Preserving 4 percent of the ocean could protect most marine mammal species, study finds

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-08/su-p4p082611.php

Public release date: 26-Aug-2011

Contact: Mark Shwartz
[e-mail]
650-723-9296
http://news.stanford.edu/">Stanford University

Preserving 4 percent of the ocean could protect most marine mammal species, study finds

Preserving just 4 percent of the ocean could protect crucial habitat for the vast majority of marine mammal species, from sea otters to blue whales, according to researchers at Stanford University and the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Their findings were published in the Aug. 16 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Of the 129 species of marine mammals on Earth, including seals, dolphins and polar bears, approximately one-quarter are facing extinction, the study said.

"It's important to protect marine mammals if you want to keep the ocean's ecosystems functional," said study co-author Paul Ehrlich, professor of biology and senior fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford. "Many of them are top predators and have impacts all the way through the ecosystem. And they're also beautiful and interesting."

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These nine sites, which make up only 4 percent of the world's ocean, are located off the coasts of Baja California in Mexico, eastern Canada, Peru, Argentina, northwestern Africa, South Africa, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, the study reported.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1101525108

[RC]

1. 4%? As if the other 96% would not have a negative effect on this 4%?

Which Republican think tank did this so-called information come from?

[OKIsItJustMe]

2. “Which Republican think tank did this so-called information come from?”

http://www.pnas.org/content/108/33/13600

Global distribution and conservation of marine mammals

Sandra Pompa^a,¹, Paul R. Ehrlich^b, and Gerardo Ceballos^a,¹

Author Affiliations

^aInstituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Distrito Federal, 04510, Mexico; and
^bCenter for Conservation Biology, Biology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305

Edited by Peter Kareiva, The Nature Conservancy, Seattle, WA, and accepted by the Editorial Board June 21, 2011 (received for review February 1, 2011)

Abstract

We identified 20 global key conservation sites for all marine (123) and freshwater (6) mammal species based on their geographic ranges. We created geographic range maps for all 129 species and a Geographic Information System database for a 46,184 1° x 1° grid-cells, ∼10,000-km2. Patterns of species richness, endemism, and risk were variable among all species and species groups. Interestingly, marine mammal species richness was correlated strongly with areas of human impact across the oceans. Key conservation sites in the global geographic grid were determined either by their species richness or by their irreplaceability or uniqueness, because of the presence of endemic species. Nine key conservation sites, comprising the 2.5% of the grid cells with the highest species richness, were found, mostly in temperate latitudes, and hold 84% of marine mammal species. In addition, we identified 11 irreplaceable key conservation sites, six of which were found in freshwater bodies and five in marine regions. These key conservation sites represent critical areas of conservation value at a global level and can serve as a first step for adopting global strategies with explicit geographic conservation targets for Marine Protected Areas.

…

[RC]

4. I saw where you got your information from. Where did THEY get theirs from?

Apply some critical thinking here and it does not even make sense. Ocean currents, migrating animals, etc.
The seas as a whole is one inter-connected ecosystem. For instance, look at where the oil form the Gulf goes once it gets to the Atlantic. It can go clear around the world before it gets back.

[OKIsItJustMe]

5. Where did THEY get theirs from?

Seriously?

I think you’re misreading what they intended.

…

Understanding geographical variation in species richness and other large-scale patterns can be especially valuable for the establishment of global conservation priorities (10–13). Those patterns, for example, allow assessment of what would be required to preserve all species in a given taxon and to determine critical sites for their conservation (14–16). Given that the distribution patterns of species richness usually are not closely related to those of endemism and extinction risk, conservation actions to minimize global species extinction necessarily involve a combined evaluation of patterns of richness, endemism, and endangerment (17, 18). Global distribution patterns have been determined for different vertebrate groups such as birds, amphibians, fish, and terrestrial mammals (19–22), but such large-scale analyses are lacking for marine/freshwater mammals (23).

Here we present a global analysis of distribution patterns for 129 marine mammals, focusing on the following goals: (i) describing their geographic ranges; (ii) assessing patterns of species richness and composition; and (iii) determining key conservation sites as a basis for understanding global conservation needs. …

By selecting the smallest area of reserves using an optimization algorithm, the opportunity conservation cost would be generally lower, but this approach will depend on the distribution of other potential economic activities (63). For instance, an evaluation of fisheries values could provide a feasible first cut at calculating those costs. Given the distribution patterns of marine mammals, the increasing pressures of human activities in the oceans, and the threat of climate disruption, the conservation of marine mammals is a daunting problem. Saving one or two populations of most species will not be enough (2) because of the role that such charismatic mammals play in the ecological dynamics of marine and freshwater ecosystems and in the provision of ecosystem services. As many scientists have emphasized in other forums, especially in connection with whaling (64), the complexity and scale of the problem requires an unprecedented international effort with the development of both new attitudes and institutions (65). The main objectives of selection criteria for MPAs are to identify potential MPAs for highly mobile and temporally variable pelagic species, including high-density areas, feeding or breeding grounds, and migratory routes; to provide a transparent and systematic approach to selection; and to help determine priorities for action (39).

…

[vim876]

3. I don't think it's meant that way.

It seems like they mean something more like cutting down or eliminating fishing and/or dumping in those areas.

[kristopher]

6. You are right.

Edited to correct.

[madokie]

7. All living things on this planet are beautiful

'cept'n :puke:s of course, they're just full of Uugly