MARINE BIODIVERSITY: Challenges & opportunities
D.Chandramohan India Member, International Scientific Steering Committee, Census of Marine Life (COML)
The First Asia‐Pacific Heads of Research Council (ASIAHORC) symposium on Biodiversity
Nagoya,Japan,July,2009 MARINE BIODIVERSITY: Challenges & opportunities Overview:
Status of Biodiversity The problems of studying Biodiversity Peculiarities of the Marine environment Marine Biodiversity –Patterns & Processes The Challenges –Present & Future The opportunities Case Studies Conclusions
Nagoya,Japan,July,2009 MARINE BIODIVERSITY: Challenges & opportunities Three Major Challenges in Biodiversity
CONSERVATION
INVENTORIZATION
SUSTAINABLE USE
Nagoya,Japan,July,2009 MARINE BIODIVERSITY: Challenges & opportunities Three Major Challenges in Biodiversity
CONSERVATION
INVENTORIZATION
SUSTAINABLE USE
Nagoya,Japan,July,2009 MARINE BIODIVERSITY: Challenges & opportunities Animal and Plant species: many hard to identify, many to be discovered
Nagoya,Japan,July,2009 MARINE BIODIVERSITY: Challenges & opportunities
Nagoya,Japan,July,2009 MARINE BIODIVERSITY: Challenges & opportunities Identifying Life
Nagoya,Japan,July,2009 MARINE BIODIVERSITY: Challenges & opportunities
1500 -15000 years 250 years
1.7 million species
10 -100 million species
Nagoya,Japan,July,2009 MARINE BIODIVERSITY: Challenges & opportunities
Sustainable use……..
“the ability to continue a defined behaviour indefinitely”
“ introduction of and application of methods and processes for the utilization of biodiversity to prevent its long-term decline, thereby maintaining its potential to meet current and future human needs and aspirations” Nagoya,Japan,July,2009 MARINE BIODIVERSITY: Challenges & opportunities Concept of Sustainability
• Central to Conservation • Embodies social dimensions-including distribution, values and equity • Understanding of the intrinsic limitations on the supply of biological products and ecological services Sustainable use of Biodiversity • Understanding of the concept greatly varies between different for and amongst different institutions and individuals
• There is no single dataset which has been developed to monitor changes of biodiversity subject to use for management Problem of decision making
Nagoya,Japan,July,2009 MARINE BIODIVERSITY: Challenges & opportunities Challenge for Biodiversity Informatics
SCALE
Need an on-line Encyclopedia of Life because impossible to create, update hard copy volumes for 1.7 million species. Similarly, need new ways to visualize and analyze large sets of species and specimens
Nagoya,Japan,July,2009 What about the Marine Environment ? MARINE BIODIVERSITY: Challenges & opportunities
Nearly all animal phyla have marine representatives
Half of all marine phyla are exclusively marine
Approximately 230,000 marine species known
Most of the diversity in the oceans is yet to be discovered
Nagoya,Japan,July,2009 MARINE BIODIVERSITY: Challenges & opportunities Peculiarities of the ocean
Salt Light Temperature Pressure Microscopic plants Invertebrate animals common Low concentration of nutrient Greater total organic matter compared to land Average Depth: 3800 m Max: 11,000 m Total Volume of water: ~ 1370 million cubic km Space: ~ 300 more space for life than land & Nagoya,Japan,July,2009 freshwater MARINE BIODIVERSITY: Challenges & opportunities Features of the Deep Sea
Light: essentially absent, except for bioluminescence Temperature: low (~4°C) and constant Salinity: constant (~35 ppt) Oxygen: generally adequate (may be depleted near substratum) Pressure: greatly elevated (can exceed 1000 atm) Food supply: extremely limited (except near hydrothermal vents)
Nagoya,Japan,July,2009 Oceans Present: Realm Projects MARINE BIODIVERSITY: Challenges & opportunities
Nagoya,Japan,July,2009 MARINE BIODIVERSITY: Challenges & opportunities
Nagoya,Japan,July,2009 MARINE BIODIVERSITY: Challenges & opportunities New Discoveries
Hydrothermal Vent Communities (Hot )
Gas Hydrate animal communities
Life in chemosynthesis Environments (Cold)
Starving majority deep beneath the sea floor (IODP)
Photosynthetic groups
Rare Microbial Communities of the deep (COML)
Nagoya,Japan,July,2009 Some new species discoveries… Exploration and Discovery
Ceratoserolis – an isopod from the Weddell Sea
Athorybia rosacea –a siphonophore from the Sargasso Sea
Kiwa hirsuta – a crab Promachoteuthis sloani – a squid from around Easter from the mid-Atlantic Ridge Island (nicknamed the Yeti crab)
Palinurus barbarae – a lobster from around Madagascar MARINE BIODIVERSITY: Challenges & opportunities The Hidden Majority of the Oceans According to one estimate there are 2 million different bacteria in the sea ( Curtis et.al.,2002). But only 0.01-0.1% of the population can be cultured. (Amann et.al.,1995)
The solution : The “454 Tag Approach”
Nagoya,Japan,July,2009 MARINE BIODIVERSITY: Challenges & opportunities
What are the challenges?
