Our shifting perspectives on the oceans
TLDR
Five major shifts in perspective are described that reveal the authors' impacts to be more severe and persistent than previously appreciated, and marine ecosystems are being shifted into alternative states that are less desirable from the human perspective and may be stable.Abstract:
In the last 15 years new research findings have radically reshaped our understanding of human effects on ocean ecosystems. Here I describe five major shifts in perspective that reveal our impacts to be more severe and persistent than previously appreciated. Firstly, scientists have delved deep into the past and found that the global expansion of European nations across the planet caused the large-scale loss of marine megafauna. In the past century, expansion of industrial scale fishing has continued the process, massively reducing the biomass of exploited species. Secondly, once depleted we are finding that populations rarely rebound rapidly, contrary to a widespread belief in greater resilience of marine compared to terrestrial species. Thirdly, marine ecosystems are being shifted into alternative states that are less desirable from the human perspective and may be stable. It could be difficult, or impossible in some cases, to reverse impacts once inflicted. Fourthly, marine species are at risk of extinction. Loss of shallow water marine habitats is proceeding as rapidly as on land, many species have small geographic ranges, and many possess life history characteristics that leave them highly susceptible to overexploitation. Finally, the deep sea is not beyond harm. Depletion of shallow water fisheries and technological advances are opening up the deep to exploitation and its collateral impacts. If we are to reverse these negative trends we must establish large-scale networks of marine reserves that are off limits to damaging activities and fishing. Such reserves would protect biodiversity, and recover and sustain the world's fisheries productivity.read more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
Global Gap Analysis: Priority Regions for Expanding the Global Protected-Area Network
Ana S. L. Rodrigues,H. Resit Akçakaya,Sandy J. Andelman,Mohamed I. Bakarr,Luigi Boitani,Thomas M. Brooks,Janice Chanson,Lincoln Fishpool,Gustavo A. B. da Fonseca,Kevin J. Gaston,Michael R. Hoffmann,Pablo A. Marquet,John D. Pilgrim,Robert L. Pressey,Jan Schipper,Wes Sechrest,Simon N. Stuart,Les G. Underhill,Robert W. Waller,Matthew E. Watts,Xie Yan +20 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors presented a global framework for the next step of strategically expanding the network to cover mammals, amphibians, freshwater turtles and tortoises, and globally threatened birds.
Journal ArticleDOI
Evidence for shifting baseline syndrome in conservation
TL;DR: Shifting baseline syndrome (SBS) is often referred to as a key issue for conservation, yet there is little evidence for its existence as mentioned in this paper, yet the presence of SBS could influence the validity of participatory monitoring, local ecological knowledge, community based conservation, and conservation education.
Journal ArticleDOI
The role of marine reserves in achieving sustainable fisheries
TL;DR: It is made the case that to reverse fishery declines, safeguard marine life and sustain ecosystem processes, extensive marine reserves that are off limits to fishing must become part of the management strategy.
Journal ArticleDOI
Historical baselines for large marine animals
Heike K. Lotze,Boris Worm +1 more
TL;DR: The diversity of approaches used and resulting patterns of historical changes in large marine mammals, birds, reptiles and fish are reviewed to provide important context for contemporary ocean management.
Journal ArticleDOI
Rapidly shifting environmental baselines among fishers of the Gulf of California.
Andrea Sáenz-Arroyo,Callum M. Roberts,Jorge Torre,Micheline Cariño-Olvera,Roberto R Enríquez-Andrade +4 more
TL;DR: Three generations of fishers from Mexico's Gulf of California are surveyed, where fish populations have declined steeply over the last 60 years, to investigate how far and fast their environmental baselines are shifting.
References
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TL;DR: It is shown that marine reserves in Florida (United States) and St. Lucia have enhanced adjacent fisheries, confirming theoretical predictions that marine reserve can play a key role in supporting fisheries.
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