Chapter 12 Sustaining Aquatic Biodiversity
Part One: Overview of the Chapter
I Aquatic Biodiversity
1. We know fairly little about the biodiversity of the world's marine and freshwater systems.
2. The worlds marine and freshwater systems provide important ecological and economic services.
II. Human Impacts on Aquatic Biodiversity
1. Human activities have destroyed or degraded a large proportion of the world's coastal wetlands, coral
reefs, mangroves, and ocean bottom, and disrupted many of the worlds freshwater ecosystems.
2. Harmful invasive species is increasing in threat to aquatic biomes.
3. Almost have the worlds population lives on or near the coast line, and 80% of water pollution comes
from land based human activities.
4. About 75% of the worlds commercially valuable marine fish species are overfished or fished near their
sustainable limits.
5. rapidly increasing human impacts, the invisibility of problems, citizens unawareness, and the lack of
legal jurisdiction hinder protection of aquatic biodiversity.
III. Protecting and Sustaining Marine Biodiversity
1. Laws, international treaties, and education can help reduce the premature extinction of marine species.
2. After many of the worlds whale species were over harvested, commercial whaling was banned in 1970,
but the ban was overturned.
3. Fully protected marine reserves make up less than .3% of the world's ocean area.
4. Some communities work together to develop integrated plans for managing their costal area's.
5. two recent studies called for an overhaul of U.S ocean policy and management.
IV. Managing and Sustaining marine Fisheries.
1. There are a number of ways to manage marine fisheries more sustainably and protect marine
biodiversity.
2. Some fishing communities regulate fish harvests on their own and others work with the government to
regulate them.
3. requiring government permits for filling or destroying U.S wetlands has slowed their loss, but attempts
to weaken this protection continue.
4. the worlds largest ecological restoration project involves trying to undo some of the damage inflicted on
Florida's Everglades by Human activities.
5. Lakes are difficult to manage and are vulnerable to planned or unplanned introductions of nonnative
species.
6. For decades, invasions by nonnative species have caused major ecological and economic damage to
North America's Great Lakes.
7. Dams can provide many human benefits but can disrupt some ecological services that rivers provide.
8. We can help sustain freshwater fisheries by building and protecting populations of desirable species,
prevention, overfishing, and decreasing populations of less desirable species.
9. Federal law helps protect a tiny fraction of U.S wild and scenic rivers from dams and other forms of
development.
10. Term to know: High Seas: area of the ocean that no country owns
Part Two: Important Numbers
- 20% of coral reefs have been destroyed
- 20% of coral reefs have been damaged
- By 2050, 58% may be destroyed or damaged
- A country can fish only 200 miles off its shore
- Past 100 years sea levels have risen between 4-10 in.
- 80% of ocean pollution comes from land based activities
- 75% of commercially valuable fish are being fished at or beyond their sustainability capacity
- 90% of large open swimming fish have disappeared
- 34% marine fish and 71% of fresh water fish will die in our lifetime.
- Only 2% of US rivers are free flowing
- Dams and reservoirs are found on 17% of the US total river length.
Part Three: Diagrams and Pictures
Protecting Wetlands:
- Legally protect current wetlands
- Steer development away from wetlands
- Restore degrading wetlands
-Prevent or hinder non native species
Ecological Services of Rivers:
- Deliver nutrients
- Deposits silt that maintains deltas
- Purify water
- Renew and restore wetlands
- Provide habitat for life
Types of Aquatic Invasive Species
Trawl Net
Part Four: Multiple Choice Questions
1. What percent of fish are being harvested faster then their sustainability capacity?
a. 20%
b. 55%
c. 75%
d. 96%
2. Harvesting whales were banned in 1970, the law was later…
a. Repealed
b. Expanded
c. Restricted to certain areas
d. Made vague and therefor easily manipulated
3. How many miles may a country fish off its shores?
a. None
b. 100
c. 250
d. 200
4. Invasion of non native species have effected which of the following US lakes.
a. Great Lakes
b. Lake Tahoe
c. Invasive species do not impact lakes
d. A and B
5. Which of the following does not help prevent the extinction of species.
a. Environmental ignorance
b. Laws
c. International Treaties
d. Education
6. Most ocean pollution comes from…
a. Oil spills
b. Land based activities
c. Swimming in the ocean
d. Rain
7. Which of the following are causing sea turtles to become extinct?
a. Development of nesting sites
b. Poaching for jewelry
c. Poaching for leather
d. All of the above
8. What does High Seas mean?
a. An area with unusually tall and destructive, dangerous waves.
b. Unclaimed Ocean water
c. Parts of the ocean that are extremely deep
d. A bay area in the north
9. Which of the following reduces bycatch?
a. Use large nets with no room for escape
b. Electrocute the fish
c. Don't fish in areas with bycatch
d. Use net escape devices and wide-meshed netting
10. Which of the following is not a method to protect aquatic areas?
a. Establish no fishing zones
b. establish more marine protected areas
c. Allow recreational boats in
d. Rely on more integrated coastal management.
Part Five: Free Response Questions
1. Describe two types of fishing nets and their environmental impacts.
2. Elaborate on why Sea Turtles are becoming endangered/extinct.
3. How do aquatic invasive species arrive in other separate aquatic zones?
4. How can we prevent non native aquatic species invasions?
5. How will increases in consumer information (labels) about products help endangered species?
6. Why are whales harvested, and how are they easy to catch?
7. Name five ways we can protect wetlands
8. Where is the largest ecological restoration project in the world happening, and how is it flawed?
9. Name four ecological services that rivers supply.
10. The chapter is partly dedicated to wetlands, based on what you learned from earlier chapters, why are wetlands such
a key focus?