Sustaining Aquatic Biodiversity Ch 11 Sustaining Aquatic Biodiversity

What Are the Major Threats to Aquatic Biodiversity? (4) Objective 1 What Are the Major Threats to Aquatic Biodiversity? (4)

1) Human Activities Are Destroying and Degrading Aquatic Habitats Habitat loss and degradation Marine Coastal Ocean floor: effect of trawlers Freshwater Dams Excessive water withdrawal

Ocean Bottom Before & After a Trawler

We Have Much to Learn about Aquatic Biodiversity – Educate people!!! 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

2) Invasive Species Are Degrading Aquatic Biodiversity Threaten native species Disrupt and degrade whole ecosystems Three examples Water hyacinth: Lake Victoria (East Africa) Asian swamp eel: waterways of south Florida Purple loosestrife: indigenous to Europe Treating with natural predators—a weevil species and a leaf-eating beetle—Will it work?

Invasive Water Hyacinths

3) Population Growth and Pollution Can Reduce Aquatic Biodiversity Nitrates and phosphates mainly from fertilizers enter water Leads to eutrophication Toxic pollutants from industrial and urban areas

Hawaiian Monk Seal

4) 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

Natural Capital Degradation: Collapse of the Cod Fishery Off the Canadian Coast

Objective 2 What are the Major Commercial Fishing Methods Used to Harvest Various Marine Species? (4)

Trawler fishing – used to catch fishes and shellfish that live on or near the ocean floor. Purse-seine fishing = used to catch surface-dwelling species. A spotter plane is used to locate the fish. Longlining = putting out lines (up to 80 miles long), hung with thousands of bait hooks. Drift-net fishing = fish are caught by huge fish nets

Deep sea aquaculture cage Fish caught by gills Fish farming in cage Trawler fishing Spotter airplane Sonar Purse-seine fishing Drift-net fishing Long line fishing Figure 11.7 Major commercial fishing methods used to harvest various marine species. These methods have become so effective that many fish species have become commercially extinct. Float Buoy lines with hooks Deep sea aquaculture cage Fish caught by gills Fig. 11-7, p. 256

How Can We Protect and Sustain Marine Biodiversity? (4) Objective 3 How Can We Protect and Sustain Marine Biodiversity? (4)

1) Create laws to protect species Legal Protection of Some Endangered and Threatened Marine Species 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

Examples of Cetaceans Figure 11.8 Examples of cetaceans, which can be classified as either toothed whales or baleen whales. Fig. 11-8a, p. 258

Examples of Cetaceans continued Figure 11.8 Examples of cetaceans, which can be classified as either toothed whales or baleen whales. Fig. 11-8b, p. 258

Norwegian Whalers Harpooning a Sperm Whale

2) Create Economic Incentives to Sustain Aquatic Biodiversity Tourism Sea turtle Tourism bring almost 3 times more money than the sale of their meat, leather, and eggs. Economic rewards Reconciliation ecology The science of inventing, establishing, and maintaining habitats to conserve species diversity were people live, work, or play.

An Endangered Leatherback Turtle is Entangled in a Fishing Net

Marine Sanctuaries Protect Ecosystems & Species Offshore fishing Exclusive economic zones Foreign fishing vessels can take certain quotas of fish with governments permission High seas Areas beyond the legal jurisdiction of any country Law of the Sea Treaty Coastal nations have jurisdiction over 36% of the ocean’s surface and 90% of the world’s fish stocks. This has been abused Instead of protecting fishing grounds , many governments have allowed/encouraged overfishing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) Areas of ocean partially protected from human acitivites 4000 MPAs worldwide (200 in US)

3) Setting aside marine reserves to protect ecosystems 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 Fully protected marine reserves work fast Fish populations double Fish size grows Reproduction triples Species diversity increase by almost one-fourth

4) Using community-based integrated coastal management Community-based group to prevent further degradation of the ocean

An Atoll of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef An atoll is a coral island (or islands) that encircles a lagoon partially or completely

How Should We Manage and Sustain Marine Fisheries? Objective 4 How Should We Manage and Sustain Marine Fisheries?

1) Improve Monitoring of Fishery Populations Is the First Step Maximum sustained yield (MSY): traditional approach used to estimated the maximum number of fish that can be harvested annually with out causing a population drop. Optimum sustained yield (OSY): attempts to take into account interactions among species (more room for error) Multispecies management: takes into account their competitive and predator-prey interactions Large marine systems: using large complex computer models. The problem is getting groups of nations to cooperate in planning and managing such large systems. Precautionary principle: sharply reduce fish harvests and closing some overfished areas until they recover.

2) Cooperative fisheries management among communities & nations Fish Harvests Community management of the fisheries Norway’s Lofoten fishery Has been sustained w/o government regulation for 100 years Co-management of the fisheries with the government A central government typically sets quotas for various species and divides the quotas among the communities. The government may also limit fishing seasons and the type of gear used. The community manages inshore fisheries and the government manages offshore fisheries.

3) Government Subsidies Can Encourage Overfishing…so reduce them 2007: World Trade Organization, U.S. Proposed a ban on fishing subsidies Some marine scientists think $10-14 billion is spent to encourage overfishing. Reduce illegal fishing on the high seas & in coastal waters Close ports and markets to such fishers Check authenticity of ship flags Prosecution of offenders

4) Consumer Choices Can Help to Sustain Fisheries and Aquatic Biodiversity 1997: Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), London Supports sustainable fishing Certifies sustainably produced seafood 2006: Walmart pledged to only see MSC certified fish Manage global fisheries more sustainably Individuals Organizations Governments

How Should We Protect and Sustain Wetlands? Objective 5 How Should We Protect and Sustain Wetlands?

