Sustaining Aquatic Biodiversity
LET US ASK OURSELVES…
 What do we know about aquatic biodiversity, and what is
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its economic and ecological importance?
How are human activities affecting aquatic biodiversity?
How can we protect and sustain marine biodiversity?
How can we manage and sustain the world’s marine
fisheries?
How can we protect, sustain, and restore wetlands?
How can we protect, sustain, and restore lakes, rivers, and
fresh water fisheries?
What do we know about aquatic
biodiversity, and what is its economic
and ecological importance?
 The greatest biodiversity occurs in coral reefs
 The economic importance of coral reefs- Sponges and
mollusks located there, contain antibiotic and
anticancer properties.
 Biodiversity increases near coasts and near the bottom
region of the ocean.
 Ecological importance-more species in an aquatic
ecosystem leads to a higher survival rate of a species in
said ecosystem b/c everything is interconnected.
 Higher biodiversity= more economic benefits
 More species to fish= more food=more money
How are human activities affecting
aquatic biodiversity?
 Rising sea levels due to human induced climate change and
coastal development has lead to wetland and coral reef
degradation.
 Overfishing
 The introduction of alien species into aquatic ecosystems.
 Nile perch in Lake Victoria
 Humans have degraded a large proportion of coastal
wetlands, coral reefs, and mangroves.
 Some 90% of fish living in these ecosystems are under intense
pressure of human activities.
How can we protect and sustain
marine biodiversity?
 Create Marine reserves
 0.3% of ocean is protected by marine reserves
 Education… of course
 HIPPO
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Habitat destruction and degradation
Invasive Species
Pollution
(Human) Population Growth
Overexploitation
 Establish laws and international treaties.
 U.S. Endangered Species Act
 CITES
 Global Treaty on Migratory Species
 Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1973
 International Whaling Commission
How can we manage and sustain
the world’s marine fisheries?
 Create protected marine sanctuaries
 Create zoning rules to protect and manage resources
for entire bodies of water
 Create maximum sustained yield models
 Regulating fish harvest
How can we protect, sustain, and
restore wetlands?
 Limit urban development
 Mitigation banking- allow the destruction of existing
wetlands as long as an equal area of the same type of
wetland is created or restored.
 Limit agricultural development
 Hire people to restore everglades
 Ex: Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERR)
How can we protect, sustain, and
restore lakes, rivers, and freshwater
fisheries?
 Limit dam production due to the restriction of water
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flow.
Set fishing limits in rivers and lakes
Keep nonnative species out of waters
Protect populations of desirable species
Decrease populations of less desirable species
When a resource is no longer profitable to continue extracting
from the environment
An unwanted fish species that is caught and then thrown
overboard dead or dying.
To catch fish by dragging a funnel shaped net hold open at the
neck along the bottom of the ocean; it is weighed down with
chains or metal plates.
A large net surrounds surface dwelling species after locating the
school.
Throwing out lines up to 80 miles long that are hung with
thousands of baited hooks.
Speaks for itself
Areas of ocean where only certain quotas of fish are permitted
Oceans beyond the legal jurisdiction of any country
Partially protected from human areas
Areas where no extraction is permitted.
Community-based effort to develop and use coastal resources
more sustainably.
To maximize the number of fish that can be harvest without
population drop.
sharply reducing fish harvests and closing some
overfished areas until they recover and we have more
info. About what levels of fishing can be sustained.
when coastal communities and the government can
work together to manage fisheries.
allows the destruction of existing wetlands as longs as an equal
area of the same type of wetland is created or restored.
Realistic Actions we can take to
protect our water.
 Turn off the water in the shower while you apply soap to your hair and
body.
 Avoid Tuna
 Tuna is known for high levels of Bycatch due to the fishing methods to
obtain such a large fish.
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Dolphins, sea turtles, sharks, etc.
 Turn the water to a low flow when you wash your hands or do dishes.
 Use gray water to wash your hands.
 Don’t litter
 Waste eventually ends up in a water way
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Take the island of garbage that is close to the size of Texas, floating around the
Atlantic Ocean
 Eat less meat
 This limits the amount of runoff that goes into fresh water ways from
cattle waste