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Chapter 11. Abby Kushner Alex Glavin. Major threats to aquatic biodiversity. Aquatic Biodiversity: - Occurs in coral reefs, estuaries, deep ocean Higher near coasts than in open sea Higher in bottom region of ocean than surface. Human activities destroying. Trawling and dredging HIPPCO
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Chapter 11 Abby Kushner Alex Glavin
Major threats to aquatic biodiversity Aquatic Biodiversity: - Occurs in coral reefs, estuaries, deep ocean • Higher near coasts than in open sea • Higher in bottom region of ocean than surface
Human activities destroying • Trawling and dredging • HIPPCO • Introduction of invasive species - • 2004- United Nations declaration • Freshwater (dams)
Invasive Species • 2008 study Nature Conservancy 84% of the world’s coastal waters are colonized by invasive species • Asian Swamp eel
U.N. Environmental Programme – by 2020, 80% of the world’s people will be living along or near coasts • Only 4% of the world’s oceans are not affected by pollution
Fertilizers- added nitrogen result in eutrophication of marine and freshwater systems can lead to algae blooms • Lake Victoria • Pollutants • Runoff from construction- chemicals can poison life • Plastic in the water
Climate Change is growing threat • During past 100 years, sea levels risen 10-20 centimeters from global warming • Over fishing • Fish print • Commercial extinction • bycatch
Fish harvesting • Trawler fishing- fish and shellfish on ocean floor • Purse seine fishing • Longlines • Drift net fishing
How can we protect Marine Biodiversity • Reasons protecting is difficult • Human ecological footprint • Damage to oceans is not visible • People incorrectly view ocean as infinite supply • Oceans lie out of jurisdiction of any country • Leatherhead turtles • Exclusive economic zones
The hope: • To establish a network of fully protected marine reserves which are put off-limits to destructive human activities in order to enable their ecosystems to recover and flourish • $12-14 billion a year
How should we manage and sustain marine fisheries? • It will require: • Improved Monitoring of fish populations • Cooperative fisheries management among communities and nations • Reduction of fishing subsidies • Careful consumer choices in seafood market
Estimating and Monitoring Fishery Population • Old ways of thinking • MSY- Maximum sustained yield • Hard to estimate • Negative effects • New ways • OSY- Optimum sustained yield • Multi-species management • Complex computer models
Precautionary Principle • Sharply reducing fish harvest and closing some over fished areas until they recover and until we have more information about what levels of fishing can be sustained
Some communities Cooperate to regulate fish harvest? • Costal Communities- Self Regulate • Norway’s Lofoten fishery • Co-management • Costal Communities • Regulate and enforces • Government • Sets quotas • Limits fishing Seasons
Government Subsidies Can Encourage Over fishing • U.R Sumaila and Daniel Pauly • Governments : 30-34 Billion Dollars Per Year • 10-15 Billion dollars - Overfishing • 2007- World Trade Organization
Government Subsidies Can Encourage Over fishing • U.R Sumaila and Daniel Pauly • Governments : 30-34 Billion Dollars Per Year • 10-15 Billion dollars - Overfishing • 2007- World Trade Organization
Some Countries Use the Marketplace to Control Over fishing • IRTs- Individual Transfer Rights • Buy, Sell, Lease • TAC- total allowable catch • Problems • Private to Commercial- Public Pays • Squeeze out small companies- illegal fishing • TAC to high - 50% - 90% OSY • New Zealand 1986, Iceland 1990, U.S. 1995
Consumer Choices Can Help to Sustain Fisheries and Aquatic Biodiversity • Bottom- Up Pressure • Sustainable Seafood • Labeling and Certification • MSC- Marine Stewardship Council • Wal-mart
How can we protect and sustain wetlands? • To Maintain the • ecological services • economic services • We must maximize • preservation of wetlands • restoration of degraded and destroyed wetlands
Coastal and Inland Wetlands are disappearing around the World • Human Harm • The united states - lost >50% inland and costal wetlands • New Zealand - 92% loss • Italy- 95% loss • Natural Filters • Lake Victoria- Uganda, Africa
We can preserve and restore • U.S. requires a permits to fill in or deposit dredged material into wetlands • Cut loss 80% since 1969 • Mitigation banking - Zero Net Loss • Creating Wetlands
How can we protect and sustain freshwater lakes, rivers, and fisheries? • We must: • Protect their watersheds • Because: • These area are strongly influenced by the human activity on adjacent land
Freshwater Ecosystems are under Major Threats • HIPPCO summarizes threats • 40% of rivers dammed or engineered • Threats: • Destruction • Pollution • Invasive species • Climate Change
Can the Great Lakes Survive repeated Invasions by Alien Species
Asian Carp • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS7zkTnQVaM
We Can Protect Freshwater Ecosystems by Protecting Watersheds • Land and water are always connected • We must protect lake from excess inputs of nutrients and pollutants • 1968- Nation Wild and Scenic Rivers Act • Wild Rivers- relatively inaccessible • Scenic Rivers- great scenic value • Building reservoirs and farm ponds • Protecting and Creating spawning sites
What should be our priority from sustaining biodiversity and ecosystem services? • It will require: • Mapping terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity • Maximizing protection of undeveloped terrestrial and aquatic areas • Carrying out ecological restoration projects worldwide