Vastness of the ecosystem (s) Enormous cost of sampling resulting in inadequate sampling Real time visualization/ observation not possible at all times Highly diversified flora & fauna –microbes to whales No reasonable forecast about future changes New Life forms discovered even today Possibility of losing them before recognition Lack of Taxonomists Habitat destruction – Coastal and offshore developments; Pollution o Shoreline erosion due to Ports & Harbours o Dredging & Disposal o Power plant cooling water intake and outfall o Desalination plants – Brine disposal o “Barotrauma” – Impact of Human generated noise on marine life o Deep-Sea mining and oil prospecting o Deep Sea Drilling Projects ( IODP ) o Oxygen Minimum Zones (OMZ)
Nagoya,Japan,July,2009 MARINE BIODIVERSITY: Challenges & opportunities What are the unique problems?
Lack of boundaries Fate of area beyond national jurisdiction International Shipping –Invasive species Climate change –Sea Level rise; Coral bleaching Toxic blooms Invasive species A marine species invades a new environment somewhere in the world every 9 weeks Climate Change •Sea level could rise as much as 80 cm this centuary • Coral bleaching – Could affect all of the tropical coral reefs within 30 years
• Ocean acidification from increased CO2 prevents marine shell and skeleton growth
Nagoya,Japan,July,2009 MARINE BIODIVERSITY: Challenges & opportunities What are the opportunities ?
Evolving New Technologies o Sample collection o Continuous observation – in situ Labs, Instruments e.g. viruses o Visualization of underwater communities – AUV,ROV, Manned Submersibles o Global Observation through Satellites o Molecular Taxonomy – Barcoding of Life , 454 Technology
Conservation o Preservation of habitats and ecosystems – Marine Parks & Biosphere Reserves o Applying Precautionary Principles o Developing Global Awareness & Networking programmes
Sustainable use o New Management Practices – Policies & Guidelines o Sharing the knowledge o International agreements
Nagoya,Japan,July,2009 MARINE BIODIVERSITY: Challenges & opportunities Case Studies
Census of Marine Life ( COML)
Barcoding of Life ( CBOL)
Genome Legacy ( Gene Bank-Canada)
Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve ( India)
Sethusamudram Shipping Channel ( India)
Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction System (COMAPS)(India)
Biodiversity Authority of India
Ocean Biogeography Observation System (OBIS) (COML)
Nagoya,Japan,July,2009 MARINE BIODIVERSITY: Challenges & opportunities
Conclusions
We need to develop programmes at • Local Level ( Concentrate on Special Ecosystems) • Regional Level –Joint Programmes • Global Level – Network Programmes
Develop new methods & techniques-sampling,identification
Apply Precautionary Principles in all our activities
Implement International Treaties without any compromise
Share the Data without any Geographical restriction
Increase the Training and Awareness Programmes
Introduce New or Improved Management Practices for Conservation and Sustainable use Nagoya,Japan,July,2009 Biodiversity = Biochemical diversity
Ecosystems can be conceptualized as biochemical networks MARINE BIODIVERSITY: Challenges & opportunities
Thank You
Acknowledgements
The Ecological Society of Japan The First ASIAHORC Symposium Organizers Asia-Pacific Heads of Research Council Japan Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS)
Nagoya,Japan,July,2009