1. Natural Capital Degradation: The Nile Perch

2. Core Case Study: A Biological Roller Coaster Ride in Lake Victoria
Loss of biodiversity and cichlids
Nile perch: deliberately introduced
Frequent algal blooms
Nutrient runoff
Spills of untreated sewage
Less algae-eating cichlids

3. Sustaining Aquatic Biodiversity
Chapter 11

4. We Have Much to Learn about Aquatic Biodiversity
Greatest marine biodiversity
Coral reefs
Estuaries
Continental shelf
Biodiversity is higher
Near the coast than in the open sea
In the bottom region of the ocean than the surface region
Why?

5. Don’t Forget!
Natural Capital

6. HIPPCO

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

8. Natural Capital Degradation: Area of Ocean Bottom Before and After a Trawler

9. 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

10. Invasive Water Hyacinths

11. Science Focus: How Carp Have Muddied Some Waters
Lake Wingra, Wisconsin (U.S.): eutrophic
Contains invasive species
Purple loosestrife and the common carp
Dr. Richard Lathrop
Removed carp from an area of the lake
This area appeared to recover

12. 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
biomagnification

13. Hawaiian Monk Seal
Plastics

14. 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
Warming seas Rising seas
. . . Acidic seas

15. Overfishing and Extinction: Gone Fishing, Fish Gone
Marine and freshwater fish
Threatened with extinction by human activities more than any other group of species
Commercial extinction
Collapse of the cod fishery and its domino effect

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

17. Watery Wasteland

18. Bycatch

19. Case Study: Industrial Fish Harvesting Methods
Trawler fishing
Purse-seine fishing
Longlining
Drift-net fishing

20. Fishprint
Sea Around Us Project

21. 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
Regulatory Approach – CITES, US Marine Mammal Protection Act, US ESA, 1995 International Convention on Biodiverstiy (CBD)
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22. Solutions

23. Case Study: Protecting Whales: A Success Story… So Far
Cetaceans: Toothed whales and baleen whales
1946: International Whaling Commission (IWC)
1970: U.S.
Stopped all commercial whaling
Banned all imports of whale products
1986: moratorium on commercial whaling
Pros
Cons
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24. Figure 11.8
Examples of cetaceans, which can be classified as either toothed whales or baleen whales.
Fig. 11-8b, p. 258

25. Norwegian Whalers Harpooning a Sperm Whale

26. Economic Incentives Can Be Used to Sustain Aquatic Biodiversity
Tourism
Economic rewards
Reconciliation ecology- See Red Sea Star Restaurant
Ex: Reuven Yosef, Red Sea Star Restaurant
Coral reef restoration

27. Case Study: Holding Out Hope for Marine Turtles
Carl Safina, Voyage of the Turtle
Studies of the leatherback turtle
Threats to the leatherbacks
Trawlers
Pollution
Climate change
Communities protecting the turtles
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28. Marine Sanctuaries Protect Ecosystems and Species
Offshore fishing
Exclusive economic zones
High seas
Law of the Sea Treaty
LOST
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)

29. Establishing a Global Network of Marine Reserves: An Ecosystem Approach
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

31. Fully protected marine reserves work fast Fish populations double
Fish size grows
Reproduction triples
Species diversity increase by almost one-fourth
Other Side

32. Protecting Marine Biodiversity: Individuals and Communities Together
Integrated Coastal Management
Community-based group to prevent further degradation of the ocean
fishers, business owners,
developers, scientists, citizens,
politicians

33. Estimating and Monitoring Fishery Populations Is the First Step
Maximum sustained yield (MSY): traditional approach
Optimum sustained yield (OSY)
Precautionary principle

34. Some Communities Cooperate to Regulate Fish Harvests
Community management of the fisheries
Lofoten Fishery - Norway
Comanagement of the fisheries with the government
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35. Government Subsidies Can Encourage Overfishing
2007: World Trade Organization, U.S.
Proposed a ban on fishing subsidies
Reduce illegal fishing on the high seas and in coastal waters
Close ports and markets to such fishers
Check authenticity of ship flags
Prosecution of offenders

36. Some Countries Use the Marketplace to Control Overfishing
Individual transfer rights (ITRs)
Control access to fisheries
New Zealand and Iceland
Difficult to enforce
Problems with the ITR approach
(% of TAC)

37. Consumer Choices Can Help to Sustain Fisheries and Aquatic Biodiversity
1997: Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), London
Supports sustainable fishing
Certifies sustainably produced seafood
Manage global fisheries more sustainably
Individuals
Organizations
Governments
Marine Stewardship Council

38. Solutions: Managing Fisheries

39. 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
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Bolsa Chica
Bolsa Chica Land Trust

40. We Can Preserve and Restore Wetlands
Laws for protection
Mitigation banking
Ecologists argue this as a last resort
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41. We Need to Set Priorities for Protecting Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services
2002: Edward O. Wilson
Complete the mapping of the world’s terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity
Keep old-growth forests intact; cease their logging
Identify and preserve hotspots and deteriorating ecosystem services that threaten life
Ecological restoration projects
Make conservation financially rewarding