MARINE BIODIVERSITY: Challenges & opportunities D.Chandramohan India

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1 D.Chandramohan India Member, International Scientific Steering Committee, Census of Marine Life (COML) The First Asia Pacific Heads of Research Council (ASIAHORC) symposium on Biodiversity

2 Overview: Status of Biodiversity The problems of studying Biodiversity Peculiarities of the Marine environment Marine Biodiversity Patterns & Processes The Challenges Present & Future The opportunities Case Studies Conclusions

3 Three Major Challenges in Biodiversity CONSERVATION INVENTORIZATION SUSTAINABLE USE

4 Three Major Challenges in Biodiversity CONSERVATION INVENTORIZATION SUSTAINABLE USE

5 Animal and Plant species: many hard to identify, many to be discovered

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7 Identifying Life

8 250 years years 1.7 million species million species

9 Sustainable use.. the ability to continue a defined behaviour indefinitely introduction of and application of methods and processes for the utilization of biodiversity to prevent its long-term decline, thereby maintaining its potential to meet current and future human needs and aspirations

10 Concept of Sustainability Central to Conservation Embodies social dimensions-including distribution, values and equity Understanding of the intrinsic limitations on the supply of biological products and ecological services Sustainable use of Biodiversity Understanding of the concept greatly varies between different for and amongst different institutions and individuals There is no single dataset which has been developed to monitor changes of biodiversity subject to use for management Problem of decision making

11 Challenge for Biodiversity Informatics SCALE Need an on-line Encyclopedia of Life because impossible to create, update hard copy volumes for 1.7 million species. Similarly, need new ways to visualize and analyze large sets of species and specimens

12 What about the Marine Environment?

13 Nearly all animal phyla have marine representatives Half of all marine phyla are exclusively marine Approximately 230,000 marine species known Most of the diversity in the oceans is yet to be discovered

14 Peculiarities of the ocean Salt Light Temperature Pressure Microscopic plants Invertebrate animals common Low concentration of nutrient Greater total organic matter compared to land Average Depth: 3800 m Max: 11,000 m Total Volume of water: ~ 1370 million cubic km Space: ~ 300 more space for life than land & freshwater

15 Features of the Deep Sea Light: essentially absent, except for bioluminescence Temperature: low (~4 C) and constant Salinity: constant (~35 ppt) Oxygen: generally adequate (may be depleted near substratum) Pressure: greatly elevated (can exceed 1000 atm) Food supply: extremely limited (except near hydrothermal vents)

16 Oceans Present: Realm Projects

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19 New Discoveries Hydrothermal Vent Communities (Hot ) Gas Hydrate animal communities Life in chemosynthesis Environments (Cold) Starving majority deep beneath the sea floor (IODP) Photosynthetic groups Rare Microbial Communities of the deep (COML)

20 Some new species discoveries Exploration and Discovery Ceratoserolis an isopod from the Weddell Sea Athorybia rosacea a siphonophore from the Sargasso Sea Promachoteuthis sloani a squid from the mid-atlantic Ridge Kiwa hirsuta a crab from around Easter Island (nicknamed the Yeti crab) Palinurus barbarae a lobster from around Madagascar

21 The Hidden Majority of the Oceans According to one estimate there are 2 million different bacteria in the sea ( Curtis et.al.,2002). But only % of the population can be cultured. (Amann et.al.,1995) The solution : The 454 Tag Approach

22 What are the challenges? Vastness of the ecosystem (s) Enormous cost of sampling resulting in inadequate sampling Real time visualization/ observation not possible at all times Highly diversified flora & fauna microbes to whales No reasonable forecast about future changes New Life forms discovered even today Possibility of losing them before recognition Lack of Taxonomists Habitat destruction Coastal and offshore developments; Pollution o Shoreline erosion due to Ports & Harbours o Dredging & Disposal o Power plant cooling water intake and outfall o Desalination plants Brine disposal o Barotrauma Impact of Human generated noise on marine life o Deep-Sea mining and oil prospecting o Deep Sea Drilling Projects ( IODP ) o Oxygen Minimum Zones (OMZ)

23 What are the unique problems? Invasive species A marine species invades a new environment somewhere in the world every 9 weeks Lack of boundaries Fate of area beyond national jurisdiction International Shipping Invasive species Climate change Sea Level rise; Coral bleaching Toxic blooms Climate Change Sea level could rise as much as 80 cm this centuary Coral bleaching Could affect all of the tropical coral reefs within 30 years Ocean acidification from increased CO 2 prevents marine shell and skeleton growth

24 What are the opportunities? Evolving New Technologies o Sample collection o Continuous observation in situ Labs, Instruments e.g. viruses o Visualization of underwater communities AUV,ROV, Manned Submersibles o Global Observation through Satellites o Molecular Taxonomy Barcoding of Life, 454 Technology Conservation o Preservation of habitats and ecosystems Marine Parks & Biosphere Reserves o Applying Precautionary Principles o Developing Global Awareness & Networking programmes Sustainable use o New Management Practices Policies & Guidelines o Sharing the knowledge o International agreements

25 Case Studies Census of Marine Life ( COML) Barcoding of Life ( CBOL) Genome Legacy ( Gene Bank-Canada) Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve ( India) Sethusamudram Shipping Channel ( India) Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction System (COMAPS)(India) Biodiversity Authority of India Ocean Biogeography Observation System (OBIS) (COML)

26 Conclusions We need to develop programmes at Local Level ( Concentrate on Special Ecosystems) Regional Level Joint Programmes Global Level Network Programmes Develop new methods & techniques-sampling,identification Apply Precautionary Principles in all our activities Implement International Treaties without any compromise Share the Data without any Geographical restriction Increase the Training and Awareness Programmes Introduce New or Improved Management Practices for Conservation and Sustainable use

27 Biodiversity = Biochemical diversity Ecosystems can be conceptualized as biochemical networks

28 Thank You Acknowledgements The Ecological Society of Japan The First ASIAHORC Symposium Organizers Asia-Pacific Heads of Research Council Japan Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS)