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Environmental Problems Climate Change Pollution Overfishing.

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Presentation on theme: "Environmental Problems Climate Change Pollution Overfishing."— Presentation transcript:

1 Environmental Problems Climate Change Pollution Overfishing

2 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Determining Causes of Earth’s Climate Change Paleoclimatology Proxy data – indirect evidence using natural recorders of climate variability –Sea floor sediments –Coral deposits –Glacial ice rings –Tree rings –Pollen –Historical documents

3 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Natural Causes of Climate Change Solar energy changes, Variations in Earth’s Orbit, Volcanic eruptions, Movement of Earth’s Plates Linked to Pleistocene Ice Age, Little Ice Age, Medieval Warm Period Recent change unprecedented –More likely result of human activity than natural causes

4 Global Warming: Causes “Green house effect”

5 Fig. 15-40, p. 378

6 Global Warming: Causes Green house gases (chloroflourocarbons =CFCs, methane, CO 2, water vapor) Increasing CO 2 –Deforestation & burning fossil fuels

7 Table 16.01

8 Fig. 15-31, p. 326 Today – CO 2 highest it has been in 10 million years

9 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Ice Core Data

10 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Global Warming The 8 warmest years have occurred since 1998 Earth’s surface temperature has risen 0.8 ° C (1.4 ° F) in last 140 years.

11 Fig. 15-43, p. 380

12 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Changes in the Oceans Changes in deep-water circulation North Atlantic especially sensitive Melting glaciers Warmer surface waters

13 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Changes in the Oceans Polar Ice Melting Arctic amplification Loss of more than 2 million square kilometers (800,000 square miles) of Arctic sea ice in last decade Loss of ice = enhanced warming due to lower albedo

14 Fig. 15-33, p. 327 The North Pole 1996

15 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Changes in the Oceans Polar Ice Melting Arctic ice melting affects polar bear survival. Food sources are dwindling for human Arctic dwellers. –Marine species migration

16 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Changes in the Oceans Rising Sea Level – already occurring Main contributors: –Melting of Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets –Thermal expansion of ocean surface waters –Melting of land glaciers and ice caps –Thermal expansion of deep-ocean waters

17 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Global Sea Level Rise

18 The Maldives in the Indian Ocean – 80% pop. live only 1m above sea level

19 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Rising Sea Level Severely affect areas with gently sloping coastlines –U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coasts Models predict rise between 0.5 and 1.4 meters (1.6 and 4.6 feet) by year 2100 Affects coastal ecosystems like corals

20 Fig. 14-15, p. 340 Coral Bleaching Linked to Increased Temperatures

21 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Changes in the Oceans Ocean acidity increase Some atmospheric carbon dioxide dissolves in ocean water. –Acidifies ocean Threatens calcifying organisms –Coccolithophores –Foraminifers –Sea urchins –Corals

22 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Organisms Threatened by Increased Marine Acidity

23 Global Climate Change: Solutions? Alternative energy

24 Fig. 15-9, p. 355

25 Fig. 15-10a, p. 355

26 Fig. 15-10b, p. 355

27 Marine Pollution The introduction into the ocean by humans, substances that changes the physical, chemical or biological environment

28 Fig. 15-27, p. 367

29 Fig. 15-28, p. 368 Each year 240 million gallons of used motor oil are dumped in storm drains…22x the amount spilled by Exxon Valdez

30 Marine Pollution Bioamplification – even small amounts of pollutants can have large effects DDT example

31 DDT in water 0.000003 ppm DDT in fish-eating birds (pelicans) 25 ppm Concentration has increased 10 million times DDT in small fish (minnows) 0.5 ppm DDT in small zooplankton 0.04 ppm DDT in large fish (needlefish) 2 ppm Stepped Art Fig. 15-32, p. 371

32 Marine Pollution Eutrophication –Excess nutrients in water also lead to problems HABs Oxygen depletion

33 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Marine Fisheries Commercial fishing Most from continental shelves Over 20% from areas of upwelling that make up 0.1% of ocean surface area

34 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Overfishing Fish from standing stock – the mass present in the ecosystem at any given time Overfishing – fish stock harvested too rapidly, juveniles not sexually mature to reproduce Reduction in Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY)

35 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Exploitation Status of Marine Fish

36 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Overfishing 80% of available fish stock fully exploited, overexploited, or depleted/recovering Large predatory fish reduced Increased fishing effort, decreased stocks

37 Overfishing: Causes Hard to estimate maximum sustainable yield –Must know pop. size, growth & reproduction, life span International waters Economic Needs

38 Bykill or By-catch Other species are accidentally caught Drift nets – banned in 1993 “Dolphin-Safe Tuna” Turtle exclusion devises (TEDs)

39

40 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Purse Seine Net

41 Fig. 15-7a, p. 309

42 Fig. 15-7b, p. 309

43 Bycatch in a shrimp trawl www.blueocean.org

44 TEDs

45

46 Fig. 15-26, p. 323

47 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Fisheries Management Effectiveness

48 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Fisheries Management Consumer choices in seafood Consume and purchase seafood from healthy, thriving fisheries –Examples: farmed seafood, Alaska salmon Ecosystem-based fishery management Avoid overfished or depleted seafood –Examples: tuna, shark, shrimp

49 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Seafood Choices www.seafoodwatch.org


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