Aquatic Biodiversity

1. Aquatic Biodiversity Chapter 8

2. Core Case Study: Why Should We Care about Coral Reefs? (1) • Biodiversity • Formation • Important ecological and economic services • Moderate atmospheric temperatures • Act as natural barriers protecting coasts from erosion • Provide habitats • Support fishing and tourism businesses • Provide jobs and building materials • Studied and enjoyed

3. Core Case Study: Why Should We Care about Coral Reefs? (2) • Degradation and decline • Coastal development • Pollution • Overfishing • Warmer ocean temperatures leading to coral bleaching • Increasing ocean acidity

4. The Great Barrier Reef – Australia www.theage.com.au/national/scientists-oceanic...

5. 8-1 What Is the General Nature of Aquatic Systems? • Concept 8-1A Saltwater and freshwater life zones cover almost three-fourths of the earth’s surface with oceans dominating the planet. • Concept 8-1B The key factors determining biodiversity in aquatic systems are temperature, dissolved oxygen content, availability of food and availability of light and nutrients necessary for photosynthesis.

6. Most of the Earth Is Covered with Water (1) • Saltwater: global ocean divided into 4 areas • Atlantic • Pacific • Arctic • Indian • Freshwater

7. Saltwater and Freshwater Biomes • Saltwater: marine • Oceans and estuaries • Coastlands and shorelines • Coral reefs • Mangrove forests • Freshwater • Lakes • Rivers and streams • Inland wetlands

8. The Ocean Planet

9. Distribution of the World’s Major Saltwater and Freshwater Sources

10. Most Aquatic Species Live in Top, Middle, or Bottom Layers of Water • Plankton • Phytoplankton • Zooplankton • Ultraplankton • Nekton • Benthos • Decomposers

11. Distribution in water • Key factors in the distribution of organisms • Temperature • Dissolved oxygen content • Availability of food • Availability of light and nutrients needed for photosynthesis in the euphotic, or photic, zone

12. 8-2 Why Are Marine Aquatic Systems Important? • Concept 8-2 Saltwater ecosystems are irreplaceable reservoirs of biodiversity and provide major ecological and economic services.

13. Oceans Provide Important Ecological and Economic Resources • Reservoirs of diversity in three major life zones • Coastal zone • Usually high NPP • Open sea • Ocean bottom

14. NATURAL CAPITAL Marine Ecosystems Ecological Services Economic Services Climate moderation Food CO2 absorption Animal and pet feed Nutrient cycling Pharmaceuticals Waste treatment Harbors and transportation routes Reduced storm impact (mangroves, barrier islands, coastal wetlands) Coastal habitats for humans Recreation Habitats and nursery areas Employment Oil and natural gas Genetic resources and biodiversity Minerals Scientific information Building materials Fig. 8-4, p. 165

15. High tide Sun Low tide Depth in meters Open Sea Coastal Zone Sea level 0 50 Photosynthesis Euphotic Zone Estuarine Zone 100 Continental shelf 200 500 Bathyal Zone Twilight 1,000 1,500 2,000 Abyssal Zone Water temperature drops rapidly between the euphotic zone and the abyssal zone in an area called the thermocline . 3,000 Darkness 4,000 5,000 10,000 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Water temperature (°C) Fig. 8-5, p. 166

16. Estuaries and Coastal Wetlands Are Highly Productive (1) • Estuaries and coastal wetlands • River mouths • Inlets • Bays • Sounds • Salt marshes • Mangrove forests • Seagrass Beds • Support a variety of marine species • Stabilize shorelines • Reduce wave impact

17. Some Components and Interactions in a Salt Marsh Ecosystem in a Temperate Area

18. Fig. 8-7b, p. 167

19. Mangrove Forest in Daintree National Park in Queensland, Australia

20. Mangroves near Miami, FL

21. Me and Barry Tomlinson in Mangroves

22. Galapagos

23. Real flowering plants, related to grasses Ecologically important Threatened Seagrasses

24. Seagrasses are NOT algae! • Algae lack a special chamber for young plant to develop • Algae lack specialized leaves, stems, and roots now.ifmo.ru/ biofoul/hk.htm

25. Seagrasses are PLANTS! • Special chamber for young plant development • Have specialized structures: leaves, stems, roots • Specialized structures for reproduction

26. Habitat http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/habitats/seagrass/awareness_day/connection.htm

27. Habitat for fish and algae

28. Habitat

29. Estuaries and Coastal Wetlands Are Highly Productive (2) • Important ecological and economic services • Coastal aquatic systems maintain water quality by filtering • Toxic pollutants • Excess plant nutrients • Sediments • Absorb other pollutants • Provide food, timber, fuelwood, and habitats • Reduce storm damage and coast erosion

