Marine Life

Presented By :-

Neha Agrawal : IF2009001

Snehal Naik : IF2009037

Khushbu Savla : IF2009043

Introduction
The World's oceans are home to countless species, from tiny plankton to the great whales. Exactly how large the proportion is still unknown. Many species are economically important to humans. Marine life is a vast resource, providing food, medicine, and raw materials. The marine life also help to support recreation and tourism all over the world. Marine organisms contribute significantly to the oxygen cycle, and are involved in the regulation of the earth's climate. Yet marine life, and the sea on which we depend, is under threat from pollution, overfishing and other damaging activities.

Different Types Of Marine Pollution

Direct Discharge Land RunOff Ship Pollution Atmospheric Pollution Deep Sea Mining Acidification Eutrophication Plastic Debris

Toxins
Noise Pollution

Direct Discharge
This is caused due to the toxic waters which are discharged from urban sewerage and industrial waste Inland mining for gold,copper,etc. also leads to sea pollution

Land Runoff
Surface runoff due to farming in rural areas Urban runoff from the construction of roads, buildings, ports, channels, and harbours.

Ship Pollution
Ships cause Oil Spills Ballast Water taken up at sea and released in port is a major source of unwanted exotic marine life. Discharge of cargo residues from bulk carrierscan pollute ports, waterways and oceans

Atmospheric Pollution
Global Warming Land Storms in deserts

Deep Sea Mining

Ocean mining sites are usually around large areas of polymetallic nodules or active and extinct hydrotherm al vents at about 1,400 - 3,700 meters below the

oceans surface
Increases turbidity of water,can cause earthquakes etc.

Acidification
The oceans are normally a natural carbon sink, absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. methane clathrate reservoirs found under sediments on the ocean floors.

Eutrophication
Eutrophication is an increase in chemical nutrients, typically compounds containing nitrogen o r phosphorus, in an ecosystem. It can lead to dead Zone due to lack of oxygen and unhindered growth of algae

Plastic Debris
Aquatic life can be threatened through entanglement, suffocation, and ingestion.

Toxins
Toxins such as PCBs, DDT, pesticid es, furans, dioxins, phenols and radioactive waste.

Noise Pollution
According to the oceanographer Sylvia Earle, "Undersea noise pollution is like the death of a thousand cuts. Each sound in itself may not be a matter of critical concern, but taken all together, the noise from shipping, seismic surveys, and military activity is creating a totally different environment than existed even 50 years ago. That high level of noise is bound to have a hard, sweeping impact on life in the sea

Endangered Aquatic Species

Pink Dolphin

Pacific humpback dolphins are struggling to survive due to pollution, over-fishing, excessive boat traffic and habitat loss. These dolphins are thought to be an unique sub-species of the Chinese White Dolphin. They are known for their bright pink color.

Sea Title Turtles

Their numbers have declined due to increased pressures from human population expansion, and unregulated and overexploited harvests of eggs and adults.

Dugongs

Dugongs are subject to a range of human threats, including entanglement in shark, mesh and gill nets, loss and degradation of important habitat such as sea grass meadows, and collisions with boats

Coral Reefs

The coral reefs are threatened by several things which are water pollution, sedimentation, coastal development, Destructive Fishing Practice, coral mining, careless tourism, Ocean Warming and Coral Bleaching and ozone Depletion.

The Blue Whale

The Blue Whale is believed to be the largest animal ever to have existed. The Blue Whale's body can be various shades of bluish - grey dorsally and somewhat lighter underneath. Blue Whales were abundant in nearly all oceans until the beginning of the twentieth century.

Coral Reefs

Introduction to Coral Reefs

Coral reefs are massive structures made of limestone deposited by living things or are argonite structures produced by living organisms, found in marine waters with little to no nutrients in the water. Coral reefs support approximately 25 percent of all known marine species. Coral reefs are home to more than 4,000 species of fish, 700 species of coral, and thousands of other plants and animals. Although coral is often mistaken for a rock or a plant, it is actually composed of tiny, fragile animals. Although there are hundreds of different species of corals, they are generally classified as either hard coral or soft coral. Hard corals grow in colonies and are the architects of coral reefs. Soft corals, such as sea fingers and sea whips, are soft and bendable and often resemble plants or trees.

