Invasive alien species (IAS) are implicated in the extinction or decline of numerous native aquatic species worldwide. Their negative impacts occur through mechanisms including habitat alteration, competition, predation, hybridisation, and the spread of disease (Strayer et al. 2006). Small island ecosystems are most susceptible to the impacts of IAS. Once established, freshwater IAS are difficult to eradicate without negatively impacting native species.
Lead, a well-known neurotoxin, remains environmentally abundant, arising from many natural and synthetic processes which encourage its environmental accumulation and hence, increased interactions with flora and fauna. Therefore, tremendous research efforts have been invested into developing various methods for its analysis and sequestration, however, affordability, sensitivity and selectivity still remain formidable challenges in this area and hence here is room for further exploration.
Numerous organic chemicals, either directly manufactured or formed as byproducts of other processes, are released into the environment. Once there, many cause adverse effects on environmental and human systems. Of particular concern are long-lasting impacts from those organic pollutants that remain in the environment for long periods of time. The development of appropriate management strategies to address this problem requires knowledge of the environmental distributions of these pollutants.
Science and technology and its application to regional development
Economic development theorists ((Schumpter 1942), (Romer, 1994), (Solow, 1956)) have established the theoretical constructs of scientific and technological developments as foundations to innovative solutions in the form of products, processes and services to long-term socio-economic development and prosperity to high-end economies around the world. It is through the pervasiveness of these innovations within markets which then spurs a sustainable social transformation and long term economic growth within nations.
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