44. The increased sedimentation in the Wider Caribbean Region and, specifically, in the Caribbean Sea, could cause a series of irreparable harms to the marine ecosystem, including: (i) suffocation of corals, mangrove stands and seagrass beds; (ii) reduced growth of natural vegetation; (iii) damage to fish and their habitat; (iv) greater risk of flooding on the coasts of surrounding States, and (v) increased deposition of other toxic substances. 27 45. Furthermore, the maritime traffic caused or increased by the execution of major new infrastructure projects in the Caribbean would also increase the risk of polluting the marine environment on which the habitat of the inhabitants of the Colombian islands and the habitat of the people of other coastal States depend. There are numerous causes of the pollution to be expected from maritime traffic – either voluntary, such as illegal degasification, cleaning out of ballast tanks, dumping of waste, or the use of certain toxic anti-fouling paints; or involuntary, such as accidents owing to heavy seas. A brief description of the main causes of the pollution caused by maritime traffic appears below: - Fuel pollution: is considered one of the most visible causes on shipping lanes. In this regard, the Royal Yachting Association has affirmed that one liter of fuel is sufficient to pollute more than one million liters of water. 28 - Cleaning out ballast tanks at sea: is one of the main causes of the introduction of invasive species, which has serious effects on the biodiversity of the marine ecosystem, displacing local species and decreasing the fish population. A brief summary of the effects of the introduction of invasive species follows: “The introduction of invasive species and pathogens into an environment upsets the original ecology and the local economies. It results in a genetic loss and a change in the functioning of the ecosystem and the positions in the food chain, which have implications for marine life and livelihoods. The pathogens that are introduced may cause new diseases and even death in human beings. The situation after the introduction of invasive species arises from the change that occurs when water is cleaned out from the ballast tanks and hulls of the ships that transport them. Species such as burrowing or adhering sessiles (without peduncles) are some of the transported species most frequently identified (Claire, Clarke and Anderson, 1997). For example, the ballast water of ships was responsible for introducing dinoflagellate toxic algae. Indeed, these algae can survive for many years in the ballast and, when confronted with new environments, can poison shellfish which may then become lethally toxic in the context of human consumption (CSIRO, 2006).” 29 - Pollution from waste: “Waste, known as inert and transitory pollutants, come from diverse sources. [...]. Despite 27 The Caribbean Environment Programme, UNEP, “Sedimentation and Erosion.” Available at: www.cep.unep.org/publications-and-resources/marine-and-coastal-issues-links/sedimentation-and-erosion. 28 Annex IV, Dr. Karen Sumser-Lupson & Marcus Kinch, Evaluation des risques de pollution maritime accidentelle dans Ia Manche, Typologie des pollutions maritimes, University of Plymouth, p. 15. 29 Ibid. p. 20. 60