ABSTRACT
Coastal harbours are among marine environments highly vulnerable to chemical pollution as
they tend to receive and accumulate pollutants from maritime activities and other human
activities within their catchments, including urbanisation, industrialisation and agriculture
(Petrosillo et al., 2009; Smith et al., 2009; Lepland et al., 2010; Mestres et al., 2010; Schipper
et al., 2010; Nyarko et al., 2014; Romero et al., 2014). Coastal harbours are also prone to
siltation as a result of the influxes of sediment-laden seawater (Senten, 1989; Leys and
Mulligan, 2011) with subsequent deposition and accumulation of the sediments within the
harbour basin under favourable hydrodynamic conditions (Smith et al., 2009; Lepland et al.,
2010; Luo et al., 2010; Mestres et al., 2010; Schipper et al., 2010). Chemical pollution and
high sediment accumulation rates (SARs) in harbours are major environmental issues as they
pose a threat to harbour sustainability and result in adverse human health, ecological and
socio-economic impacts (Syvitski et al., 2005; Van Rijn 2005; Casado-Martinez et al., 2006;
Birch and Hutson, 2009; Lepland et al., 2010; Mestres et al., 2010; Schipper et al., 2010;
Green and Coco, 2014).
