Chapter 5 Preserving Aquatic Biodiversity

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Marine biodiversity

• Marine biodiversity is higher in coral reefs and estuaries because of more habitats and nutrients.

• 3.5 billion people depend on the sea for their primary source of food.

• food antibiotics coral is used to reconstruct bones

• Anticancer drugs

Invasive Water Hyacinths

Great Pacific Trash Vortex

In Wisconsin an invasive is a common carp

Case Study: Industrial Fish Harvesting Methods

• Trawler fishing-catch fish that live near the ocean floor such as shrimp, cod and flounder

• disturbs the ocean floor• Purse-seine fishing - huge net to catch tuna may also snare

dolphins

• Longlining- some of these lines may be as long as 80 miles--- ----may catch unwanted (BY CATCH) fish and endangered species

• Drift-net fishing_(gill net)--- catches the fish by the gills may catch unwanted fish and also result in overfishing of an area

Fig. 11-7, p. 256

Fish farming in cage Spotter airplane

Trawler fishing

Sonar Purse-seine fishing

Long line fishing

lines with hooks

Deep sea aquaculture cage

Drift-net fishing

Float Buoy

Fish caught by gills Stepped Art

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

Hawaiian Monk Seal Plastics tend to tangle and snarl wildlife

An Endangered Leatherback Turtle is Entangled in a Fishing Net

Bycatch- usually smaller fish that are caught as a consequence of catching larger fish

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

EVERGLADES

• River of Grass”: south Florida, U.S.

• Since 1948: damaged– Drained – Diverted– Paved over– Nutrient pollution from agriculture– Invasive plant species

• 1947: Everglades National Park unsuccessful protection project

Natural Capital Restoration: Wetland Restoration in Canada

Ecological Services of Wetlands

• Absorb large amounts of water runoff preventing flooding. Coastal wetlands can buffer against ocean storm surges.

• Wetlands can decompose vegetation and thus return nutrients to the ecosystem.

• Wetlands are teaming with life.

The process of sewage treatment and wetland water purification have commonalities

Sewage sludge

Fig. 8-10, p. 170

Ocean Beach Primary Dune

Trough Secondary Dune

Back Dune Bay or Lagoon

Recreation, no building

Walkways, no building

Limited recreation and

walkways

Walkways, no building

Most suitable for development

Recreation

Grasses or shrubsBay shore

Taller shrubsTaller shrubs and trees

Walk way over primary dune A seawall to reduce erosion

FUN REVIEW

• 1. Plant matter is phyto_____________?• 2. __________ Carson wrote “Silent Spring”• 3. Wrote the “Jungle” which exposed

conditions in the US meat packing industry.• 4. First “big” environmental president.

PLACES

• 5. 1986 Nuclear accident city• 6. _____________ aquifer in the United States mid

west.• 7. Volcanic eruption in the state of Washington in

1980.• 8. _______ mile island• 9. A river in the western United States that is having

very reduced flow. Hint: it bears a states name.10. City in the country of India of 1984 methyl isocyanate release___________

LegalWrite out the FULL name of these legal

abbreviations

• 11. CITES• 12. MMPA of 1972• 13. U.S. ESA of 1973• 14. SMCRA

Speeding up recovery of damaged ecosystems

• 15 Artificial ecosystems may include sinking old tires or creating a __________ to reduce flooding and provide habitat for aquatic organisms.

• 16. Habitat _________________ is trying to return a particular degraded habitat to a condition close to its natural state.

Names for groups of mammalsThese are not in the book.

• 17. baboons• 18. oxen• 19. rhinoceri• 20. moose• 21. elks• 22. lions• 23. camels