Preventing Marine Pollution through MARPOL: Enhancing Protection for Coastal Ecosystems and Mangroves

This comprehensive study investigates the efficacy of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) in safeguarding coastal ecosystems and mangrove forests, analyzing implementation data from 15 major port areas across Southeast Asia over a five-year period (2018-2023). Through rigorous statistical analysis and GIS mapping, we evaluated multiple parameters including water quality indicators, mangrove health metrics, vessel traffic patterns, and pollution incident reports, establishing a significant correlation (r = 0.78, p < 0.001) between MARPOL compliance and ecosystem health improvement. Our findings reveal that regions with strict MARPOL enforcement experienced a 45% reduction in oil pollution incidents, 60% decrease in illegal discharge reports, and a 23% increase in mangrove seedling survival rates, while also identifying critical implementation challenges in developing nations related to resource limitations, jurisdictional complexities, and technical constraints in pollution monitoring. The study demonstrates the crucial role of MARPOL in marine ecosystem preservation while highlighting the need for enhanced international cooperation, improved monitoring technologies, and standardized reporting systems to achieve optimal environmental protection outcomes.