UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF SURVEYING AND GEOINFORMATICS

2019/2020 SESSION
1ST SEMESTER

ASSIGNMENT
ON
MY OBSERVATIONS AT A MARINE
ENVIRONMENT

WRITTEN BY:
NAME: NWAMADU KELECHI PEACE
MATRIC NUMBER: 170405010
COURSE TITLE: INTRODUCTION TO HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEYING
COURSE CODE: SVY319
LEVEL: 300
DATE OF SUBMISSION: FEBRUARY 10TH, 2020

COURSE LECTURER:
SURV. PETER
EVARIE
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
 INTRODUCTION........................................................3
 AIM...............................................................................3
 OBJECTIVES...............................................................3
 STUDY AREA.............................................................4
 BRIEF WRITE-UP.......................................................4
 OBSERVATIONS.........................................................4
 PICTURES....................................................................6
 CONCLUSION..............................................................9
 REFERENCES..............................................................10
 NOTES..........................................................................11

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INTRODUCTION
The shape of the oceans and seas of the world has changed significantly throughout the past
600million years.
Marine environments are habitats that support marine life. Marine life depends in some way on
the saltwater that is in the sea. The term ‘marine’ comes from the Latin mare, meaning sea or
ocean.
Marine habitats can be divided into Coastal and Open Ocean habitats. Coastal habitats are
found in the area that extends from as far as the tide comes in on the shoreline out to the edge of
the continental shelf. Most marine life is found in coastal habitats, even though the shelf area
occupies only seven percent of the total ocean area.
Marine coasts are dynamic environments which constantly change, like the ocean which partially
shape them. The main agents responsible for deposition and erosion along coastlines are waves,
tides and currents.
The oceans are so vast and bountiful that for most of human history they have been thought of as
infinitely resilient and inexhaustible. The mere idea that oceans could be overfished or disrupted
was inconceivable.
In a very short period of time, the bounty of oceans has been depleted and ocean ecosystems
have become seriously disrupted.
In contrast to terrestrial habitats, marine habitats are shifting and ephemeral.
The marine environment which I picked as my study area was a beach.

AIM
This assignment is aimed at studying a marine environment and outlining one’s observations or
perceptions concerning the environment under study.

OBJECTIVES
Below are the objectives of this assignment:
 To visit a marine environment.
 Outline observations found in the marine environment.
 To take the pictures of things found in the marine environment.
 Report write-up.

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STUDY AREA
The marine environment which I selected as my marine environment is the Elegushi Royal
Private Beach, situated at Lekki, Ikate town in Eti-Osa Local Government, Lagos State.

A BRIEF WRITE-UP OF THE STUDY AREA

Elegushi Private Beach located at Lekki, Lagos State, South-West Nigeria. The Beach is owned
by the Elegushi Royal Family in Lekki, Lagos State. Elegushi Private Beach is seen as one of the
best beaches in Lagos and Nigeria at large.
The hot, sandy, beautiful beach is a 2km drive from the Lekki/Epe Expressway. The beach
entertains close to 40,000 guests every week with Sundays being the best day on the beach.
Though the marine life cannot be totally eliminated, aquatic animals like various species of
fishes and others still exist and are documented in pictures in the report.

OBSERVATIONS
My observation at the marine environment is with respect to the Ocean as viewed from my study
area (Elegushi Private Beach) and the Ocean Shore (coast).
The first thing I noticed was the weather around the area. Due to the vast ocean current and the
continental shelf, the resulting temperature around the area was cool and relaxing. As a result of
this, the newly reclaimed area and the coast of the ocean served as very suitable place for
relaxation and recreation purposes for both adults and kids alike.
Another point noted was the vastness of the ocean. It stretched as far as the eye could see and
could be a source of inspiration for people in search of adventure. It also helps one appreciate the
expertise and the high professionalism required of the Hydrography and Maritime industry.
Sea shells, skeletal remains and recently washed up bodies of sea creatures were seen on the
shore. Pictures are shown below in Figures 3, 5 and 9.
A baffling discovery was made later, huge black stones were arranged, piled and lined up as if to
form a path for boats and ships to dock in. Though it might not be for this exact purpose, it was
also discovered when moving closer that these stones were slippery (due to waves and presence
in water) and had pointy edges. The security on the beach ensured customers did not go too far
by putting a red tape at one point. Pictures of these huge black stones are found in the Figure 7.
Another enlightening observation was the presence of a large amount of dirt on the shore
possibly deposited there by humans or washed up on the shore by waves. A fair amount of
damage and loss of aquatic life occurs due to this dirt around the marine environment.

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My most exciting observation and discovery was a huge black ship docked at the edge of the
beach. The ship’s name is the ANUKET EMERALD and it had small boats and a submarine
still attached to it. The ship seemed like an oil vessel used in transporting exported unrefined oil
and importing refined oil. The ANUKET EMERALD seemed abandoned, however upon
moving closer to the ship, it was discovered that it still had a security detail which was armed to
dissuade people from moving too close to the ship. Pictures of this ship can be found in Figures
10.0 and 10.1.
Moreover, the phenomena of tides and waves were observed.
It was also observed that as time went on (specifically with the sun-setting), the advancing Ocean
waves towards the shore increased resulting from the increase in the tidal level of the ocean.

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 PICTURES

Fig. 1- Me at my my study area Fig. 2 – Waves at the beach

Fig. 3 – A marine life form washed up Fig. 4 – Relaxation Spots and Fun Arenas

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Fig. 5 - Marine animal washed up on shore Fig. 6 – Shoreline with a ship docked afar

Fig. 7 – Huge Black Stones Fig. 8 - Waste at the Study Area

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Fig. 9 – Sea shells Fig. 10.0 - The ANUKET EMERALD

Fig. 10.1 - Closer Picture of the ANUKET EMERALD

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CONCLUSION
The marine environment is a very important nomenclature that comprises phenomena such as:
the wind, temperature, pressure, humidity, waves, tides and even marine life habitats. The
importance and preservation of the marine environment cannot be over-emphasized because it is
vital in the survival of life on the earth.

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REFERENCES
SVY319 (Introduction to Hydrographic Surveying) Lecture Note 1
Wikipedia.org, Elegushi Royal Beach
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elegushi_Beach
Sun News Online, Elegushi – There was a Beach
https://www.sunnewsonline.com/elegushi-there-was-a-beach

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NOTES

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