Transcript marine conservation

Marine Conservation
• Marine protected areas and
reserves
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We can protect areas in the ocean
• Marine protected areas (MPAs) = most are along the
coastlines of developed countries
- They still allow fishing or other extractive activities
• Marine reserves = areas where fishing is prohibited
- Leave ecosystems intact, without human interference
- Improve fisheries, because young fish will disperse
into surrounding areas
• Many commercial, recreation fishers, and businesses do
not support reserves
- Be sensitive to concerns of local residents
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Reserves work for both fish and fisheries
• Marine reserves:
- Increased densities of organisms by 91%
- Increased biomass by 192%
- Increased organism size by 31%
- Increased species diversity by 23%
• Benefits inside reserve boundaries include:
- Rapid and long-term increases in abundance,
diversity, and productivity of marine organisms
- Decreased mortality and habitat destruction
- Decreased likelihood of extirpation of species
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Areas outside reserves also benefit
• A “spillover effect” occurs when individuals of protected
species spread outside reserves
- Larvae of species protected within reserves “seed the
seas” outside reserves
- Improved fishing and ecotourism
• Local residents who were opposed support reserves once
they see their benefits
• Once commercial trawling was stopped on Georges Bank:
- Populations of organisms began to recover
- Fishing in adjacent waters increased
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How should reserves be designed?
• 20–50% of the ocean should be protected in no-take
reserves
- How large?
- How many?
- Where?
• Involving fishers is crucial in coming up with answers
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http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/
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Conclusion
• Oceans cover most of our planet and contain diverse
topography and ecosystems
• As we learn about oceans and coastal environments,
we are intensifying our use of their resources and
causing severe impacts
• We need to address acidification, loss of coral reefs,
pollution, and fisheries depletion
• Setting aside protected areas can maintain and restore
natural systems and enhance fisheries
• Consumer choices can help us move toward
sustainable fishing
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V Marine Conservation
1. How does a marine reserve differ from a marine
protected area? Why do many fishers oppose marine
reserves?
2. Explain why scientists say no-take reserves will be good
for fishers.
3. Consider what you know about biological productivity in
the oceans, about the scientific data on marine reserves
and about social and political issues surrounding the
establishment of marine reserves. What type of ocean
regions do you think it would be particularly appropriate
to establish as marine reserve? Why?
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