Unit 2 RELEVANCE OF ECOLOGY TO MARINE ECOTOURISM DEVELOPMENT

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1 Unit 2 RELEVANCE OF ECOLOGY TO MARINE ECOTOURISM DEVELOPMENT Objectives At the completion of this unit, you will be able to: Understand the fundamentals of coral reef ecology Identify threats to reef health Identify what positive action can be taken to conserve coral reefs The George Washington University Unit 2

2 Ecology is the study of the interaction of organisms within their environment. Eco coming from the Greek Eko meaning literally our house and a logy is the study of anything. Humans have made huge changes in the ecology of the planet. As merely just one of the many million species of animal on our planet, we have made huge, mostly irreversible changes to our only planet. Many of these changes have taken place without us even yet understanding what is going on in the marine and terrestrial environment first. For the marine environment, this is even more so critical as it is so difficult to see under water and understand exactly what is happening. In fact, we know more about the surface of the moon than even the deep oceans of our planet. As of the moment we have barely managed to visit 1% of our ocean floor, yet the marine ecosystem covers over two thirds of our planet. (We therefore have a long way to go until we can truly say that we have explored the whole of our planet). It is therefore vital with marine ecotourism that we can have as many people visit and take a brief look at the coastal marine ecosystem. The marine ecosystem is on the whole mysterious and this is a great draw for visitors wishing to look at this big blue. If we can build on this for people to have an experience, which is understandable, we will be succeeding to educate more people. If we can see under the blue of the sea then perhaps we will be able to see it alive we will not take it so for granted, as we have done in the past. Marine ecotourism has to make this link with people if we are truly to manage the marine ecosystems into the future. It is also important to stress that in developing a marine tourism product we will be visiting areas and developing areas, which have been providing food and income for local peoples for generations. The development of the area for tourism will cause conflicts and problems, this will be discussed further in a later section, but it is important to ensure that other stakeholders are consulted regarding the development of tourism. Not all marine tourism will be accepted and some peoples will insist that they do not want it. If this is the case, then move on and look for another area or another product, tourism forced upon people will only be riddled with problems and will only cause harm. Fortunately, this is not so often the case and with some transparency and openness about the proposed development, things can normally be worked out. To Protect Something It Helps To Know How It Works In this unit, we will focus on the important processes and characteristics of coral reefs. There are two types of coral reef, the hard corals and soft corals. By far the most important, rare and productive are hard coral reefs and these we will focus on. Hard coral reefs are only present in certain areas of the world, those with warm currents leading to them or in the tropics and sub tropics. Corals require clear, warm seawater, away from freshwater and sedimentation as well as strong sunlight for an optimal life. Coral reefs live in the biological desert of the open sea and yet thrive with rates of productivity and measures of biodiversity higher than almost all other marine ecosystems. This remarkable feat is accomplished by corals, and their algal partners, (the garden referred to earlier in the interpretation section), the zooxanthallae who The George Washington University Unit 2

3 form a symbiotic relationship with the coral, sharing their energy and recycling their waste products whilst living inside just one body. Corals are often called the rainforests of the sea due to their amazing diversity and productivity. Because of the nutrient poor and clear waters of the tropical seas in which corals thrive, they are vulnerable to anything, which changes the water characteristics. Sediments and nutrients from deforestation and human activities (sewage, fertilizers, development, over fishing etc.) are particularly harmful to reefs. Protecting reef vitality requires a reduction in these and other impacts. How Does A Coral Reef Function? Energy corals and algae zooxanthallae capture energy for the entire ecosystem Cycles of matter and life cycles nutrients are efficiently recycled and organisms carry out their life cycles Living communities a number of different communities thrive and interact Adaptations species are well adapted to the special conditions of the reef environment and from a variety of living and feeding niches Biodiversity by having more species in a community, there are more possible niches, or living places for other animals and invertebrates. Connections all organisms in the reef community are connected in one way or another, this results in a healthy integration of ecological functions which the benefit the entire ecosystem just as different occupations in a city contribute to the effective functioning of the community Relative to other coastal ecosystems, coral reefs maintain exceptionally high levels of biological productivity and play important ecological roles. The George Washington University Unit 2

