Marine Litter Network

The Marine Litter Network (MALNET) is an Inter-ACE Impact thematic network which seeks to promote a network of research and development actors, to accelerate scientific research in marine litter and coastal degradation, and strengthen the interlinkages and partnerships between ACE Impact Centres and collaborators across the West Africa Region as a whole. 

As part of preparatory research activities under the Marine Litter Network (MALNET) project, a team from
the Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience (ACECoR), University of Cape Coast, Ghana, carried out an exploratory field visit in Cape Coast, to assess the phenomenon of marine litter along the coast.

The team visited the Elmina Landing site, Duakor, Bakaano and Cape Coast Castle Beaches. Soda bottles and disposable plastic cups were found to dominate the litter found along the Duakor Coast and the Fosu lagoon. Remnants of fishing nets and other plastics were found along the other beaches.

The regional research team of MALNET comprising of partners from Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Benin and Ghana will provide further information on marine litter and sustainable development discourse. The Network will also engage in awareness creation and community engagement with stakeholders.

The network is expected to produce an in-depth report on the major issues on marine litter and coastal degradation in West Africa while enhancing the theoretical knowledge and practical skills of the institutional partners, students and staff of the involved ACE centres and coastal communities in the intervention countries, at the end of its research activities.