Background Information

Marinas are necessary for storing boats during all seasons, but are used to clean and fix them as well. A major concern with marinas today is the pollution that occurs in them. Turning our world “green” is a concept that is being adopted in many areas of society today, marinas included. Many problems in marinas today cause pollution and are in need of solutions. Some of these problems include runoff, chemicals, erosion, and many others.

Pollution is dangerous for creatures that live in the water as well as people and the environment. Gasoline leaking into the water as well as debris floating around are extremely harmful. On my very first trip to the site, one of the first things I noticed was the amount of trash floating in the water. By the ramp, I noticed a Coca Cola box and a few plastic bottles floating in the water (pictured below).

Some of the areas that would need to be looked at in order to make a marina “green” are:
-Vessel maintenance/repair
-Petroleum storage/transfer
-Sewage disposal
-Hazardous/non-hazardous wastes
-Storm water runoff
-Facilities management
The areas pertaining to the dock and water portion of the marina would be petroleum storage and transfer, sewage disposal, and hazardous/non-hazardous wastes.

In many current marinas, there can be many changes to these areas to not only make the marina greener, but also more cost efficient. New layouts, devices, docks, systems, designs, or supplies can help create a greener atmosphere for a marina. Marinas are made to be more "green" simply by constructing them out of environmentally friendly materials and out of materials that will last much longer. When materials do not need to be replaced as often, money is saved, and less resources are wasted.

Keeping the proper waste disposal containers at marinas is also a vital parting of keeping a marina "green." Specific areas are needed in order to assure that wastes end up in the proper disposal containers, instead of in the water or on the land. Also, green marinas have an efficient way to generate power without damaging the environment. This usually consists of solar panels and wind turbines. The marina does need some form of protection from the bay, because the rough waves are harmful to both the boats and the marina. Currently, a breakwater protects the marina from the bay, however breakwaters are not very environmentally friendly. They cause erosion and therefore damage the environment, and so a different solution is needed in order to make the marina "green."

Gas leaks are one of the major concerns in marinas. The gas from the gas docks will often leak into the water, therefore polluting the water. Many marinas use an absorbable material on the floor on the gas dock to absorb any leaks or spills that may occur. The material does need to be replaced every once and a while, or when a spill does occur. The material also needs to be disposed of properly when it is replaced. If it is not, the gas and oils in the materials will pollute the earth, causing even more environmental issues.


Litter found in the water at the Atlantic Highlands Marina at the ramp:


Spare boat storage equipment left out in the open at the marina covered in rust and peeling paint:

View of the marina: