[Vision2020] "Science" Journal: A Global Map of Human Impact on Marine Ecosystems

[Ted Moffett]

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2008/20080214_ecosystems.html

Casey said three measures of human-induced climate change were examined by
the research team, including changes in sea surface temperatures, UV
radiation, and ocean acidification. These measures were found to be among
the most important factors in determining the global impacts.

"The extent of human influence was probably more than any of us expected,"
said Casey, explaining that red areas on the map indicate the most heavily
impacted regions. He added the study and map – designed to visually
highlight the trouble spots in the oceans – are tools for the world's
decision-makers to assess the real impact of human activities on marine
ecosystems and help identify ways to lessen the threats.

According to the study, the ecosystems most at threat are: coral reefs,
which house more than 25 percent of all marine life and protect against wave
erosion; seagrass beds, which are nursery grounds for young fish and
mangroves, which grow in coastal habitats and also help ward off erosion.

"This project allows us to finally start seeing the big picture of how
humans are affecting the oceans," said the study's lead author, Dr. Ben
Halpern of the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis at the
University of California – Santa Barbara.

------------------------

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/319/5865/948

*Science* 15 February 2008:
Vol. 319. no. 5865, pp. 948 - 952
DOI: 10.1126/science.1149345
A Global Map of Human Impact on Marine Ecosystems

*Benjamin S. Halpern,1[image: {ddagger}] Shaun Walbridge,1* Kimberly A.
Selkoe,1,2*[image: {ddagger}] Carrie V. Kappel,1 Fiorenza Micheli,3 Caterina
D'Agrosa,4[image: {dagger}] John F. Bruno,5 Kenneth S. Casey,6 Colin
Ebert,1Helen E. Fox,
7 Rod Fujita,8 Dennis Heinemann,9 Hunter S. Lenihan,10 Elizabeth M. P.
Madin,11 Matthew T. Perry,1 Elizabeth R. Selig,6,12 Mark Spalding,13 Robert
Steneck,14 Reg Watson15 *

The management and conservation of the world's oceans require synthesis of
spatial data on the distribution and intensity of human activities and the
overlap of their impacts on marine ecosystems. We developed an
ecosystem-specific, multiscale spatial model to synthesize 17 global data
sets of anthropogenic drivers of ecological change for 20 marine ecosystems.
Our analysis indicates that no area is unaffected by human influence and that
a large fraction (41%) is strongly affected by multiple drivers. However,
large areas of relatively little human impact remain, particularly near the
poles. The analytical process and resulting maps provide flexible tools for
regional and global efforts to allocate conservation resources; to implement
ecosystem-based management; and to inform marine spatial planning,
education, and basic research.

1 National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street,
Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA.
2 Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, Post Office Box 1346, Kane`ohe, HI
96744, USA.
3 Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Oceanview Boulevard, Pacific
Grove, CA 93950–3094, USA.
4 Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460,
USA.
5 Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599–3300, USA.
6 National Oceanographic Data Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
7 Conservation Science Program, World Wildlife Fund—United States, 1250 24th
Street NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA.
8 Environmental Defense, 5655 College Avenue, Suite 304, Oakland, CA, 94618,
USA.
9 Ocean Conservancy, 1300 19th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006, USA.
10 Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of
California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA.
11 Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of
California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA.
12 Curriculum in Ecology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
Chapel Hill, NC 27599–3275, USA.
13 Conservation Strategies Division, the Nature Conservancy, 93 Centre
Drive, Newmarket, CB8 8AW, UK.
14 School of Marine Sciences, University of Maine, Darling Marine Center,
Walpole, ME 04353, USA.
15 Fisheries Center, 2202 Main Mall, University of British Columbia,
Vancouver, V6T 1Z4, Canada.

* These authors contributed equally to this work.

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Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
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