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Chapter 11: Sustaining Aquatic Biodiversity

Chapter 11: Sustaining Aquatic Biodiversity. The coastal zone may be the single most important portion of our planet. The loss of biodiversity may have repercussions far beyond our worst fears. – G. Carelton Ray. Case Study: Protecting Whales: A Success Story… So Far (1).

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Chapter 11: Sustaining Aquatic Biodiversity

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  1. Chapter 11: Sustaining Aquatic Biodiversity The coastal zone may be the single most important portion of our planet. The loss of biodiversity may have repercussions far beyond our worst fears. – G. Carelton Ray

  2. Case Study: Protecting Whales: A Success Story… So Far (1) • Cetaceans: Toothed whales and baleen whales • 8 of 11 major species hunted to commercial extinction by 1975 • 1946: International Whaling Commission (IWC) • Quotas based on insufficient data • Quotas often ignored

  3. Case Study: Protecting Whales: A Success Story… So Far (2) • 1970: U.S. • Stopped all commercial whaling • Banned all imports of whale products • 1986: IWC moratorium on commercial whaling • 42,480 whales killed in 1970 • 1500 killed in 2009 • Norway, Japan, and Iceland ignore moratorium

  4. 11-1 What Are the Major Threats to Aquatic Biodiversity? Concept 11-1 Aquatic species are threatened by habitat loss, invasive species, pollution, climate change, and overexploitation, all made worse by the growth of the human population.

  5. We Have Much to Learn about Aquatic Biodiversity • Greatest marine biodiversity • Coral reefs • Estuaries • Deep-ocean floor • Biodiversity is higher • Near the coast than in the open sea • In the bottom region of the ocean than the surface region

  6. Natural Capital: Marine Ecosystems Fig. 8-5, p. 172

  7. Natural Capital: Freshwater Systems Fig. 8-15, p. 181

  8. Human Activities Are Destroying and Degrading Aquatic Habitats • Marine • Coral reefs • Mangrove forests • Seagrass beds • Sea-level rise from global warming will harm coral reefs and low-lying islands with mangrove forests • Ocean floor: effect of trawlers • Freshwater • Dams • Excessive water withdrawal

  9. Natural Capital Degradation: Area of Ocean Bottom Before and After a Trawler Fig. 11-2, p. 252

  10. Invasive Species Are Degrading Aquatic Biodiversity • Invasive species • Threaten native species • Disrupt and degrade whole ecosystems • Two examples • Asian swamp eel: waterways of south Florida • Lionfish in the Atlantic

  11. Invasive Lionfish Fig. 11-3, p. 254

  12. Science Focus: How Carp Have Muddied Some Waters Lake Wingra, Wisconsin (U.S.): eutrophic • Contains invasive species • Purple loosestrife and the common carp  eat algae which stabilize sediment  fish movements & wind cause turbidity Dr. Richard Lathrop • Removed carp from an area of the lake • This area appeared to recover  native plants receive more sunlight

  13. Lake Wingra in Madison, Wisconsin Fig. 11-A, p. 255

  14. Case Study: Invaders Have Ravaged Lake Victoria • Loss of biodiversity and cichlids • Nile perch: deliberately introduced • Frequent algal blooms • Nutrient runoff • Spills of untreated sewage • Less algae-eating cichlids • Water hyacinths: supported by nutrient runoff

  15. Natural Capital Degradation: The Nile Perch In Lake Victoria Fig. 11-4a, p. 254

  16. Water Hyacinths in Lake Victoria Fig. 11-5, p. 255

  17. Population Growth and Pollution Can Reduce Aquatic Biodiversity • More noise and crowding from humans • Nitrates and phosphates, mainly from fertilizers, enter water • Leads to eutrophication • Toxic pollutants from industrial and urban areas • Plastics

  18. Hawaiian Monk Seal Fig. 11-6, p. 256

  19. Climate Change Is a Growing Threat Global warming: sea levels will rise and aquatic biodiversity is threatened • Coral reefs • Swamp some low-lying islands • Drown many highly productive coastal wetlands • New Orleans, Louisiana, and New York City

  20. Overfishing and Extinction: Gone Fishing, Fish Gone (1) • Fishery: concentration of a particular wild aquatic species suitable for commercial harvesting in a specific area • Fishprint: area of ocean needed to sustain the fish consumption of a person, country, or the world • Marine and freshwater fish • Threatened with extinction by human activities more than any other group of species

  21. Overfishing and Extinction: Gone Fishing, Fish Gone (2) Commercial extinction: no longer economically feasible to harvest a species • Collapse of the Atlantic cod fishery and its domino effect • Fewer larger fish • More problems with invasive species

  22. Natural Capital Degradation: Collapse of the Cod Fishery Off the Canadian Coast Fig. 11-7, p. 257

  23. Science Focus: Clashing Scientific Views Can Lead to Cooperation and Progress • Ray Hilborn disagreed Boris Worm with about the long-term prognosis for the world’s fisheries • The two agreed to work together • Developed new research methods and standards • Examined maximum sustained yield • Reported findings and prognosis in 2009

  24. Case Study: Industrial Fish Harvesting Methods • Trawler fishing • Purse-seine fishing • Longlining • Drift-net fishing • Bycatch problem

  25. 11-2 How Can We Protect and Sustain Marine Biodiversity? Concept 11-2 We can help to sustain marine biodiversity by using laws and economic incentives to protect species, setting aside marine reserves to protect ecosystems, and using community-based integrated coastal management.

