LED BY
PROF. D.I. NWANKWO
The field trip was held on
the 10th of February, 2014 and was led by Professor D.I Nwankwo, at
which we departed at exactly 10:42am through the University of Lagos Lagoon
jetty.
The field work was at Tarkwa bay which lies at Lagos Island
Nigeria and its geographical co-ordinates are 60 24 10’’ North, 300 23’’ 39’’
East. The Average elevation (DEM) 11m (36ft).
Time zone: Africa/ Lagos
UTC/GMT + 01:00’
(According to Google 3D map).
The place is inhabited by the three main tribes of Nigeria,
the Hausas, Ibos and Yorubas and their main means of survival are through
fishing, boating, tourism and mini trades.
At the field trip Professor D.I. Nwankwo taught us that
Tarkwa bay is the only bay in Nigeria and it is an artificial bay (man-made) (a
bay is a body of water surrounded by Land, a bay is the opposite of a
peninsula), it was constructed by the Nigerian government to protect the Apapa
Wharf from wave action because waves are induced by wind. The government also
created a mole to protect the jetty from getting shallow because when it is
shallow there is no way a ship can enter, it only berths there.
We have three types of moles;
which are:
1. Victoria mole
2. East mole
3. Training mole
The Western mole faces the
sea. According to professor Nwankwo, the sea have 3 conditions, they are
1. The sea must have no birds on it
2. It must be free from debris
3. It must be blue.
Mangroves found at the bay
are the;
White mangrove- langucularia
avicennia
Red mangrove- Rhizophora
mangle, Rhizophora racemosa and rhizophora Harriosoni.
Black mangrove- Avicennia
Africana
Red mangrove acts as a
barrier which possess a pneumatophore(breathing root).
Black mangrove props out it
root.
The lagoon is just like a sink where Lagoons
from other state flush into, that’s the reason why it has this brownish
coloration and contains a lot of debris. Sand from bar beach deposits at Tarkwa
bay and its causes aggregation. Eco-Atlantic city was created by the Nigeria
government because Tarkwa bay was protruding into the sea; it is the part
facing the sea.
Tarkwa bay is so sandy that
plant can’t grow on it, except for insects that burrow into it; the insects are
called the sand binders, because they transform the sandy soil into land with
the aid of their humus and holds the sand together.
The fine sand is also much more comfortable to walk and lie
on, Tarkwa bay is the only maintained beach in Lagos, it is only accessible by
boat, it also has a safe bathing even for children.
It was a pleasant outing.
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