Biological effects of anthropogenic activities Eugeniusz Andrulewicz Department of Fisheries Oceanography and Marine Ecology Sea Fisheries Institute, Gdynia, Poland

Land- based human activities influencing marine environment Agriculture and forestry Industry Human settlements and coastal industries Waste discharging Recreation and tourism Coastal engineering and land reclamation Power generation Dumping operations Other

Sea-based human activities influencing marine environment Transport: Shipping Extraction of living resources Extraction of mineral resources (oil and gas exploration and exploitation, sand and gravel, other) Mariculture Recreation Dumping of dredge spoils [Wind energy production]

Main marine human induced environmental concerns Enhanced eutrophication Chemical contamination Overfishing Oil pollution Loss of biological diversity Introduction of alien species Sanitary pollution of coastal waters Physical disturbance of habitats Other (input of artificial radionuclides, dumped coventional and chemical weapon)

Eutrophication and its ecosystem effects in the Baltic Sea

Main ecosystem effects due to eutrophication Change of trophic status of the southern Baltic Sea and its coastal lagoons Oxygen depletion in previousaly oxygenated areas Diminished water clarity and diminished depth range of macrophytes Blue-green algae prolonged blooms (HABs) Increased pelagic fish production Decreased demersal fish production

Fish catches in the Baltic Sea over the 20th century Nutrient loads in the Balic Sea over the 20 th c. P- 4-5 times higher N- 5-6 times higher

Contamination of the ecosystem of the Baltic Sea

Biological effects of contamination Documented long term toxicity cases within some top predators Contaminated fish food and human health aspects Contaminated marine organisms and their health aspects Need for costly monitoring and assessments programmes Contamination effects are difficult to assess and to prove, therefore they raise human awerness/fears mainly related to human immunity, cancirogenity, mutagenity and hormon disruptions

Biological effects of fishing Removal of target fish species (hopefuly only to safe limits !?) Changes in structure of target populations Removal of non-target fish and other species (e.g.birds and mammals) Destruction of bottom habitats by heavy trawling (e.g. cold water corral reefs) Discard and offals contributing to oxygen depletion at the sea bottom [Problem of drifting nets]

Effects of oil spills Immediate changes related to oil spills: Oiled birds (sometimes other species) Oiled beaches Affected port installatins, etc Long term effects: Leackage of oil products from wracks Source of PAHs Changes in difussion of gases and penetration of light into water column

Oil spills in the Baltic Sea

Marine transport and ballast waters Alien species- Xenodiversity ! Examle: Neogobius melanostomus

Effects of large scale constructions Habitat loss and/or modification Changes of natural processes Direct effects of bottom installations Modifications of habitats and environmental conditions, e.g. change og magnetic earth field along HVPC Change of services of the sea

Example: High voltage power cables in the Baltic Sea

Human health and pollution Health issues related to coastal sanitary conditions Health events related to contaminatin/infestation of fish food ? Human health events related to toxic algal blooms ? Socio-economic effects related to invasion of alien species Loss of recreational amenities due to coastal degradation (loss of coastal wetlands, loss of underwater vegetation, loss of spawning grounds, loss of water clarity)

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