  26. Legal Protection of Some Endangered and Threatened Marine Species (1) Why is it hard to protect marine biodiversity? • Human ecological footprint and fishprint are expanding • Much of the damage in the ocean is not visible • The oceans are incorrectly viewed as an inexhaustible resource • Most of the ocean lies outside the legal jurisdiction of any country

  27. Legal Protection of Some Endangered and Threatened Marine Species (2) • 1975 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species • 1979 Global Treaty on Migratory Species • U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 • U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973 • U.S. Whale Conservation and Protection Act of 1976 • 1995 International Convention on Biological Diversity

  28. Economic Incentives Can Be Used to Sustain Aquatic Biodiversity • Tourism • Sea turtles • Whales • Economic rewards

  29. Case Study: Holding Out Hope for Marine Turtles • Threats to the leatherback turtle • Trawlers and drowning in fishing nets • Hunting • Eggs used as food • Pollution • Climate change • Fishing boats using turtle excluder devices • Communities protecting the turtles

  30. Sea Turtle Species Fig. 11-9, p. 262

  31. An Endangered Leatherback Turtle is Entangled in a Fishing Net Fig. 11-10, p. 262

  32. Marine Sanctuaries Protect Ecosystems and Species • Offshore fishing • Exclusive economic zones for countries • 200 nautical miles • High seas governed by treaties that are hard to enforce • Law of the Sea Treaty • Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)

  33. Establishing a Global Network of Marine Reserves: An Ecosystem Approach (1) • Marine reserves • Closed to • Commercial fishing • Dredging • Mining and waste disposal • Core zone • No human activity allowed • Less harmful activities allowed • E.g., recreational boating and shipping

  34. Establishing a Global Network of Marine Reserves: An Ecosystem Approach (2) • Fully protected marine reserves work fast • Fish populations double • Fish size grows • Reproduction triples • Species diversity increase by almost one-fourth • Cover less than 1% of world’s oceans • Marine scientists want 30-50%

  35. Protecting Marine Biodiversity: Individuals and Communities Together • Oceans 30% more acidic from increased carbon dioxide in atmosphere and increased temperature

  36. 11-3 How Should We Manage and Sustain Marine Fisheries? Concept 11-3 Sustaining marine fisheries will require improved monitoring of fish and shellfish populations, cooperative fisheries management among communities and nations, reduction of fishing subsidies, and careful consumer choices in seafood markets.

  37. Solutions: Managing Fisheries Fig. 11-11, p. 267

  38. 11-4 How Should We Protect and Sustain Wetlands? Concept 11-4 To maintain the ecological and economic services of wetlands, we must maximize preservation of remaining wetlands and restoration of degraded and destroyed wetlands.

  39. Coastal and Inland Wetlands Are Disappearing around the World • Highly productive wetlands • Provide natural flood and erosion control • Maintain high water quality; natural filters • Effect of rising sea levels

  40. We Can Preserve and Restore Wetlands • Laws for protection • Zoning laws steer development away from wetlands • In U.S., need federal permit to fill wetlands greater than 3 acres • Mitigation banking • Can destroy wetland if create one of equal area • Ecologists argue this as a last resort

  41. Human-Created Wetland in Florida Fig. 11-12, p. 268

  42. Case Study: Can We Restore the Florida Everglades? (1) • “River of Grass”: south Florida, U.S. • Damage in the 20th century • Drained • Diverted • Paved over • Nutrient pollution from agriculture • Invasive plant species • 1947: Everglades National Park unsuccessful protection project

  43. Case Study: Can We Restore the Florida Everglades? (2) • 1990: Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) • Restore curving flow of ½ of Kissimmee River • Remove canals and levees in strategic locations • Flood farmland to create artificial marshes • Create 18 reservoirs to create water supply for lower Everglades and humans • Recapture Everglades water flowing to sea and return it to Everglades • Already weakened by Florida legislature

  44. The World’s Largest Restoration Project Fig. 11-13, p. 269

  45. Case Study: Restoring the Florida Everglades • The world’s largest ecological restoration project involves trying to undo some of the damage inflicted on the Everglades by human activities. • 90% of park’s wading birds have vanished. • Other vertebrate populations down 75-95%. • Large volumes of water that once flowed through the park have been diverted for crops and cities. • Runoff has caused noxious algal blooms.

  46. Problems • As Miami develops, it encroaches on everglades. Plus, it prompts people vs. wildlife. It is freshwater and local areas are draining it.

  47. Restoring the Florida Everglades • The project has been attempting to restore the Everglades and Florida water supplies. Figure 12-10

  48. Restoration • Build huge aqueduct, or find other sources of fresh water an protect it federally under endangered species act, etc.

  49. 11-5 How Should We Protect and Sustain Freshwater Lakes, Rivers, and Fisheries? • Concept 11-5 Freshwater ecosystems are strongly affected by human activities on adjacent lands, and protecting these ecosystems must include protection of their watersheds.

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