Ocean / Marine Life Conservation

Conservation of ocean or marine life has attracted significant attention in recent years given the devastating impacts of human activities on these ecosystems. This paper examines a study conducted to promote conservation of marine or ocean life across the globe. The review demonstrates the significance of combining policy interventions and management interventions to achieve this.  Background Ocean or marine areas cover approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface.

Even though the depths of these areas are yet to be fully explored or exploited, they are habitats for a huge portion of the world’s biodiversity and essential in global climate change (Addis, p.5). Ocean or marine biodiversity is recognized across the globe as an essential component of life not only in the oceans, but also on Earth.

The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development states that ocean or marine areas are key components of the Earth’s ecosystem to an extent that without them life on Earth would be difficult and relatively impossible in its current form (p.3). The significance of ocean or marine areas to life on Earth is attributable to their role in regulating the climate and production of oxygen.

Despite this global recognition, ocean or marine life conservation has emerged as a major issue in today’s society given the devastating impacts on human activities on the Earth’s ecosystem.  Katsanevakis et al. states that cumulative human effects have contributed to the degradation of marine ecosystems, especially in developed countries in European region (p.2). Ocean or marine ecosystems are increasingly under threat from human activities, particularly industrialization.

For example, 90% of the global fish stocks in today’s ocean/marine ecosystems are regarded to have been either exploited up or overfished beyond sustainability. Additionally, other biodiverse habitats such as coral reefs, mangrove forests, and seagrass beds are under threat. The significant threat posed by human activities on ocean and marine ecosystems continue to endanger human life. The overfishing or exploitation of fish resources beyond sustainability levels affect between 10% and 12% of the global population that depends on fisheries industry to earn a living.

Most of these affected people are in developing countries. Moreover, these human activities endanger the ability of the ocean or marine areas to regulate climate. Currently, the world has experienced significant increases in water temperatures and ocean acidification, which have significant ramifications. Given the devastating impacts and threats to ocean and marine ecosystems, the issue of ocean/marine life conservation has attracted significant attention in the international policy agenda.

Ocean or marine conservation has been the subject of regional and international agreements as sustainable use of marine, ocean, and sea resources is considered critical toward preservation of human life. The need for preservation of ocean or marine areas is attributable to the fact that without conservation, many marine species populations may be susceptible to extinction and ongoing decline due to numerous local, regional, and international threats relating to human activities (Polidoro et al., p.1). As a result, numerous studies have been conducted on conservation of ocean or marine life.

Existing studies focus on different aspects relating to this topic, particularly various approaches or strategies that can be utilized to protect ocean or marine life. These studies seek to identify evidence-based approaches that can help safeguard ocean/marine life and enhance human life. Material and Methods Since no practical aspects of research was conducted, existing studies on the topic were identified. One of the studies carried out to explore the issue of ocean or marine life conservation is a study conducted by a group of researchers led by Elizabeth R.

Selig. The study was selected on the premise that it addresses the topic from a global perspective given that its devastating impacts are felt worldwide. In this regard, this group of researchers examined current international priorities for marine biodiversity conservation. These researchers conducted the study on the premise that marine populations worldwide continue to experience declines in abundance due to widespread human activities (Selig et al., p.1). Selig et al.

also conducted the research on the premise that identification of priority areas like hotspots, ecoregions or high-biodiversity wilderness areas has been critical tools in conservation planning for ocean or marine life/ecosystems.  For this study, the researchers used modeled species distribution data in which 12,497 species from various sources were included. The distribution data was used to obtain the greatest taxonomic coverage. The overall species in which distribution data was selected covered over 21 phyla from 966 different ocean or marine families.

In addition, the researchers utilized an online species distribution modelling tool known as AquaMaps. This online tool was incorporated in the study because it generates standardized, digital range maps of aquatic species. The researchers recognized that modeled species distribution databases are characterized by inaccuracies. However, these databases play an important role in conservation measures for ocean or marine life since the represent the most detailed and highest resolution data on biodiversity distribution.

On the other hand, the inclusion of AquaMaps in the study is attributable to the environmental niche envelop model that they incorporate. Additionally, these online distribution tools are based on species-specific habitat usage obtained from occurrence records published in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. To achieve the purpose of the study, Selig et al. calculated species richness and both metrics of endemism across all species distributions incorporated in the research. The calculations, which formed the basis of this quantitative study, were conducted within an international grid of 2,591.4 km2.

During this process, all species were assigned to hexagons depending on the overlap between the polygon data, hexagon grid, and the raster grid.  According to the Convention on Biological Diversity, ocean or marine conservation requires consideration of all metrics of biodiversity or ecosystems (p.11). In this regard, Selig et al. incorporated all metrics of biodiversity i.e. proportional range rarity, rarity and richness in the calculations. The incorporation of these metrics entailed using a standard area-based mechanism for identifying areas with the highest diversity.