4 5,000 4,000 Primary productivity 2 (grams carbon/m /year) 3,000 2,000 1,000 Mangroves Algal, seagrass beds Coral reefs Estuarie s Upwelling zones Continental shelf waters Open ocean Tropical rainforest Tro pical seasonal forest 0 Community type Figure 1: Ranges of primary productivity of some marine ecosystems and comparison with land-based ecosystems showing productivity of estuaries (Adapted from Whittaker 1975) 3. Threats to Reef Health Coral reefs around the world are showing severe signs of degradation, with over 90% of the world s reefs now threatened by human activities due to a variety of factors. (See Reefs at Risk in references). Population more people mean more of every impact: more pollution (including sewage), more agriculture (fertilizer/nutrients and sediments), more deforestation (sediments and nutrients), more harvest of resources, in some places of the world over 50% of the animal protein comes from the sea. (In 30 years more people will live in the world s coastal zones than are alive today, NOAA, 1993) Nutrients sewage, fertilizer from agriculture, runoff from deforested lands Sediments from deforestation, agriculture and shoreline development, construction etc. 3 Whittaker, R.H Communities and ecosystems. 2 nd ed. Macmillan, New York, USA. The George Washington University Unit 2

5 Over-exploitation over harvest of fish, shellfish and other critters Destructive fishing use of dynamite, cyanide, bleach to kill fish, some valuable species also live below corals such as valuable shells, sometimes corals are literally cracked open / turned over to take these valuable organisms Coastal development destruction of mangroves and sea grass beds, increase sediments, alteration of coastal currents - these ecosystems play a role in the life cycle of other coral reef dwelling animals, if they are destroyed they will affect recruitment to the reef Coral bleaching - due to abnormally high sea temperatures, which is related to global warming. This global warming is caused by the greenhouse effect which is due to increased carbon dioxide (due to fossil fuels burning) which blanket the higher portion of the earth this carbon dioxide makes the earth act like a greenhouse trapping heat within the biosphere and slowly increasing temperatures worldwide. What Can Be Done to Protect Reefs Basic guidelines for responsible and sustainable use should be based on how to avoid disrupting the fundamental processes of reef ecology: Energy reduce sediments from rivers, local sources, dredging, and coastal construction etc. Cycles of matter and life cycles reduce nutrients and over fishing, some nutrients imbalance the coral reef and over fishing removes certain animals and fish which play a critical role in the maintenance and functions of the coral reef Living communities They are animals just like us and are very sensitive ones, they need to be managed and protected from the main threat to them, people Biodiversity Ensure keystone species (very important species which have vital roles on the reef are maintained to carry out their vital functions e.g. sea urchins which act like lawnmowers cleaning algae from rocky surfaces allowing new coral spawn to land on the area and grow. Without them coral spawn cannot grow on algae ridden areas. Connections remember every action has many consequences and connections to other ecosystem components; a good example of this is the Crown of Thorns outbreaks in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, due to human induced changes in Australia (though this is still not proven because of lack of historical data). This reef predator bloomed in huge numbers and began literally eating thousands of hectares of prime coral reef in the 1980 s along the Great Barrier Reef. The George Washington University Unit 2

6 Plan how to manage the reef well and base this plan on input from local stakeholders, local fisherfolk, tourism operators, divers, local, and national governments. Identify issues and resolve these through consensus building, while integrating scientific evidence into the process. Include in your plan a small zoning plan, which integrates set back zones, visitor entry and exit points and other activities which need to be minimized (waste management) etc. Involve local people who have depended on the reef for generations into your plans. Some uses may be conflicting with your tourism product and it is important to assess these conflicts first before developing a product. If the reef is only going to be used for diving, what will happen to the fishers who have lived here for centuries? What is there to offer in return? In fact, they have more rights to say how the reef is managed than anyone else, as they are the ones who directly depend upon them and have lived there for many years. How to come up with a win-win for the users and for any new activities? The George Washington University Unit 2