Top Threats to Marine Life
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Transcript of Top Threats to Marine Life
May 2012
TOP THREATS TO MARINE LIFE
OVERFISHING• What is it?
• What does it do?
• Tragedy of the Commons
• Bycatch
IRRESPONSIBLE AQUACULTURE• What is it?
• Response to overfishing
• What’s wrong?
• What can we do?
SHARK FINNING• What is it?
• Why?
• What happens?
• Apex Predator
• International Issue
• Banning in the USA
• What can we do?
OCEAN ACIDIFICATION• How does it happen?
• What will happen next?
CORAL REEF BLEACHING• Rainforests of the seas
• Benefits of coral reefs
• What’s happening?
• zooxanthellae
• Why?
• 4 basic needs
• What can we do?
DEAD ZONES• Swaths of ocean that don't support life
due to a lack of oxygen
• Growing at an alarming rate
• Over 400 known to exist
• Thought to be caused by global climate change and fertilizer/pesticide runoff
DEAD ZONES
MERCURY POISONING• Three types
• Methylmercury
• How does it happen?
• What happens?
• What can we do
• Biomagnification & bioaccumulation
• Swordfish & Tuna
POLLUTION & DEBRIS• 70-80%
• Great Pacific Garbage Patch
• North Atlantic Garbage Patch
• Yamuna River, India
• Rivers in China
OIL SPILLS• Offshore drilling
• Plants
• Birds
• Marine mammals
• Fish
• Habitats
• Not just the BP Oil Spill
• Bodo, Nigeria
• From:
• Illegal Aquarium trade
• Irresponsible aquarium owners
• Release of foreign bait
• Traveling Ships
• Displace native species
• Diminishes biodiversity
INVASIVE SPECIES
NOW WHAT?• Awareness
• Making the right choices
• Supporting appropriate legislation
• Writing to newspapers and magazines
• Travel sustainably
• Volunteer
• Fundraise