May 2012

TOP THREATS TO MARINE LIFE

OVERFISHING• What is it?

• What does it do?

• Tragedy of the Commons

• Bycatch

IRRESPONSIBLE AQUACULTURE• What is it?

• Response to overfishing

• What’s wrong?

• What can we do?

SHARK FINNING• What is it?

• Why?

• What happens?

• Apex Predator

• International Issue

• Banning in the USA

• What can we do?

OCEAN ACIDIFICATION• How does it happen?

• What will happen next?

CORAL REEF BLEACHING• Rainforests of the seas

• Benefits of coral reefs

• What’s happening?

• zooxanthellae

• Why?

• 4 basic needs

• What can we do?

DEAD ZONES• Swaths of ocean that don't support life

due to a lack of oxygen

• Growing at an alarming rate

• Over 400 known to exist

• Thought to be caused by global climate change and fertilizer/pesticide runoff

DEAD ZONES

MERCURY POISONING• Three types

• Methylmercury

• How does it happen?

• What happens?

• What can we do

• Biomagnification & bioaccumulation

• Swordfish & Tuna

POLLUTION & DEBRIS• 70-80%

• Great Pacific Garbage Patch

• North Atlantic Garbage Patch

• Yamuna River, India

• Rivers in China

OIL SPILLS• Offshore drilling

• Plants

• Birds

• Marine mammals

• Fish

• Habitats

• Not just the BP Oil Spill

• Bodo, Nigeria

• From:

• Illegal Aquarium trade

• Irresponsible aquarium owners

• Release of foreign bait

• Traveling Ships

• Displace native species

• Diminishes biodiversity

INVASIVE SPECIES

NOW WHAT?• Awareness

• Making the right choices

• Supporting appropriate legislation

• Writing to newspapers and magazines

• Travel sustainably

• Volunteer

• Fundraise