Marine Conservation Biology ESP 198-024 Fall 2007

1. Marine Conservation BiologyESP 198-024 Fall 2007

2. Marine Conservation Biology • ESP 198-024 • CRN 54650 - 3 units • Lecture: Tues. & Thurs. 1:40-3:00 p.m., Olson 217 • Instructor: Ted Grosholz, Department of Environmental Science and Policy • Office and Hours: 3114 Wickson Hall, 752-9151, Office Hours: Tues. 3-4 pm or by appointment

3. Marine Conservation Biology • Lecture Format: • The period of 1.5 hours • Lecture will generally be followed by questions and discussion • Five minute break mid-lecture

4. Marine Conservation Biology • Grading: • Final Exam (35%) (Dec. 14) • Midterm Exam (25%) (Oct. 30) • Two Essays (15% each, 30% total) (Nov. 15, Dec. 6) • Attendance and Participation (10%)

5. Marine Conservation Biology • Essays: • Two essays due during the quarter • Essays are no more than two pages • Issues and/or controversies in marine conservation biology • Read two short papers discussing different perspectives on each issue

6. Marine Conservation Biology • Course Philosophy: • Many ways to approach science and conservation science • Although scientific method is objective, scientists and users of science are generally not • Questions asked, methods used, and interpretations of data are subjective • Try not to defend positions, but try to provide evidence and discuss controversies where applicable • Need to understand limits of science and its use

7. Class Information • Name • Year and Major • Classes taken • Ecology and evolution • Fisheries, conservation, wildlife management • Marine sciences, oceanography, limnology • Statistics, math, computer science • Email/contact information • Three most important issues in Marine Conservation

8. Defining Marine Conservation Biology • Marine Conservation biology is the science of conserving marine biodiversity • “Biological diversity” or “biodiversity” was first used in the context of conservation around 1980 • Diversity occurs at many levels from genes to species to ecosystems • Marine systems have much greater diversity at higher taxonomic levels • 32 of 33 animal phyla are in the oceans • 15 phyla are exclusively marine

9. Defining Marine Conservation Biology • Marine Conservation Biology occurs at the interface of the scientific study of marine systems and the public policy goal of conserving marine resources • Focus on the science of marine conservation, although occasional discuss how science is used in policy

10. Defining Marine Conservation Biology • “Marine systems” will be a shorthand for a wide range of coastal and marine systems • Open oceans and deep oceans • Coral reefs and temperature reefs • Sea grasses and sandflats • Coastal bays and estuaries • Polar oceans and polynyas

11. Reasons for Conserving Marine Biodiversity • Important source of protein • Some countries (Indonesia, Japan, Philippines) more than 50% of the protein comes from ocean • Unique pharmaceuticals • Anti-tumor compounds like Didemnin b (from tunicates) and Bryostatin (from bryozoans) and Dolastatins (from sea hares) • Carrageenan and agar from red algae

12. Reasons for Conserving Marine Biodiversity • Ecosystem services provided by coastal and marine systems • Mangroves, marshes, sea grasses help buffer coastal areas from wind and waves • They stabilize sediments and prevent erosion of coastal areas • Corals literally create new land masses, many topical islands are entirely coral • Global climate is regulated by the oceans (CO2) exchange, ocean is a large sink for atmospheric CO2

13. Reasons for Conserving Marine Biodiversity • Aesthetics • Recreation • Marine wilderness • Value of life

14. Why Marine Conservation Biology • Reasons for conserving diversity are generally similar to terrestrial systems • Significant differences in the habitats, organisms and compared with land and traditional conservation biology • Also many differences in legal structures, governance and policies • Conservation biology in marine systems does build on conservation efforts in terrestrial systems, but must reflect realities of the oceans

15. Differences Between Marine and Terrestrial Systems • Oceans are physically different • Water is 850 times denser and 60 times more viscous • Greater buoyancy for organisms • Organisms can be much larger • Larger size usually influences life history • Sound and electricity conducted more efficiently • Communication pathways differ, subject to human impacts

16. Differences Between Marine and Terrestrial Systems • Oceans are physically different • Light absorption • Majority of ocean is light limited • Steeper pressure gradient • Can restrict distribution of organisms • Greater thermal stability • Temperature changes slowly • Many tropical organisms live near their thermal limit

17. Differences Between Marine and Terrestrial Systems • Ocean habitats are much more 3-dimensional • Ocean systems have boundaries defined by temperature, light, salinity, depth, wind, currents, upwelling, etc. • Boundaries shift on scales of hours to days • Vertical gradients of temperature, light, pressure change rapidly near the surface but more slowly with depth • Biological zones are more compressed near the surface

18. Differences Between Marine and Terrestrial Systems • Organisms are different • Large diversity of planktonic organisms (holoplanktonic=entire life or meroplanktonic=part of life) • Much more diverse and permanent than aero-plankton (seeds, spores, spiders, flying insects) • Species on average have larger ranges • Populations are more “open” • Large numbers of sessile animals • Filter and suspension feeders

19. Differences Between Marine and Terrestrial Systems • Marine primary producers are smaller relative to consumers • Important marine plants are small and short-lived (phytoplankton) • Important terrestrial plants are larger and longer-lived (trees) • Food chains in the oceans are longer on average • Average of 6-7 links

20. Differences Between Marine and Terrestrial Systems • Threats are different • Loss of habitat generally not a critical issue (IMPORTANT exceptions: coral reefs, sea grasses, salt marshes, mangroves) • Overexploitation of non-target species is a primary issue • Extinction (so far) is rare outside of birds and mammals in marine systems

21. Differences Between Marine and Terrestrial Systems • Much of the world’s oceans are subject to international law • Majority of open ocean and deep ocean habitats are less well studied than terrestrial habitats • Observation of many species, let alone identification is difficult • Diversity hot spots and patterns are less clear

22. Similarities Among Terrestrial and Marine Systems • There are threatened and endangered species, even invertebrates • Species have been driven extinct and this continues • There are particular high priority areas • Islands with high endemism (unique species) • Ascension Isl., Easter Isl., Galapagos Islands • Isolated seas and oceans • Baltic Sea, Adriatic Sea, Black Sea, Sea of Cortez

23. Similarities Among Terrestrial and Marine Systems • There are particular high priority areas • Spawning grounds and nursery areas • Coral reef fishes • Sea grasses and estuaries • Areas of high productivity • Upwelling zones, polar ice edges • Migration stopover areas • Birds and mammals

24. Similarities Among Terrestrial and Marine Systems • There are high priority species • Taxonomically distinct • Species with limited distributions or small population size • Species with life histories low recruitment (slow to recover) • Restricted habitats • Exploited species