Referring to a stretch of coast you have studied, explain how and why some coasts are under threat from economic development (10 Marks)

Some coasts such as Southampton could be considered under threat from economic development due to the fact it is extremely reliant on nearby industries, but has an extent biodiverse environment. Southampton is known to have advantages for industry as it is sheltered from storms in the English Channel, deep water for large ships and lots of flat land for development. However there is a large amount of pressure on Southampton, the majority of the pressure being based around Southampton’s water; along its western edge is a large area of salt marsh where industrial development has taken place for Fawleys oil refinery.
The oil refinery is the largest in the UK, located on the Solent because it is convenient for tankers travelling to and from Europe. Although this is a large advantage for Southampton, the oil refinery causes problems and potentially causes threat to the coast as it damages it in many ways; mainly from oil spills. Oil spills, such as the one that occurred in October 1989, suffocate the surrounding environment by poisoning the food chain, blocking sunlight from sea vegetation and ruing the natural habitat. Moreover, as a secondary affect, it was reported that cleaning the spill can actually cause further damage to the environment.
Metal pollution is a problem in Southampton water also. The paints that are used to stop organisms such as barnacles attaching themselves to the underside of boats contain a chemical, TBT, which contains lots of tin. This tin becomes eroded and falls into the sea creating a build up which destroys habitats and makes it the water highly polluted. This results in the local council having to spend money to get rid of the tin build up in estuaries, which ultimately poisons sea life. Moreover, though effluent from the refinery is regularly checked, metals such as cadmium, lead, mercury and some phosphates are still emitted. Over exposure to metals such as lead, particularly in small organisms, can lead to chronic toxicity.
As a result of the booming industry is Southampton, the area experiences huge sewage discharge. On average 300 million litres of treated sewage are expelled into the sea per day. Though this is legal in accordance to British law, the process is not 100% efficient and with such a large volume being released there is still potential for complications and problems.
Though mentioned earlier, effluent has more than one effect on the environment. This liquid waste from the refinery is the main environmental problem in Southampton. It can be as warm as 30˚C which allows certain species to mature more quickly. This dramatically alters the food web as some species become more abundant; certain others will become scarcer as a result also.