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 New Zealand has lost 92% of its coastal wetlands Italy has lost 95% of its coastal wetlands

1) We Can Preserve and Restore Wetlands Laws for protection US laws require a federal permit to fill in or to deposit dredged materials into wetlands Mitigation banking Allows destruction of existing wetlands as longs as an equal area of the same type of wetland is created or restored. The stated goal of current US federal policy is zero net loss in the function and value of coastal and inland wetlands Ecologists argue this as a last resort and that the new wetland should be created and evaluated before the old one is destroyed.

Case Study: Can We Restore the Florida Everglades? “River of Grass”: south Florida, U.S. Since 1948: damaged Drained Diverted Paved over Nutrient pollution from agriculture Invasive plant species 1947: Everglades National Park unsuccessful protection project

1990: Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan CERP 1990: Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan Restore the curving flow of most of the Kissimmee River Remove canals and levees in strategic locations Flood 240 sq. km farmland to create artificial marshes Create reservoirs and underground water storage areas Build new canals, reservoirs and efficient pumping systems

CERP

The World’s Largest Restoration Project

How Can Protect and Sustain Freshwater Lakes, Rivers, and Fisheries? Objective 6 How Can Protect and Sustain Freshwater Lakes, Rivers, and Fisheries?

Freshwater Ecosystems Are under Major Threats Think: HIPPCO H stands for Habitat Loss and Degradation. I stands for Invasive Species!! The first P In HIPPCO is coastal Population Growth. The second P is Pollution!! The C in HIPPCO is Climate Change! The BIG O in HIPPCO is OVERFISHING!! The “fishprint” is defined as the area of ocean needed to sustain the consumption of an average person, a nation, or the world. All the world’s nations together are overfishing the global oceans by an unsustainable 157%!!!!

Zebra Mussels Attached to a Water Current Meter in Lake Michigan, U.S.

Managing River Basins Is Complex and Controversial Columbia River: U.S. and Canada Dam system Pros and cons Snake River: Washington state, U.S. Hydroelectric dams

1) We Can Protect Freshwater Ecosystems by Protecting Watersheds Freshwater ecosystems protected through Laws Economic incentives Restoration efforts Wild rivers and scenic rivers Sustainable management of freshwater fishes

Objective 7 What Are the Priorities for Sustained Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services? Sustaining the world’s biodiversity and ecosystem services will require mapping terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity, maximizing protection of undeveloped terrestrial and aquatic areas, and carrying out ecological restoration projects worldwide.

We Need to Set Priorities for Protecting Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services 2002: Edward O. Wilson - Priority list 1) Complete the mapping of the world’s terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity 2) Keep old-growth forests intact; cease their logging 3) Identify and preserve hotspots and deteriorating ecosystem services that threaten life 4) Create more Ecological restoration projects 5) Make conservation financially rewarding

Practice Questions

Some 90% of fish living in the ocean spawn off the edges of the continental shelf. in the depths of the ocean. in the open ocean. in coral reefs, mangrove forests, coastal wetlands, and rivers.

2. Blamed for two-thirds of all fish extinctions in the U. S 2. Blamed for two-thirds of all fish extinctions in the U.S., this ongoing problem is a major source of ecosystem disruption. agricultural runoff water pollution from city sewage systems over fishing introduced invasive species

3. The largest projected population growth should occur along inland rivers. at large coastal cities. at large inland cities. as development and conversion of farmland increase.

4. Average sea level will probably rise between 7 inches and 5 feet over the next 100 years. will flood many low-lying cities and nations over the next 100 years. has increased by 4-8 inches over the last 100 years. all of the above

5. When marine reserves are established to protect species within them, studies have shown that within 2-4 years after strict protection begins all of the choices reproduction triples. fish populations double. fish size increases by about one-third.

6. Global warming leading to rising sea levels is thought to kill most coral reefs and mangrove forests, leading to disastrous changes in aquatic ecosystems. help coral reefs since rising sea levels will open new habitat for potentially greater coral reef area. produce no effect on coral reefs. Coral reef damage results from pollution and reef degradation, not sea level changes. damage coral reefs, unless waters rise slowly enough for them to adapt, and other environmental stressors are low.

7. Each year, up to $34 billion are given as fishing subsidies 7. Each year, up to $34 billion are given as fishing subsidies. These subsidies provide monies for ships, fuel, equipment, and research. are used in education programs designed to heighten public awareness of fishing practices and needed management systems. pay fishermen not to fish, offsetting their annual losses while allowing marine fish populations to recover. all of the above

8. Studies clearly indicate that… inland wetlands are vitally important areas that must be preserved, maintained, and/or created. inland wetlands have little ecological value, provide few ecological services, and may be developed without many ecological consequences. inland wetlands have ecological value, yet may be substituted by agricultural lands to achieve the same value. inland wetlands' ecological value is significantly less than the health problems they generate through acting as mosquito and other parasitic organism breeding grounds.

9. Given that humans have been on the earth for a long time, modifying it to suit their own desires, it comes as no surprise to learn that aquatic species have been pushed out of at least ________% of their habitat. 80 20 50 99

10. Wild rivers are those that are relatively inaccessible, except by trail. that are of great scenic value, free of dams, mostly undeveloped, and accessible in only a few places by roads. that border, or are within, wildlife preserves. found in national parks.

For your summary, complete # 1-10 on page 274A Summary