The determination of suitable measures for ocean or marine conservation also involved examining the level of human impact on high biodiversity areas through using estimated spatially explicit cumulative impact data. The process also incorporated using a 10% area threshold for effect values. Such threshold was used for preliminary analysis and identification of management interventions that can deal with a wider range of human impact levels on ocean or marine life. Selig et al.

developed 6 categories of marine spatial priorities depending on the classifications of the various measures of biodiversity.  This quantitative research on the global priorities for biodiversity conservation in relation to ocean or marine life also involved conducting validation and sensitivity analyses. These analyses played a critical role in enhancing the credibility and reliability of research findings. One of the key aspects of these analyses as stated by Selig et al. is modeling every species range distribution dataset in order to recreate distributions.

Secondly, the researchers conducted a linear regression between normalized species richness values and values provided in Tittensor et al. (p.1100). The normalized species richness values provided by Tittensor et al. focus on relatively different aspects of species and utilize different processes to create species range maps based on different observation points.  Results This study provides significant insights regarding priorities for ocean or marine life conservation from a global perspective.

One of the major findings of this research is that human impacts have disproportionate effects on high biodiversity areas or marine or ocean areas. Therefore, given these devastating impacts, quantifying the degree of human activity that affects these areas is a major component of prioritization of conservation efforts. To this extent, the researchers utilized a global model of approximating human impacts in order to understand the extent with which human activity affects ocean or marine life/biodiversity. Secondly, the study found that biodiversity peaks in certain areas follow well-documented patterns.

However, places of high biodiversity are less often considered in prioritization efforts for conservation, particularly for proportional range rarity and range rarity. Prioritization of conservation areas was largely influenced by spatial patterns in human impact and diversity. Some of the areas that emerged as critical places of marine conservation worldwide include the Mediterranean Sea, India, the coasts of Southern Asia, the South China Sea, Sri Lanka, the Baltic Sea, Fiji, and southeastern Australia.

On the contrary, areas with high biodiversity-low effect include Madagascar, southern Kalimantan, West Papua, Ecuador, Bahamas, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans. These areas were identified as high biodiversity-low impact since they have relatively moderate impact levels or due to their lack of one of the metrics of biodiversity.  Third, the types of conservation interventions that are regarded effective are determined based on the impact of human activity in these areas. Since human activity impact falls into four major categories i.e.

land-based pollution, fishing, ocean-based pollution, and climate, management interventions for these impacts differ significantly. In this case, climate impacts are better addressed through policy interventions that focus on lessening human activities that contribute to climate change or global warming. On the other hand, fishing impacts can be managed effectively through local efforts and interventions that target conventional catch or effort controls and marine protected areas.

Effective management interventions for land-based impacts include interventions for upstream protected areas or watershed management.  Fourth, climate patterns and fishing impacts are regarded as the most common distribution and intensity of impacts in priority areas. However, the management of these impacts requires adopting strategies that lessen the effect of individual stressors on specific ecosystems or species. These researchers contend that redoubling efforts toward establishing policies and actions that enhance sustainability of fisheries management should be adopted.

These measures should also be combined with strategies that seek to lessen human activities that contribute to climate change or global warming. Even though the development and enactment of suitable policies has been problematic across the globe, combination of management strategies and interventions is necessary. Existing evidence demonstrates that pursuing policy interventions alone will not be entirely effective in mitigating climate change and promoting the conservation of ocean or marine life.

Discussion As shown in the results, this study provides significant insights toward understanding effective strategies and measures that can be implemented on a global framework to promote ocean or marine life conservation. Wing states that identification of human activities that affect ocean or marine life is the first most important step toward promoting conservation efforts for these ecosystems (p.2). This is consistent with the findings of this study, which identified the determination of human activities that affect these ecosystems as the first step in conservation of ocean or marine life.

As part of the identification process, the cumulative impacts of human activities on ocean and marines should be taken into consideration. Selig et al. commenced their study by identifying priority areas across the globe that are characterized by different levels of human activities and their associated effects. This is critical given that there are numerous factors other than biodiversity that affect marine or ocean ecosystems and need to be evaluated and dealt with through management interventions.

Priority setting for conservation of ocean or marine life across the globe should be based on identification of these areas. This is primarily because different countries across the world have different human impact levels on ocean or marine ecosystems. Therefore, a one-size-fits-all approach may be difficult to identify and utilize in addressing these human impact levels and promoting conservation or ocean or marine life. This implies that every country requires a customized approach that focuses on the type of human activities affecting ocean or marine life within the.