No matter which part of the world it is that you visit, you are bound to stumble upon a man-made structure which has a negative impact on its surrounding natural resources. Although prior studies about the possible ill-effects of a construction are conducted - you will never really know what the long-term effects are to the environment until it's already too late.
Will the same fate hold true for the supposedly bountiful sea life that South Australia has once the desalination plant has finished its construction? That is what we will try to find out here.
What the Process of Desalination is all About
Before delving deeper into the effects that a desalination plant has in South Australia, let us first learn about the basics of the process. When you say desalination, this actually refers to the process of removing minerals - mainly salt - from seawater so that it can be used for irrigation or processed so that it will be safe to drink.
Although the Earth is made up mostly of bodies of water, only 3% of it is suitable to be consumed by humans. As such, it really is necessary to look into alternatives of increasing the water source - and desalination is one of the many solutions that most countries are looking into.
About four years ago, Sydney Water invested $120 million so that a desalination plant can be built in the area. Despite the fact that the government has pledged for the desalination plant to be completely environment-friendly, pundits are wondering now if this is really the case.
South Australia: Habitat of the World's Largest Cuttlefish Species
What brought about the argument of the ill effects that South Australia's desalination plant is its possible effect to sea life. Prior to that, let us take a quick look at what cuttlefish as a species is all about.
Before all the hoopla about the effects of the desalination plant project burst, videos in YouTube were posted on the popular site. The main character was described as a "yummy hunk of protein swimming around the ocean". These were the words of Roger Hanlon from Woods Hole's Marine Biological Laboratory.
The videos featured Australia's giant cuttlefish while they are camouflaging their 'look' on the ocean floor. Contrary to what the name implies, cuttlefish are actually not fish but they are part of the mollusc group of species. Aside from the Great Barrier Reef cuttlefish found in Australia earning the title of being one of the largest molluscs in the world, cuttlefish in general is also dubbed as the most intelligent invertebrate species.
The Real Score: Revealing the Effects of South Australia's Sea Life in General
So what is the real score? Are the giant cuttlefish - and South Australia's sea life in general - at risk once the desalination plant project in Adelaide pushes through? Last April 30, researchers released a statement that the largest species of cuttlefish in the world may be at risk once the South Australia desalination plant project pushes through.
The statement was made one day before an Environmental Impact Statement covering the plant was released. As expected, the proponents behind the South Australia desalination plant denied that there will be any adverse effects on the life of the giant cuttlefish once the construction is finished. The individual behind the research which indicated that the desalination plant might as well signal the end of the life of the Great Barrier Reef cuttlefish is Bronwyn Gillanders.
Gillanders is a marine ecologist who co-authored a study published in the Marine Environmental Research. Basically, what the study material suggests is that the life of the cuttlefish will be affected because of the brine concentration that will be incorporated to the marine life once the desalination project pushes through. Furthermore, it's the salinity of the water that Gillanders is concerned about. If the salinity is not dispersed, the life of the cuttlefish will be adversely affected.
So let's look at things from a non-technical term. As you may already know, any level of pollution on a body of water has adverse effects on its marine life. If the South Australian desalination plant project pushes through, it cannot help but pollute the surrounding body of water in the area. It's not just the population of cuttlefish, either, but the rest of the rich marine life in this part of Australia.
In conclusion, the statement released by oceanographer Jochen Kaempf of Flinders University in Adelaide pretty much sums up everyone's concern. When it comes to the fate of giant cuttlefish and the rest of marine life in Australia, the operation of the desalination plant in Sydney - once it manages to push through - will make you do a double take and say "There are alarm bells ringing in my brain."
If it proves that the desalination plant in South Australia really will put the lives of these amazing sea creatures in danger, then probably the only ‘souvenir' that will be left by them are the cuttlefish videos posted on the Internet.
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