The study sought to investigate the physico-chemical properties of the Muni Lagoon and its catchment in Winneba, Ghana. This was an onsite study, thus all the data were taken in situ. Parameters which allow for on-field measurements were measured and used in conducting this study. Field observations, field measurements, and recordings of physical parameters in situ were the data collection methods. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and presented on bar graphs. The field results were compared to the standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). The field measurements indicated that all the parameters tested within the Muni catchment were within the thresholds provided by the WHO and USEPA. Though parameters were within the acceptable threshold, field observations over the years revealed that there had been a great decline in biodiversity within the catchment, which could be attributed to anthropogenic activities such as encroachment, overfishing, harvesting of mangroves and waste intrusion. It is recommended that there should be constant monthly water quality monitoring of the water bodies within the Muni catchment to inform their status from time to time. The Forestry and Wildlife Commission of the Effutu Municipality should conduct routine community outreach programs on the radio to sensitize people on the effects of their actions on the catchment.

The study examined the ecological health status of the Muni lagoon amidst increasing development in and around its catchment using a concentration of heavy metals in its water and fish samples as a proxy. Flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer (FAAS) laboratory analysis was employed to determine heavy metals (cadmium [Cd], lead [Pb], iron [Fe], manganese [Mn] and zinc) present in water and fish samples within the Muni Lagoon. The study revealed that the Muni Lagoon and feeder rivers were polluted with heavy metals (Fe = 0.453, Cd = 0.201, Mn = 0.105 and Pb = 0.024) comparing their concentrations with the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and Water Resources Commission (WRC) limit. Fish within the lagoon were found to pose no harm to consumers as traces of heavy metal concentrations were below the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations/World Health Organisation maximum permissible limit. The study further revealed that the application of agricultural inputs such as fertilisers, pesticides and domestic waste as well as unregulated gutter channels were the major source of heavy metals. A paired sample t-test showed a statistically significant difference between the wet and dry season's concentrations of cadmium and lead. For cadmium, the t-test found t(5) = −7.265; p = .001 between the wet season's concentration and the dry season's concentration and for lead, the t-test found t( 5) = 5.061, p = .004 between the wet and dry season concentrations in the lagoon. It is therefore recommended that the Forestry Commission, Municipal Assembly and the local leaders should collaborate in regulating activities occurring in and around the catchment of the lagoon.

The coastal areas contain some of the most valuable resources on earth that are constantly under threat due to human development. Notable among these resources are wetlands, a delicate but beneficial asset to the coastal dweller. This paper studied growth of Winneba city into the Muni Lagoon catchment as well as its associated effects on the ramsar site. The study used satellite images for the years 1990, 2000 and 2019 to model encroachment within the catchment over the 30- year period. Stakeholders were purposively selected and interviewed to gain insight into the subject under discussion. The study revealed that there is high rate of encroachment occurring within the lagoon catchment evidenced in the form of residential structures and agricultural activities. The rate of encroachment has almost quintupled within the period under study. These activities have led to some parts of the feeder streams of the lagoon drying up. The encroachment has been successful as a result of lack of clearly defined boundaries showing the extent of the wetland. The study recommends that all the stakeholder should come together and work with Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission to establish boundaries of the wetland beyond which anthropogenic activities should not be allowed.