Sustaining Aquatic BiodiversitySustaining Aquatic Biodiversity

Chapter 13Chapter 13

Key ConceptsKey Concepts

Economic and ecological importance Economic and ecological importance

Effects of human activities Effects of human activities

Protecting and sustaining aquatic diversity Protecting and sustaining aquatic diversity

Protecting and sustaining fisheries Protecting and sustaining fisheries

Protecting and restoring wetlands Protecting and restoring wetlands

The Importance of Aquatic BiodiversityThe Importance of Aquatic Biodiversity

Coral reefs Coral reefs

Estuaries Estuaries

Deep ocean floor Deep ocean floor

Food items Food items

Lakes and streams Lakes and streams

Medicines and drugs Medicines and drugs

Marine SpeciesMarine Species

Human Impacts on Aquatic BiodiversityHuman Impacts on Aquatic Biodiversity

Species loss and endangerment Species loss and endangerment

Marine habitat loss and degradation Marine habitat loss and degradation

Freshwater habitat loss and degradation Freshwater habitat loss and degradation

Overfishing Overfishing

Nonnative species Nonnative species

Bulrush

BluegillWhite bass

Brook trout White waterlily

Water lettuce

Rainbow trout

Muskellunge

Bowfish Water hyacinth

Rainbow darter

Bladderwort

Black crappieWhite sturgeon 

Yellow perch

Largemouth black bass

Walleyed pike

American smelt

EelgrassLongnose garDuckweed

Common piranha

Carp

African lungfish

Egyptian white lotus

Channel catfish

Velvet cichlid

Protecting and Sustaining Marine BiodiversityProtecting and Sustaining Marine Biodiversity

Protect endangered and threatened species Protect endangered and threatened species

International agreements International agreements

Integrated coastal management Integrated coastal management

Reconciliation ecology Reconciliation ecology

Sustainable management of marine fisheries Sustainable management of marine fisheries

Managing and Sustaining the World’s Marine FisheriesManaging and Sustaining the World’s Marine Fisheries

Fishery regulationsFishery regulationsEconomic approachesEconomic approaches

Bycatch reductionBycatch reduction

Protected areasProtected areas

Nonnative speciesNonnative species

Consumer informationConsumer information

AquacultureAquaculture

Solutions

Managing Fisheries

Fishery RegulationsSet catch limits well below the maximum sustainable yield

Improve monitoring and enforcementof regulations

Economic ApproachesSharply reduce or eliminate fishing subsidies

Charge fees for harvesting fish and shellfish from publicly owned offshore waters

Certify sustainable fisheries

Protected areasEstablish no-fishing areas

Establish more marine protected areas

Rely more on integrated coastal management

Consumer InformationLabel sustainably harvested fish

Publicize over fished and threatened species

BycatchUse wide-meshed nets to allow escape of smaller fish

Use net escape devices for seabirds and sea turtles

Ban throwing edible and marketable fish back into the sea

AquacultureRestrict coastal locations for fish farms

Control pollution more strictly

Depend more on herbivorous fish species

Nonnative InvasionsKill organisms in ship ballast water

Filter organisms from ship ballast water

Dump ballast water far at sea and replace withDeep-sea water

Global freshwater

Year

Me

an

tro

ph

ic le

vel

1950 1960 1970 1980 19902.5

2.6

2.7

2.8

2.9

3.0

3.1

3.2

3.3

3.4

3.5

Global marineM

ea

n t

rop

hic

leve

l

Year1950 1960 1970 1980 1990

2.5

2.6

2.7

2.8

2.9

3.0

3.1

3.2

3.3

3.4

3.5

Whale

Seal

Turtle

Sea lion

Bowhead whale

HumpbackwhaleNorthern right

whale

Fin whaleHawksbillturtle

Hawaiianmonk seal

Hawksbillturtle

Greenturtle Leatherback

turtle

Greenturtle

Humpbackwhale

Fin whale

Humpbackwhale

Hawksbillturtle

Greenturtle

HawksbillturtleKemp's

ridley turtle

Leatherbackturtle

Olive ridleyturtle

Fin whale

Humpbackwhale

Bowhead whale

Bowhead whale

Northern rightwhale Mediterranean

monk seal

Leatherbackturtle

Hawksbillturtle

Oliveridleyturtle

Leatherbackturtle

Humpbackwhale

Fin whale

Leatherbackturtle

Greenturtle

Oliveridleyturtle

Japanesesea lion

Bowhead whale

Hawksbillturtle

Saimaa seal

Loggerhead119 centimeters

Olive ridley76 centimeters

Leatherback188 centimeters

Hawksbill89 centimeters

Green turtle124 centimeters

Kemp's ridley 76 centimeters

Black turtle99 centimeters

Australian flatback

99 centimeters

Atlanticwhite-sideddolphin

Harborporpoise

Commondolphin

Killerwhale

Belugawhale

Bottlenosedolphin

False killerwhale

Pilotwhale

Cuvier'sbeakedwhale

Pygmyspermwhale

Spermwhale

Narwhal

Squid

Baird'sbeakedwhale

Odontocetes (Toothed Whales)

0 5 10 15 20 25 30m

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100ft

Humpback whale

Bowhead whale

Right whaleMinke whale

Blue whale

Feeding on krill

Fin whale

Sei whale

Gray whaleMysticetes (Baleen Whales)

Protecting, Sustaining, and Restoring WetlandsProtecting, Sustaining, and Restoring Wetlands

Regulations Regulations

Mitigation bankingMitigation banking

Wetlands protectionWetlands protection

Wetlands restorationWetlands restoration

Control of invasive species

Control of invasive species

Protecting, Sustaining, and Restoring Rivers Protecting, Sustaining, and Restoring Rivers

Pollution Pollution

Disruption of water flow

Disruption of water flow

Loss of biodiversity

Loss of biodiversity

Invasive speciesInvasive species

Natural Capital

Ecological Services of Rivers

•Deliver nutrients to sea to help sustain coastal fisheries

•Deposit silt that maintains details

•Purify water

•Renew and renourish wetlands

•Provide habitats for wildlife

Life Cycle of Wild Salmon

Life Cycle of Wild Salmon

Fish change form

Fish enter riversand head forspawning areas

Grow to smoltand enter the ocean...

Grow to maturityin Pacific Oceanin 1-2 years

Eggs and young arecared for in the hatchery

Fry hatch in the spring...

Fingerlings migrate downstream

In the fall spawning salmondeposit eggs in gravel nests and die

NormalLifeCycle

Fingerlingsare released into river

And grow in the streamfor 1-2 years

Human capture

Salmonprocessingplant

Eggs are taken from adultfemales and fertilized withsperm “milked” from males

ModifiedLifeCycle

To hatchery

Rebuilding Salmon PopulationsRebuilding Salmon Populations

Build upstream hatcheries

Repopulating streams

Build fish ladders

Transport salmon around dams

Reduce silt runoff

Restrict dam construction

Build upstream hatcheries

Repopulating streams

Build fish ladders

Transport salmon around dams

Reduce silt runoff

Restrict dam construction

Solutions

Rebuilding Salmon Populations

Building upstream hatcheries

Releasing juvenile salmon from hatcheries to under-populated streams

Releasing extra water from dams to wash juvenile salmon downstream

Building fish ladders so adult salmon can bypass dams during upstream migration

Using trucks and barges to transport salmon around dams

Reducing silt runoff from logging roads above salmon spawning streams

Banning dams from some stream areas