Location via proxy:   [ UP ]  
[Report a bug]   [Manage cookies]                
Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 38 views

    Coastal Ecosystems and Resources

    Uploaded by

    asha cornell

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Coastal Ecosystems and Resources

    Uploaded by

    asha cornell
    38 views22 pages

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    38 views22 pages

    Coastal Ecosystems and Resources

    Uploaded by

    asha cornell

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    You are on page 1of 22

    BIO 4215: COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT

    COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS AND RESOURCES

    Dr. Jewel Liddell


    What do we know about Coastal Ecosystems? Why are they important?
    What do we know about Coastal Ecosystems
    • They are located along continental margins
    • Are epicentres of biological productivity
    • Easy access and are, therefore, hotspots for human activities.
    • Provide diverse goods and services
    • Host the world’s primary ports of commerce
    • Are the primary producers of fish, shellfish, and seaweed for
    both human and animal consumption;
    • Are sources of fertiliser, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, household
    products, and construction materials.
    Made up of diverse habitat types

    Harbour a wealth of species and genetic diversity,

    Store and cycle nutrients, filter pollutants from


    inland freshwater systems, and help to protect
    shorelines from erosion and storms.

    Regulate global hydrology and climate (oceans),


    and are a major carbon sink and oxygen source
    because of the high productivity of phytoplankton.

    Coastal ecosystems are important areas for leisure,


    recreational activities, and tourism
    Examples of coastal ecosystems:
    • Coral reefs, mangroves, tidal wetlands, seagrass beds, barrier islands,
    estuaries, and peat swamps. These ecosystems are threatened to different
    extents by human activities

    • What goods do we obtain from marine and coastal ecosystems?

    ➢ food for humans and animals (fish, shellfish, shrimp, and seaweed);
    ➢ salt
    ➢minerals and oil resources
    ➢construction materials (sand, rock, coral, lime, and wood)
    ➢biodiversity, including the genetic stock that is important for biotechnology
    and medicine
    What are some of the services provided by coastal ecosystems

    • Shoreline protection (buffering the coastline, protecting from storms


    and erosion from wind and waves), shoreline stabilisation
    • Storing and cycling nutrients
    • Sustaining biodiversity
    • Maintaining water quality (through filtering and degrading pollutants)
    • Areas for tourism and leisure/recreation
    • Food production: marine fisheries/shrimp
    Wetlands
    - Are among the most highly altered ecosystems worldwide.
    Threats to coastal wetlands include:
    -draining,
    -dredging,
    - landfill,
    -spoil disposal,
    -conversion for aquaculture
    -sediment diversion and hydraulic alteration.
    - runoff of polluted waters (nonpoint-source pollution)
    - urban expansion and other coastal development.
    - Erosion and subsidence
    Mangroves ( a type of wetland)
    • Cover approximately 8 % of the world’s coastline. Spalding et al. (1997)
    estimated that mangroves occupy 25% of the world’s tropical coastlines
    globally (surface area covered 181,000 km2 ).
    • Are located in the borders of about 112 countries and territories.
    • Around 30 years ago, about 50 % of the world’s mangrove forests have been
    lost (Kelleher et al. 1995)
    • Some hotspots for mangrove loss are Thailand and Panama
    • Despite losses, mangrove extents are increasing in some areas due to
    natural regeneration and replanting.
    • Three species of mangroves found in Guyana are Avicennia germinans,
    Rhizophora mangle, and Laguncularia racemosa.
    Non-mangrove wetlands include marshes, swamps, peatlands, seagrass,
    salt marshes.
    • In 2001, the Guyana Forestry Commission estimated mangrove coverage in Guyana to
    be 91,000 hectares (GFC,2018).
    • Region 1:49,100 hectares (61 % of the total mangrove cover).
    • Region 2: 1, 200 hectares (4% of the total cover).
    • Region 3: 5, 240 hectares (7 % of the total mangrove cover)
    • Region 4: 3, 540 hectares (4% of the total mangrove cover)
    • Region 5: 7, 252 hectares (9% of the total mangrove cover).
    By 2011the total mangrove area had reduced to 22,632 hectares
    What are some of the agents that have led to the decline of mangroves? What
    management measures can we implement to reduce mangrove loss and degradation?
    In Guyana, Black mangroves dominate along coastal shorelines, whereas Red mangroves
    are found inland (dominating riverine areas). Elsewhere, the pattern is Red mangroves,
    Black mangroves, and White mangroves.
    Mangrove distribution is influenced by climate, tidal and wave action, salinity and
    morphological processes.
    Reasons for the decline of mangroves in Guyana
    • Coastal development and Cultural practices.

