Transcript Water Bodies

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Mangroves are large
woody trees with a dense,
complex root system that
grows downward from
the branches
Mangroves are the
dominant plant of the
tropical and subtropical
intertidal area
Distribution of the trees is
largely controlled by air
temperature, exposure to
wave and current attack,
tidal range, substrate and
sea water chemistry
Detritus from the
mangrove forms the base
of the food chain
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Human Actions have reduced wetlands to less
than half of their land area
Draining for agriculture
 Draining for housing/urban development
 Draining for mosquito prevention
 Pollution due to dumping and runoff
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Fig. 11.36a, p.288
Fig. 11.36b, p.288
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Clean Water Act
Protects wetlands by preventing dredge and fill
operations in nations waters including wetlands
 Protected under water quality clauses of clean Water
Act
 National pollutant discharge elimination
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Executive Order 11990
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No Net Loss – protects wetlands by requiring
restoration or mitigation of wetlands lost by
development.
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cover about three-fourths of the Earth’s surface
and include oceans, coral reefs, and estuaries
algae supply much of the world’s oxygen supply
and take in a huge amount of atmospheric
carbon dioxide
evaporation of the seawater provides rainwater
for the land
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largest of all the ecosystems
dominate the Earth’s surface
separate zones
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Coastal
 Estuaries and wetlands
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Intertidal
Pelagic
Abyssal
Benthic
great diversity of species
richest diversity of species even though it
contains fewer species than there are on
land
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Large volumes of fresh water mix with salt
water
Temperature and salinity levels vary widely
due to
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Daily tides
Seasonal variations of flow
Unpredictable flow from freshwater sources
Some of the world’s most productive
ecosystems.
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Coastal wetland
Inundated with salt
water as tides
change
Salt tolerant plants
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Cordgrass
Switchgrass
Glasswort/saltwort
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enclosed body of water
formed where freshwater
from rivers and streams
flows into the ocean, mixing
with the salty sea water
places of transition from
land to sea, and from fresh to
salt water
influenced by the tides, but
protected from the full force
of ocean waves, winds, and
storms by the reefs, barrier
islands, or fingers of land,
mud, or sand that define an
estuary's seaward boundary
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Subdivided into three types based
upon the relative importance of river
inflow and tidal mixing.
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Salt-wedge estuaries are dominated by the outflow from
rivers.
Partially-mixed estuaries are dominated by neither river
inflow nor tidal mixing.
In well-mixed estuaries tidal turbulence destroys the
halocline and water stratification.
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Estuaries are extremely
fertile because nutrients are
brought in by rivers and
recycled from the bottom
because of the turbulence.
Stressful conditions and
abundant nutrients result in
low species diversity, but
great abundance of the
species present.
Despite abundance of
nutrients, phytoplankton
blooms are irregular and the
base of the food chain is
detritus washed in from
adjacent salt marshes.
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Estuaries are sometimes
called “marine
nurseries”
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habitats for many juvenile
organisms, especially for
fishes
many fish are born and
grow up in estuaries
migrate to the open ocean
Wildlife Habitat
Recreation
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where the ocean
meets the land
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sometimes
submerged and at
other times exposed
waves and tides
come in and out
communities are
constantly changing
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rocky coasts
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 Where only highest tides reach
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submerged during high tide
not as stratified
waves keep mud
and sand
constantly moving
 more diverse array of algae and
 very few algae
and plants can
establish
themselves
bottom of the intertidal zone
 the fauna include
worms, clams,
predatory
crustaceans, crabs,
small animals, such as
herbivorous snails, crabs, sea
stars, and small fishes
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sandier shores
stratified vertically
 a few species of algae and
mollusks
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 only exposed during the lowest
tides, many invertebrates,
fishes, and seaweed can be
found
and shorebirds.
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much stronger than wind
decide what grows where
shores classified by amount
of wave action
Exposed shores – receive full
brunt of the ocean for most
or at least some of the time
 Semi-exposed shores –
sheltered by barrier islands
but still have to cope with
waves
 Sheltered shores – shelter of
peninsulas and inshore
islands
 Enclosed shores
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 river mouths and estuaries
 completely sheltered by either
a protective rocks or a sand
bar
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Form in clear, warm, coastal waters
Occupy only about 0.1% of worlds ocean
Most diverse and productive ecosystems
Home to one fourth the marine species
 Attached organisms give reef structure
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 Corals, algae and sponges
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Fish
Other small organisms that bore in or live within the
nooks of the coral.
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Human impacts
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Species loss and endangerment
 Overfishing
 Habitat destruction
 Pollution
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Marine and Freshwater Habitat loss and degradation
Overfishing
Nonnative species
Pollution and Global Warming
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Protect endangered and threatened species
Establish protected areas
Integrated coastal management
Regulating and preventing ocean pollution
Sustainably managing marine fisheries
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Example: Sea Turtles
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Lost due to
 Degradation of beach habitat
 Taking of eggs
 Used as food, medicine, jewelry and leather
 Unintentional capture and drowning
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Protected by:
 Beach protection
 Nest watchers
 US ESA
 TEDs
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CITES
1979 Global treaty on Migratory Species
US Marine Mammal Protection Act
US Endangered Species Act
US Whale Conservation and protection act
International Convention on Biological
Diversity
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PMS – areas of coastal regions controlled by the
nation
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Sovereignty of the 12 miles off shore
Jurisdiction of 200 mile Economic Zone
Benefits of these areas:
Fish populations increase
 Fish size increases
 Fish reproduction triples
 Species diversity is 23% higher
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Community Based effort to develop and use
coastal resources sustainable
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Identify shared problems and goals
Find workable and cost effective solution that
preserve biodiversity and environmental quality
while meeting economic and social needs
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Develop better measurement and models for
projecting fish populations and controlling
fishing methods and access to fisheries
Methods:
Maximum sustained yield
 Optimum sustained yield
 Multispecies management
 Large marine system management
 Precautionary principle
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MSY –
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uses a mathematical model to project the max
number of fish that can be harvested
 Leads to collapse of fish populations
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OSY
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Takes into account interactions with other fish
species provide more room for error
 Is often ignored
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Multispecies management/Large Marine
Systems
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Complex computer models that take into account
competitive and predator-prey interactions in
estimating fish catch
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International and National Laws
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Uses the Economic Exclusion Zones
Community based comanagement
Sets quotas for species
 Divides quotas among communities
 Limit fishing seasons and type of gear
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Individual transfer quotas
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Fishery Regulations
Economic approaches
Bycatch
Protected Areas
Nonnative invasions
Consumer information
Aquaculture