning. The aim of this study is to determine the long-term (1984–2024), short-term (2016–2024), annual and seasonal dynamics of the Gönen Stream Delta coastline in the southern part of the Sea of Marmara (Türkiye) and to create future-oriented models under different scenarios. Landsat images were used for long-term 5-year shoreline extractions, and Sentinel satellite images were used for February, May, August, and November of each year between 2016 and 2024. The shoreline extraction process was performed using the Modified Normalised Difference Water Index and the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) tool was used for all statistical operations. Using the data obtained, 10 (2034) and 20 (2044) year shoreline projections were produced for 6 different scenarios using the BETA feature and Kalman Filter model in the DSAS tool. The study found that the Gönen Stream Delta shoreline showed an average change of -25.38 m between 1984 and 2024 and − 10.96 m between 2016 and 2024, according to the Net Shoreline Movement (NSM) analysis. The maximum changes exceeded 175 m in the long term and 200 m in the short term, concentrated at the mouth of the Gönen Stream. Seasonally, February has been identified as the period with the lowest level of change, while November has been identified as the period with the highest level of change. No trend has been identified in annual changes, but coastal erosion has been identified as the dominant process. According to the scenarios, it is predicted that in 2034, the shoreline will change by between − 19.8 and 0.44 m based on the NSM analysis averages, and in 2044, it will change by between − 1.82 and − 37.2 m. All projection scenarios indicate that the greatest shoreline retreat will occur at the mouth of the Gönen Stream.
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are commonly evaluated through ecological condition or spatial coverage, with comparatively less attention to whether management regimes match seascape functions and human uses. This study developed RECAP (Regime Evaluation for Conservation Area Planning), an objective-specific framework for comparing alternative management regimes within the same seascape. RECAP was applied to six reef sites along the eastern coast of Weh Island, Indonesia, comparing the existing Marine Nature Reserve (Suaka Alam Perairan; SAP) with a conservation-compatible Marine Tourism Park (Taman Wisata Perairan; TWP). Coral reef and reef-fish condition, water quality, conservation and tourism attributes, and anthropogenic pressures were standardised on a three-level scale and integrated into regime-specific hierarchical models. Site assessments revealed substantial spatial heterogeneity, with no site consistently maximising all attributes. At the management-unit scale, SAP showed moderate suitability (2.2248), whereas TWP showed high suitability (2.4331). TWP exceeded SAP in 98.66
This bibliometric analysis systematically examines research on coastal evolution and dynamics along the Atlantic African coast. The analysis, based on international indexed databases, focuses on the geographical distribution of studies, publication output, co-authorship networks, research themes, and applied methods. In this work, we identified 258 indexed publications relevant for our research, ranging from the first publication in 1973 up to mid-2025, and observed a steady increase in activity since 2011, peaking in 2024. Results highlight the existence of several robust clusters of scholarly collaboration, most notably between France, Ghana, and other Francophone countries. Ghana, Nigeria, Morocco, Benin and Senegal, emerge as the most frequently studied countries, while others show no indexed publications. Keyword analysis shows a focus either on description of the evolution process (coastal erosion and shoreline change) or possible causes (climate change, sea-level rise). Observations, most specifically remote sensing, are the prevalent method of data acquisition, though often unvalidated by data obtained in the field due to logistical and security constraints. Despite progress, it was found that significant data gaps and geographic asymmetries persist. Further research is needed to ensure that no coastal country is left behind and to build more comprehensive and validated datasets. A stronger emphasis on identifying the underlying drivers of coastal erosion should be furthered. The development of cross-border sediment management policies should be fostered, to support effective coastal management and adaptation strategies in the face of ongoing erosion and projected population growth.
