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- Introduction
- Marine Ecosystems
- Marine food webs are more dynamic and variable than those on land.
- Marine ecosystems have fluid boundaries.
- Invasive species disrupt ecosystem balances.
- No Easy Answers: The Story of the Chesapeake Bay Oyster
- Changes in climate affect marine ecosystems
- Case Study: Survival of the Steller sea lion
- Fisheries
- Humans are changing the ocean's food web.
- Fisheries management is a complex process.
- Did you know? Stats about seafood in the United States.
- If you fish less, you catch more: the striped bass story.
- Ecosystem-based management takes a big-picture approach.
- Who's in charge of managing America's fisheries?
- Bycatch increases the impact of fisheries on ecosystems.
- Fishing activities physically damage habitats.
- Marine protected areas
- Monitoring the recreational catch is challenging.
- Preserving unique marine ecosystems for exploration
- Weighing the pros and cons of farming fish
- Fisheries have critical social and economic impacts.
- Sharing the fish
- Conclusions
Introduction
More than
40 million
people
around the world depend on fishing or fish farming for their livelihoods—a number
that has more than tripled since 1970. The vast majority of these people are working
in developing countries, where fishing and aquaculture constitute the economic
backbone of most coastal areas. Their efforts now bring in more than 141 million tons of
seafood per year, supplying a primary source of protein to more than one billion people.
But the ocean provides more than just fish—it contains a dazzling diversity of life and a
seemingly endless bounty of marine resources. Coral reefs draw tourists to support growing
ecotourism industries. Medicines and other highly valuable commodities are harvested from
the sea. Fish and mollusks are caught for food, fertilizer, and many other products.
Despite the vastness of the ocean, it is not limitless. Ocean resources are under intense pressure
to satisfy expanding demands due to population growth and globalization. Many valuable
fisheries around the world have collapsed, invasive species have disrupted marine food webs,
and an increasing number of species are in danger of extinction as a result of human activities.
Changes such as habitat loss and degradation pose significant threats to marine life, while
global change has the potential to modify entire marine ecosystems. The ocean's ability to
continue to sustain the multibillion dollar industries it supports is increasingly uncertain.
As scientists have come to better understand marine
ecosystems, they have developed new approaches to
ocean management that seek to balance the human
uses of coastal and ocean environments while maintaining
the integrity of the marine ecosystem. Scientific
research on how marine ecosystems function and react
to change has helped inform policy decisions that
promote the sustainable use of marine resources. Continued
investments in research and strategic, long-term
planning can help to ensure that future generations will
have an opportunity to experience and enjoy the
ocean and its many resources.