Facts on Coral Reefs

1. Coral reefs are among the oldest ecosystems on Earth. 2. Although coral reefs cover less than 1% of the Earths surface, they are home to 25% of all marine fish species 3. 500 million people rely on coral reefs for their food and livelihoods 4. An estimated 25% of coral reefs have already disappeared and an estimated two-thirds of all coral reefs are at risk today 5. For many coastal areas, coral reefs also provide an important barrier against the worst ravages of storms, hurricanes, and typhoons 6. Coral reefs have been used in the treatment of cancer, HIV, cardiovascular diseases and ulcers 7. 58% of the world's coral reefs are potentially threatened by human activity 8. If the present rate of destruction continues, 70% of the world's coral reefs will be destroyed by the year 2050

Factors Affecting the Growth of The Coral Reefs

SUNLIGHT
Corals need to grow in shallow water where sunlight can reach them. Corals depend on the zooxanthellae (algae) that grow inside of them for oxygen and other things, and since this algae needs sunlight to survive, corals also need sunlight to survive.

CLEAR WATER

Corals need clear water that lets sunlight through to survive. They don't grow well when the water is opaque as sunlight cannot reach them. Sediment and plankton can cloud water, which decreases the amount of sunlight that reaches the zooxanthellae.

Warm Water Temperature:

Reef-building corals require warm water conditions to survive. Different corals living in different regions can withstand various temperature fluctuations.

Saltwater:
Corals need saltwater to survive and require a certain balance in the ratio of salt to water. This is why corals don't live in areas where rivers drain fresh water into the ocean.

How important are Coral Reefs to us and other species?

Coral reefs provide habitat for 250, 000 known species with thousands yet to be discovered. 1st importance: Science & Medicine * It provides new medical compounds and technology for bone grafting.

2nd importance: Environmental *It protects coastlines and beaches from storm damage by acting as natural barriers.
3rd importance: Food and Species * It sustains the fish/shellfish that is the primary protein for 1 billion people. 4th importance: Tourism & Recreation *It attracts millions of tourists every year

How are Coral Reefs threatened?

1st cause: Water pollution. Reefs are harmed when human, animal waste or fertilizers are being dumped into the ocean. These pollutants increases the level of nitrogen around coral reefs which causes the algae to be overgrown. Floating trash which are thrown by humans are considered a pollutant too. Therefore, the water will be polluted and will be harmful to the reefs as it blocks off the sunlight. 2nd cause: Coastal Development

Coastal populations have risen. It has cause an increase of the pressures on coastal resources. This has led to many problems for coral reefs. In many areas, developers have constructed structures directly on top of coral reefs. Long ago, these reefs were destroyed by human pressures. Now, reefs growing near other coastal communities are experiencing the same coral degradation.

3rd cause: Careless Tourism

Tourist throw their sewage directly into the water which surrounds the coral reefs. Hence, it contributes to a coral reef degradation. Careless boating, diving, snorkeling and fishing may also damage the coral reefs. Whenever people grab, kick, walk on, or stir up sediment in the reefs, they contribute to coral reef destruction. Corals are also harmed or killed when people drop anchors on them.
4th cause: Carbon Dioxide

In the past few decades, the amount of carbon dioxide in the air has increased by one-third. This is harmful to corals because increased amounts of carbon dioxide are dissolving into the water, which appears to be dissolving the skeletons of corals. Therefore, corals in waters with large amounts of carbon dioxide form weaker skeletons, making them more vulnerable to damage from waves, careless tourists, and destructive fishers.

Conservation and Management of Marine Biodiversity

Marine conservation
Protection and preservation of ecosystems in oceans and seas. Focuses on limiting human-caused damage to marine ecosystems, and restoring damaged ecosystems. Involves protection of species, populations and habitats and mitigating human activities like overfishing, pollution, whaling, etc. Marine conservation is the study of conserving physical and biological marine resources and ecosystem functions.

Objectives
Preserve and restore natural ecosystems, all species of animals and plants that are endangered or are threatened. Perpetuate migratory bird resources. Provide the public with an understanding and appreciation of wildlife ecology and the human role. Preserve biological diversity.