30. View of an Estuary from Space

31. Rocky and Sandy Shores Host Different Types of Organisms • Intertidal zone • Rocky shores • Sandy shores: barrier beaches • Organism adaptations necessary to deal with daily salinity and moisture changes • Importance of sand dunes

32. Hermit crab Sea star Shore crab High tide Periwinkle Anemone Sea urchin Mussel Low tide Sculpin Barnacles Kelp Sea lettuce Monterey flatworm Rocky Shore Beach Beach flea Nudibranch Peanut worm Tiger beetle Blue crab Clam Dwarf olive High tide Sandpiper Ghost shrimp Low tide Silversides Mole shrimp Barrier Beach White sand macoma Sand dollar Moon snail Fig. 8-9, p. 169

33. Primary and Secondary Dunes

34. Coral Reefs Are Amazing Centers of Biodiversity • Marine equivalent of tropical rain forests • Habitats for one-fourth of all marine species

35. Gray reef shark Sea nettle Green sea turtle Parrot fish Fairy basslet Blue tang Sergeant major Algae Brittle star Hard corals Banded coral shrimp Coney Phytoplankton Symbiotic algae Coney Zooplankton Blackcap basslet Sponges Moray eel Bacteria Producer to primary consumer Secondary to higher-level consumer Primary to secondary consumer All consumers and producers to decomposers Fig. 8-11, p. 171

36. The Open Sea and Ocean Floor Host a Variety of Species • Vertical zones of the open sea • Euphotic zone • Bathyal zone • Abyssal zone: receives marine snow • Deposit feeders • Filter feeders • Upwellings • Primary productivity and NPP

37. 8-3 How Have Human Activities Affected Marine Ecosystems? • Concept 8-3 Human activities threaten aquatic biodiversity and disrupt ecological and economic services provided by saltwater systems.

38. Human Activities Are Disrupting and Degrading Marine Systems • Major threats to marine systems • Coastal development • Overfishing • Runoff of nonpoint source pollution • Point source pollution • Habitat destruction • Introduction of invasive species • Climate change from human activities • Pollution of coastal wetlands and estuaries

39. 8-4 Why Are Freshwater Ecosystems Important? • Concept 8-4 Freshwater ecosystems provide major ecological and economic services and are irreplaceable reservoirs of biodiversity.

40. Water Stands in Some Freshwater Systems and Flows in Others (1) • Standing (lentic) bodies of freshwater • Lakes • Ponds • Inland wetlands • Flowing (lotic) systems of freshwater • Streams • Rivers

41. Water Stands in Some Freshwater Systems and Flows in Others (2) • Formation of lakes • Four zones based on depth and distance from shore • Littoral zone • Limnetic zone • Profundal zone • Benthic zone

42. NATURAL CAPITAL Freshwater Systems Ecological Services Economic Services Climate moderation Food Nutrient cycling Drinking water Waste treatment Irrigation water Flood control Hydroelectricity Groundwater recharge Transportation corridors Habitats for many species Genetic resources and biodiversity Recreation Employment Scientific information Fig. 8-14, p. 174

43. Distinct Zones of Life in a Fairly Deep Temperate Zone Lake

44. Some Lakes Have More Nutrients Than Others • Oligotrophic lakes • Low levels of nutrients and low NPP • Eutrophic lakes • High levels of nutrients and high NPP • Mesotrophic lakes • Cultural eutrophication leads to hypereutrophic lakes

45. The Effect of Nutrient Enrichment on a Lake

46. Freshwater Streams and Rivers Carry Water from the Mountains to the Oceans • Surface water • Runoff • Watershed, drainage basin • Three aquatic life zones • Source zone • Transition zone • Floodplain zone

47. Lake Rain and snow Glacier Rapids Waterfall Tributary Flood plain Oxbow lake Salt marsh Deposited sediment Delta Ocean Source Zone Transition Zone Water Sediment Floodplain Zone Stepped Art Fig. 8-17, p. 176

48. Case Study: Dams, Deltas, Wetlands, Hurricanes, and New Orleans • Coastal deltas, mangrove forests, and coastal wetlands: natural protection against storms • Dams and levees reduce sediments in deltas: significance? • New Orleans, Louisiana, and Hurricane Katrina: August 29, 2005 • Global warming, sea rise, and New Orleans

49. New Orleans, Louisiana, (U.S.) and Hurricane Katrina

50. Projection of New Orleans if the Sea Level Rises 0.9 Meter