Marine Biodiversity

_Elsa_

Tiffi finds this video Ocean Observations Biodiversity and thinks that it might be perfect for Elsa’s story. Although she is sad about how endangered the ocean species are, she can’t give up hope yet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXXzvGJCVAc

‘Today’s biodiversity is the result of billions of years of evolution, natural processes, and in more recent years, human activity. Before the advent of Homo sapiens, the Earth’s biodiversity was much greater than it is today. Human activity has had a tremendous impact on biodiversity due to use of Earth’s resources and exponential population growth.

The total number of species on Earth today is estimated to be around 10 million different species but could be as low as 2 or as high as 100 million. New species are discovered often, and many that have been discovered have not yet been classified. The richest sources of biodiversity on Earth are found in tropical rainforests and the ocean.

Why is biodiversity important?

All species are an integral part of their ecosystem by performing specific functions that are often essential to their ecosystems and often to human survival as well. Some of the functions different species provide are to:

• Capture and store energy

• Produce organic material

• Decompose organic material

• Cycle water and nutrients

• Control erosion or pests

• Help regulate climate and atmospheric gases

Ecosystem diversity is important for primary production in terms of:

• Soil fertility

• Plant pollination

• Predator control

• Waste decomposition

Removing species from ecosystems removes those important functions. Therefore, the greater the diversity of an ecosystem the better it can maintain balance and productivity and withstand environmental stressors. 

Since the early 1980’s, increasing attention has been paid to the importance of biodiversity and to the increasing number of species being depleted at an alarming rate. Many biologists believe that we are in the midst of a mass extinction because the rate of species loss is higher now than ever before. It is estimated that between 17,000 and 100,000 species are eliminated each year. Studies have shown that as many as one in eight plant species are threatened with extinction. The majority of these species losses are due to human activity, particularly habitat destruction as more and more land becomes developed for human use. 

The global destruction of rainforests, coral reefs, mangroves, and other rich habitats has become a hot issue being addressed by conservation organizations and by global legislation to try and reverse damaging trends and encourage sustainable management of resources.’ (Source) 

Let’s continue - Habitat Conservation

Back to the beginning - Tiffi learns about the Ocean Ecosystem