    • Fishing, creation of tracts in the mangrove forests, hauling of fishing boats


    through mangroves

    • Burning and dumping of waste in mangroves

    • Illegal removal of mangroves for the construction industry

    • Construction of homes along the seashore

    • Clearing for the construction of shore bases and other infrastructure


    associated with the oil and gas industry
    Red Mangrove
    Black Mangrove
    • White Mangrove
    • What are the roles of wetland ecosystems?

    • Wetlands prevent flooding and help to maintain water levels in rivers. They also filter and

    purify water.

    • Wetlands release vegetative matter into the river, thus providing food for aquatic species.

    • Are popular locations for tourist and recreational activities (swimming, boating, camping and

    bird-watching)

    • Wetlands are highly productive ecosystem, provides nearly two third of the global fish

    harvest.
    • Wetlands are migratory routes and reproduction sites for many animals. For example, herons
    nest in large trees but need shallow areas to wade for fish and aquatic life. Amphibians also
    often forage in upland areas but return to the wetlands to mate and reproduce

    • Erosion control: support emergent plants (roots are firm in the mud, stalks are above the water
    surface). Thus, they can slow the flow of water and counter the erosive forces of moving water
    along lakes or rivers and in rolling agricultural landscapes

    • Wetlands filter out sediments, thereby purifying water. They also aid in decomposing
    vegetative matter and converting chemicals into useful forms.

    • It provides water for agriculture, irrigation, livestock and domestic use. Pastures on inland
    floodplain wetlands are more productive than those in adjacent areas.
    Seagrasses ( read up on these types of ecosystems)

    ▪ Extents are declining: most seagrass habitat loss has been due to:

    - Degradation of water quality (high nutrient and sediment loadings).

    - Damage from vessels, dredging, and trawling.

    - salt marsh: Vegetated intertidal wetlands in protected environments, such as


    behind barrier islands.
    Coral Reefs
    - Are marine ecosystem

    - Worldwide, there are an estimated 255,000 km2 of shallow


    coral reefs, with more than 90 % of that area in the Indo-
    Pacific region (Spalding and Grenfell 1997).

    - Globally, coral reef degradation and reduction in reef area


    are major problems in this ecosystem.

    - Coral area is declining due to land reclamation and coral


    mining.

    - Coral bleaching and diseases are leading to increased


    mortality.
    Functions of Coral reefs
    Protection: Functions as a form of protection for the shores from harsh waves
    and storms

    Habitat: Provides shelter and safety for many organisms, such as fishes

    Nutrients: Many forms of heterotrophic marine life are supported by the


    primary production of the coral zooxanthellae. Carbon and nitrogen-fixing is
    an important part of the marine food chain.

    Nutrient cycling within the coral polyps is very efficient and contributes to the
    high production of reefs.
    • Coral reefs are also known as the tropical rainforest of the sea due to their
    rich biodiversity and including many faunal species.

    • This ecosystem is regulated by abiotic and biotic factors.

    • In tropical marine ecosystems, biotic factors include sea plants, algae,


    bacteria, and animals. Abiotic factors are similar to those on land, such as
    sunlight, temperature, and soil nutrients.

    • since the ocean is water, pH and salinity are also considered important
    abiotic factors that influence and sustain healthy and productive corals
    Soft and Hard Coral
    Concepts of Change in Coastal Environments/shoreline stabilization
    • Coastlines are changing because of erosion and accretion driven by winds, waves,
    storms, and tectonic processes.
    • Shorelines respond to tides, storms, floods, long-term changes in sea level, and
    human modification of coastal processes by attempting to move toward
    equilibrium.
    • Shoreline stabilisation and buffering services are provided by coastal ecosystems.
    - Coral reefs, mangroves, kelp beds, and seagrasses reduce erosion by mitigating
    wave impact.
    - Sandy and rocky shores serve as a first line of defence, mitigating and responding
    to natural forces like waves and storms.
    - Barrier islands, absorb much of the energy, leaving calmer, protected waters on the
    leeward side.
    - Wetlands, seagrasses, and mangroves help stabilise soils, reducing erosion and
    associated sediment pollution.
    - The presence of sea ice mitigates shoreline erosion
    - Shorelines are also modified by humans through the building of artificial structures,
    Literature sources
    • Conservation International (2018). Setting the foundations for zero net loss
    of the mangroves that underpin human wellbeing in the North Brazil Shelf
    LME: State of mangroves in Guyana: An analysis of research gaps, and
    recommendations. Report by Conservation International.

    • Friedrichs, Carl T. Lecture 1: Introduction to Coastal Processes 4-13-2011.


    Environmental Hydraulics Masters Program, University of Granada, Granada,
    Spain.
    • Kelleher, G., Bleakley, C. & Wells, S. (1995) A Global Representative System
    of Marine Protected Areas, Volume 1. Washington, DC, USA: World Bank:
    219 pp
    • Spalding, M., Blasco, E., & Field, C. (1997). World Mangrove Alias. The
    International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems: Okinawa, Japan.

    You might also like