Natural Capital Degradation: The Nile Perch

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

Sustaining Aquatic Biodiversity Chapter 11

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?

Don’t Forget! Natural Capital

HIPPCO

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

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

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

Invasive Water Hyacinths

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

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

Hawaiian Monk Seal Plastics

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

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

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

Watery Wasteland

Bycatch http://s.ngeo.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/001/cache/dead-fish-tossed_131_600x450.jpg

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

Fishprint Sea Around Us Project

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) Skip

Solutions

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 Skip

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

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

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 Skip

Marine Sanctuaries Protect Ecosystems and Species Offshore fishing Exclusive economic zones High seas Law of the Sea Treaty LOST Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)

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

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

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

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

Some Communities Cooperate to Regulate Fish Harvests Community management of the fisheries Lofoten Fishery - Norway Comanagement of the fisheries with the government Skip

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

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)

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

Solutions: Managing Fisheries

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 Skip Bolsa Chica Bolsa Chica Land Trust

We Can Preserve and Restore Wetlands Laws for protection Mitigation banking Ecologists argue this as a last resort Skip

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