1. Marine Reserves 12/15/08

2. Laws protecting marine biodiversity 1975 Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) 1979 Global Treaty on Migratory Species US Marine Mammal Protection Ace of 1972 US Endangered species Act of 1973 Used to identify and protect endangered marine mammal species such as whales, seals, turtles

3. Case Study: Sea Turtle 6 of the 7 major sea turtle species are threatened or endangered because of human activities Include developments on turtle nesting beaches, over-harvesting of eggs for food, increased use of shells for jewelry, unintentional capture and drowning The USA has passed laws to protect the turtles from unintentional fishing deaths

4. Fisheries management Maximum sustainable yield—allows for maximum harvest of populations of fish while keeping fish available for the future Hard to manage and maintain this perfect balance

5. Who owns the oceans? International law states that a country’s offshore fishing zone extends to 370 kilometers (200 miles) from its shores Coastal nations have over 36% of the ocean surface and 90% of the world’s fish stocks

6. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) Around 300 in the USA, 1300 in the world Most allow fishing or other activities Low levels of protection Many people think MPAs are ineffective

7. Marine Reserves No fishing is allowed Preserves entire ecosystems intact without human interference Varies widely throughout the world Scientists think that fish can reproduce here and disperse to other areas of the ocean Will help fishermen who do not like protected areas

9. Case study: the Florida Keys In 1998, a reserve zone was established Property rights advocates protested, filing as $27 million dollar lawsuit against the government Since then, citizens have seen improvements in the marine life Fishermen are now catching more fish outside the reserve In 2000, 70% of the residents supported the reserve and over 50% would support have more

10. Benefits of marine reserves 1. Boost fish biomass, total catch, and record- sized fish 2. Produce rapid and long-term increases in abundance, diversity, and productivity of marine organisms 3. Decrease mortality and habitat destruction 4. Lessen the likelihood of extirpation species (getting totally destroyed)

11. Benefits of marine reserves Benefits outside the boundaries 1. Creates a “spillover effect” as individuals move outside the reserve 2. Allow larvae of species protected within reserves to seed outside

12. Research into marine reserves Pg 490-491 At two coral reef sites in Kenya, keystone species were 10 times more abundant 1-2 years after their establishment, marine reserves Increased densities of organisms by 91% Increased biomass of organisms by 192% Increased average size of organisms by 31% Increased species diversity by 23%

13. Designing marine reserves There is a large debate on how large reserves should be, where they need to be placed, and how many there should be If too small Not self-sustaining Offers too little protection to fish Fails to meet goals

14. Designing marine reserves If medium sized Moderately self-sustaining Boosts fish catch outside the reserve Good balance If large sized Reserve is completely self sustaining Relatively low boost to fishing because little spill- over Outcome not acceptable to fishermen

15. Marine reserves Less than 0.3% of the world’s ocean area consists of fully protected marine reserves In 2006, President Bush created the world’s largest protected marine area near Hawaii Nearly as large as the state of California 7 times larger than the nation’s 13 national marine sanctuaries combined Home for more than 7000 species, many found only here

16. Integrated coastal management Community-based effort to develop and use coastal resources more sustainably Requires all participants to seek reasonable short-term trade-offs than can lead to long- term ecological and economic benefits This is how Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is managed

17. Case study: the Florida Everglades Used to be a massive wetland system Since 1948, a massive water control project has provided south Florida’s population with a water supply and flood protection Much of the area has been destroyed In 1947, the Everglades National Park was designated at the lower 1/5 of the area Development to the north made this ineffective

18. Fig. 24-12 p. 653

20. Case study: the Florida Everglades 90% of the wading birds are gone and other species are down 75-95% Coral reefs near the area are also threatened In 1990, a 30 year plan was implemented to restore the park Restore the flow of the river supplying water Remove the canals blocking water flow By farmland and allow it to flood to create artificial marshes Create a new human water supply area

21. http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=37 06693n%3fsource=search_video

22. Independent thinking You are the mayor of a coastal town where some residents are employed as commercial fishers and other make a living serving eco-tourists who come to snorkel and scuba-dive at the nearby coral reef. In recent years, several fish stocks have crashed, and ecotourism is dropping off as fish disappear from the increasingly degraded reef. Scientists are urging you to help establish a marine reserve around portions of the reef, by most commercial and recreational fishers are opposed to this idea. What steps would you take to restore your community’s economy and environment?