Published Online:August 2025
Product Name:The IUP Journal of Telecommunications
Product Type:Article
Product Code:IJCT030825
DOI:10.71329/IUPJTC/2025.17.3.33-52
Author Name:Desmond Oghanihun Ugegeh, Efe Ogidiaka-Obende, Samuel Ndidi Anayeokwu, Jimah Ehizoje Omoarebun, Olukolajo Olufemi Soyinka, Godwin Ohumaehuni Osakwe, Fidelis Nwaiku, Praise Chigbo-Olomu and Nwankwo Wilson
Availability:YES
Subject/Domain:Engineering
Download Format:PDF
Pages:33-52
The paper develops an Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)-driven framework integrating remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and machine learning (ML). Using telecommunication-enabled data streams from the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS), the study analyzed temporal variations in chlorophyll-a, sea surface temperature, and salinity from June 2022 to May 2025, which involved time-series decomposition to identify trends and seasonality, along with Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to understand spatial patterns and inter-annual changes. The study revealed statistically significant declining trends in chlorophyll-a, temperature and salinity. The mean chlorophyll-a concentration, a proxy for plankton productivity, showed high variability. Seasonal decomposition confirmed recurrent annual productivity cycles, while residual analysis successfully identified anomalies potentially linked to episodic pollution events. PCA detected a dominant spatial pattern in chlorophyll-a distribution, and ANOVA confirmed that the inter-annual decline in productivity was significant. These findings demonstrate the value of using integrated geospatial and ICT systems for environmental surveillance.
Estuarine ecosystems adjoining the Bight of Benin, on the western coast of Africa, have been subjected to increasing environmental stress over the past several decades due to intensive oil exploration, industrial development and urbanization (Kadafa, 2012; Nwankwo & Ukurebor, 2019; Ukhurebor et al., 2021; Nwankwo et al., 2019; Nwankwo et al., 2020). These pressures have created profound socioeconomic consequences, with local communities—whose livelihoods depend on fishing and other aquatic resources—bearing the brunt of pollution and ecological decline (Watts, 2004).