Sustaining Aquatic Biodiversity

Questions for Today  What are the major threats to aquatic biodiversity (HIPPCO)?  How can we protect and sustain marine biodiversity?  How should we manage and sustain marine fisheries?  How can we protect and sustain wetlands?  How can we protect and sustain freshwater lakes, rivers, and fisheries?

Remember:  The greatest biodiversity occurs in coral reefs, estuaries, and deep ocean floor.  Biodiversity is higher near coasts because of the greater variety of producers and habitats in coastal areas.  Biodiversity is greater in the bottom region of the ocean because of habitats and food sources.

HIPPCO!!!! Greatest Threats to Biodiversity   H stands for Habitat Loss and Degradation. –90% of fish living in the ocean spawn in coral reefs, mangrove forests, coastal wetlands, or rivers.  The above areas are under intense pressure from human activities. (dredging, trawling, dams, excessive water withdrawal)

HIPPCO  I stands for Invasive Species!!  These bioinvaders can displace or cause extinction of native species and disrupt ecosystem services.  84% of world’s coastal waters are being colonized by invaders! (Water hyacinth, Asian swamp eel, zebra mussel, purple loosestrife are some examples…p. 252 for details)

Water Hyacinths

Zebra Mussels in the Great Lakes

HIPPCO  P  The first P in HIPPCO is coastal Population Growth.  More people moving to coastal areas destroy habitat and increases pollution.

HIPPCO  P  The second P is Pollution!!  –80% of all pollution comes from land-based activities.  Humans have doubled the flow of nitrogen, mostly from nitrate fertilizers since Similar inputs of phosphorous have occurred. (They cause eutrophication, which can lead to algal blooms, fish die-offs, and degradation of ecosystems.)

 Similar pressures are occurring in freshwater systems. Massive inputs of sediment and wastes from land due to construction of homes and recreation areas.  Things that are polluting waters are toxic pollutants from industry and plastics dumped in water.

HIPPCO  C –The C in HIPPCO is Climate Change!  Sea levels rise, destroying coral reefs, swamping islands, drowning highly productive coastal wetlands, and inundating coastal cities like New Orleans.  Mangrove forests that protect islands will be destroyed or damaged.

HIPPCO  The BIG O in HIPPCO is OVERFISHING!!  Industrialized fishing has depleted marine life at an alarming rate.  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%!!!!   In most cases, this leads to commercial extinction.

 Fish species are also threatened with biological extinction, mostly from overfishing, water pollution, wetlands destruction, and excessive removal of water from rivers and lakes.  Marine and freshwater species are threatened with extinction by anthropogenic activities more than any other group of species!!! (OUR fault!)

(EVIL) Industrial Fish Harvesting Methods  These methods are vacuuming the seas!!  Trawlers  Purse-seine  Longlining  Drift nets  Sonar and Spotter airplanes help the fishers find their prey!

Fig. 11-7, p. 256 Fish farming in cage Trawler fishing Spotter airplane Sonar Purse-seine fishing Drift-net fishing Long line fishing Float Buoy lines with hooks Deep sea aquaculture cage Fish caught by gills

Trawling Before and After

What can the government do?  There are different ways the government can help the environment: 1.Pass Laws 1.Regulate people and fine those that break the law 2.Levy Taxes or subsidize for positive responses. 3.Educate the people 1.Community Outreach Organizations 2.Public Service Announcements 4.Create Reserves and Mitigate new land.

How Can We Protect and Sustain Marine Biodiversity??  CITES: 1975 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species  The U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972  The U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973  U.S. Whale Conservation and Protection Act of 1976  1995 International Convention on Biological Diversity

Wetlands are cool, K? Wetlands are important because: * they are natural filters * they are breeding grounds for coastal wildlife * they are very biologically diverse

How Should We Protect and Sustain Wetlands?  Wetlands have been drained, filled in, or covered over to create rice fields, crop land, cities, and roads.  Wetlands have been destroyed by processes of extracting minerals and oil.  AND to reduce breeding grounds of disease causing insects.

 How to Preserve and Restore Wetlands?? –Mitigation banking: allows destruction as long as an equal area is created or restored.  Not the best idea though! –Buy wetlands and restore them with help of EPA or US Corps of Engineers

FRESHWATER ISSUES!   Aside from HIPPCO, one way that humans have destroyed freshwater ecosystems are through the creation of Dams. –Dams create different economic and environmental benefits and problems. –We will further discuss dams during our renewable energy unit.