However, it does not look at overall biological diversity, but only at endangered species.

Conservation
Marine conservationists rely on a combination of scientific principles derived from marine biology and oceanography, human factors and marine laws Although humans cause the greatest threat to our marine environment, they also have the ability to create effective management plans that will be the key to successful marine conservation. Main critical problem: oceans have no owner and no single nation or international organization is liable for their health.

Conservation
Efforts on the marine biodiversity have been limited because:
Migratory species (trans-boundary) Preserve biological diversity. Wide range of activities like shipping. The diversity is not widely considered threatened.

To save the sea is quite different from saving wildlife on land. The sea is such a unique place, so strange, and most of it has been left relatively undisturbed. Marine conservation should be easy, but our ignorance of the sea and how to protect it, has caused some failures from which we should learn. Unfortunately, the science of marine conservation is replete with untested myths and fallacies that prevent us from finding the right solutions. By Dr. J. Anthony.

How to protect and conserve

Abatement of marine pollution Marine Conservation Technologies Protected areas Policies, Laws and Organizations Marine Conservation Activism

Abatement of marine pollution

Pollution is a leading threat to marine ecosystem and their biodiversity. Need a strong antipollution policy. New approach to industrial development and to activities resulting in pollution such as no run off from farming or plants New production method, abandon fertilizers and pesticides Strengthen laws and regulation with effective enforcement mechanisms and monitoring. Establishing Water Quality Standards

Marine conservation Technologies

Devices used to protect endangered and threatened marine organisms and/or habitat. Turtle excluder devices remove a major threat to turtles. Many sea turtles are accidentally injured or killed by fishing Caught in a fisherman's net, they are unable to surface and thus drown. In response to this threat, NOAA created TEDs to protect sea turtles from getting caught in shrimp nets.

Marine Protected areas

Refers to the restricted areas to protect living, non-living, cultural, and/or historic resources. World Conservation Union defines as : any area of the intertidal or sub tidal terrain, together with its overlying water and associated flora, fauna, historical and cultural features, which has been reserved by law or other effective means to protect part or all of the enclosed environment.

Marine Reserves
Best Hope for Ocean Species. It is an area of the sea which has legal protection against fishing or development. As of April 2008, there are no high sea marine reserves, but Greenpeace is campaigning Often called no-take zones, since killing or harming of any plants or animals within the reserve boundaries is not allowed.

Marine Reserves
Marine reserves exist in nearly every country in the world Two recently created marine reserves the Channel Islands, off the coast of California and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia have drawn significant international attention. Other such areas include :
Malaysian marine parks Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in Australia Australian Whale Sanctuary Shark Bay Marine Park in New Zealand Marine National Park in the Gulf of Kutch Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park on the Andaman Islands

Laws, Regulations and Organizations

Now attention to marine biodiversity is urgently needed due to many problems and issues at global, regional and national levels. Coastal Zone Management Act Endangered Species Act 1985 Clear Water Act Ocean Dumping Act Oil Pollution Act World Oceans Day is celebrated every year on June 8, since 2009 The idea of a day to celebrate the ocean was first proposed in 1992 at the Earth Summit by the Government of Canada.

Marine conservation activism

Refers to the efforts of NGOs to bring about social change in the area of marine conservation. Activists raise public awareness for conservation, pushing government and corporations to practice sound ocean management. The largest sanctuary in the world is the North-western Hawaiian Islands National Monument in Hawaii. The purpose is to provide protection to the living and non- living resources of the oceans and seas.

Marine conservation activism

WDCS is a charity that is dedicated to the worldwide conservation and welfare (1987) The UN-Oceans is an inter-agency coordination mechanism, set up to enhance cooperation of activities concerned with the world oceans and coasts. Marine Conservation Society, United Kingdom The International SeaKeepers Society (ISS) is a non-profit organization of international business and political leaders who work toward the awareness and protection of the world's oceans

Conclusion
Marine biodiversity is essential to the survival of all life and public needs. Life in the ocean is declining rapidly and we have little time left to halt process. Changing attitudes in people, with experience and a little education can do much in changing to a better world in future. Marine conservation did not happen overnight. It is a reactionary process, in which we react to problems as they occur, finding solutions as they are needed.