Eduardo Infantes - Global change oceans

Question 1

Eutrophication

Answer 1

Algae on top of the water is a sign of eutrophocation. Too much nutrients added. Fertilizers end up in there. Lots of algae, absorbs sunlight, plants on the bottom die, algae die when they have eated the nutrients, bacteria eat the dead algae. Bacteria might use up all oxygen, everything dies.

Question 2

What leads to eutrophication

Answer 2

Fertilizers - nitrates
Overfishing - removal of top predators
Sewage - phosphates

Question 3

Overfishing and eutrophication

Answer 3

Example: cod reduction - increased sprat - reduction in zooplankton - lots of chlorophyll a, microalgae, eutrophication

Question 4

Nutrient sources eutrophication

Answer 4

Point sources: directly attributable to one influence. Relatively easy to regulate. Wastewater effluent, runoff from disposal, untreated sewage, mm.
Nonpoint sources: come from non-defined and diffuse sources. From agriculture, runoff from pasture, septic tank leakage, mm. Tricky to monitor.

Question 5

Yearly input of N and P baltic sea

Answer 5

Nutrient reductions since 1990s: improvement in sewage water treatments, nutrient reductions in farming, run-off in agriculture more controlled.
Because of improved governance in the baltic sea.

Question 6

Status eutrophication baltic sea

Answer 6

97% is eutrophied.
15% in bad status, large areas in poor status. Nutrients are trapped in there.

Question 7

Prevention of eutrophication

Answer 7

Removal of nutrients before entering the water system:
Waste water plants, run-off (filter, or remove nutrients), cleaning products (reduce phosphorous in detergents), agriculture (proper planning of fertilizers), farming (alternative practices).

Question 8

Eutrophication recovery measures

Answer 8

Remove water and replace with clean water.
Drain upper layer of sediment.
Artificial oxygenation, speeds up chemical reactions.
Chemical precipitaion by adding iron and aluminium.

Good for small lakes, but very difficult to apply at sea.

Question 9

Overfishing

Answer 9

The removal of a species of fish from a body of water at a higher rate than the species can replenish its population naturally.

Question 10

Overfishing impacts

Answer 10

Reduce the size of the fish.
Reduce the predators.
Disturb the trophic cascades.
Increases algae growth.
Ghost fishing gear (lost equipment).
By-catch kills.

Question 11

Overfishing solutions

Answer 11

Increased regulations.
Enforcement of regulations.
Stop trawling.
More protected areas.
Sustainable farming.

Question 12

Ocean acidification

Answer 12

More carbon in air - more carbon in water - creates carbonic acid

Question 13

Acidification affects differents animals

Answer 13

Stimulates plant growth. Molluscs, echinoderms and corals affected badly. Crustaceans and fish not affected much.

Question 14

Acidification impacts

Answer 14

Reduced growth of calcifying organisms.
Increased growth of plants.
Disturbed trophic cascades and food webs.
Change in ecosystem functions.
Change in ecosystem services.

Question 15

Acidification solutions

Answer 15

Reduce emissions of CO2.
increase renewable energy.
Conserve/restore coastal vegetation as buffer zones.

Question 16

Invasive species

Answer 16

Plants, animals or fungi that have been intentionally or unintentionally moved to a new environment, where they spread and repidly cause damage to biodiversity, economy, and potentially human health.

Question 17

Invasive species competition with local

Answer 17

Fast growth.
Rapid reproduction.
High dispersal ability.
Tolerance of a wide range of environmental conditions.
Ability to live off of a wide range of food types.
Association with humans.

Question 18

Invasive species pathways

Answer 18

Shipping - ballast waters, ship hulls.
Navigational canals - transporting species via inalnd water.
Aquaculture - escpate/overspill introduced for farming.
Aquarium trade - release of exotic species.

Question 19

Invasive species impacts

Answer 19

Disturbing native habitats.
Extinction of endemic flora and fauna.
Overwhelming important ecosystems.
increased competition and predation.

Question 20

Invasive species solutions

Answer 20

increased and enforced regulations.
Reporting of invasive species.
Exploitation of invasive species by humans?

Question 21

Plastic polution

Answer 21

Marine plastic polution is caused by plastic ranging in size from large, original material such as bottles and bags, down to micorplastics formed from the fragmentation of plastic material.

Question 22

Plastic polution threat to coastal habitats

Answer 22

Plastic polution accumulates in saltmarshes, mangroves and seagrass, since they are depositional habitats.

Question 23

Plastic polution sources

Answer 23

Mismanaged plastic waste.
Maritime plastic debris.
Microplastics (primary or in-use product wear)
Fishing gear is the most common type in the sea.

Pathways: rivers, wind, atmoshperic deposition, direct input to oceans, run-off, treated or untreated wastewater.

Question 24

Plastic polution impatcs

Answer 24

Destroys coastal habitats.
Animals get entangled.
Ingestion.
Chemical exposure.

Question 25

Plastic polution solutions

Answer 25

Reduce the use of plastic.
Support legislation to reduce plastic production and waste.
Reuse.
Recycling.
Microplastics - avoid products containing microbeads.

Question 26

Coastal development

Answer 26

Changes that are casued by human activities that alter the conditions and the landscape of the coastline.

Question 27

Coastal development impacts

Answer 27

Increased erosion and sedimentation.
Change in sediment dynamics.
Human disturbance of wildlife.
Run-off water and plastic litter.
Coastal hardening to reduce erosion.

Question 28

Coastal development solutions

Answer 28

Distance between shoreline and new constructions.
Restore natural habitats.
Work with nature solutions - restore nature and use it as coastal defense.
Coastal retreat.

Question 29

Reasons for sea level rise

Answer 29

Ice sheets and glaciers are melting.
The oceans are expanding because of the heat.

Question 30

Sea level rise impacts

Answer 30

Inreased coastal erosion.
More frequent storm surge floodings.
Coastal inundation.
Socio-economic impacts.
Destruction of coastal habitats.
Land/freshwater contamination with salt.

Question 31

Sea level rise solutions

Answer 31

Green-house gases reduction.
Distance between shoreline and new constructions.
Habitat resoration.
Coastal retreat.
Salt resistant crops.

Question 32

Seagrass restoration with seeds

Answer 32

Seed harvesting and collection. Seed germination and storage. Seed planting. Very low success rate.

Question 33

Seagrass restoration using transplants

Answer 33

Take a plant, put it in another location. Easy, good for small-scale restoration. Bad becasue it impacts the donor bed, and the plants need to adapt to the new habitat.

Ways of planting:
Single-shoot methods.
Shoots with anchors.
Sediment plug methods.