Blog 6 - - - Section 20

Impacts of biodiversity loss on ocean ecosystem services
Humans rely heavily on natural process and diversity of species to harvest abundant crops and wild life, such as wheat and fish. The human impacts on the environment are beginning to take an unknown toll on many ecosystems. Resource collapses are increasing, as recovery rates, stability, and quality are decreasing, resulting from the loss of diversity. In the marine setting, dealing with fish, has a link between biodiversity and the amount of food, fish for humans, the ocean can produce. Trying to increase diversity is very difficult, but decreasing it is very easy. The loss of diversity is a result of exploitation, pollution, and habitat destruction. Experiments have also shown the importance of diversity, not only in species, but also in food sources. The combination of both factors has shown a better rebound and resistance from harmful events. The loss of biodiversity reduces the following three functions.
•The number of viable fisheries, provisions of nursery habitats, and filtering/detoxification.
•The loss of filtering is a major contributor to the decrease of water quality.
•The loss of natural species from these effects promotes the infiltration of adverse species, simplifying the biodiversity.
Looking at larger marine environments, showed that the simplification of fish species is occurring, as 20% of fish species has already disappeared. This trend was accelerated in areas that had poor species density and food supply. Having good species diversity prove again to be beneficial, in aiding in rebuilding after a major collapse, saving local, native, and diversity. This concept is further backed up by the portfolio effect, where the large amount of fish species in the area allows fishers to switch from species to species, to prevent over fishing on a singular species, but still allowing for a large enough catch to feed a community. Resources and fishery closures are currently being reused as large scale experiments. They are being used to test the effects of regeneration of fish density and diversity. It has been proven that regeneration is possible when the proper control is placed on additive, activities, and tourism. Protecting diversity and ecosystems is an important issue locally and nationally. The loss of locally adapted populations dramatically reduces stability and recovery rates, rapidly changing the larger marine system. Investment has to be made now in pollution control, fishery limits, and habitat maintenances, to prevent, and to ensure, the economic plans are aware of the values of these systems. The loss of the function of the systems would put global food security, water quality, and economic stability at risk and pushing out problems now, on to future generations.

Understanding the importance of the fishing community, and the importance of a health water systems, put a great responsibility on the people that rely on both systems for food and drinking water. Fishing communities need to understand that overfishing will only make life harder in the coming years. Taking what is an only needed and switching type of fish during times of the year, will allow the natural ecosystems to produce more fish to be caught as a result, improving life instead. Sometimes being conservative can result in more gains than being aggressive; this though also applies to the use of land and chemicals. Finding more efficient ways to use both can also greatly reduce the impacts on fish populations and food supplies.