Describe Ecosystem 's Location And Ecosystem Significance

Importantly, light penetration to the beds remained good. Mick Keough says ‘seagrass has the ability to survive on energy stores within the plant for periods of time, so if plants had been distressed during dredging, the effect might not show for years’.

Scientists and researchers began giving a large volume of effort and look into the extremely complex problems that face the Chesapeake Bay. When research for the improving and saving of the Bay’s overall health began it seemed very simple and there were only a couple of problems. The problems included nutrients from agricultural runoff; these nutrients were phosphorus and nitrogen. The combination of the nutrients in the Bay caused a large volume of algae that choked some of the marine life. While bringing in algae the nutrients also killed grasses on the seafloor. These seafloor bed grasses that once covered more than half of the Chesapeake Bay’s floor now only covered a tenth of their original area. Though the estuary was having problems it did not receive the terrible pollution from industries that many large rivers and lakes do in other urban areas (Brown, p. 397).

Wind and waves affect Glenelg as they set up a northward drift of sand along the coast and this type of sand movement is known as littoral drift. During coastal storms, huge quantities of sand are eroded and this does damage to near shore, beach and sand dune areas. Glenelg is not considered to be a stable as beach as many others are. Seagrass loss and seabed instability that affect Glenelg is that a third of seagrass meadows along the coasts of Glenelg has died since 1950 and poor water quality resulting from the stormwater runoff and effluent disposal has most likely been the initial cause. When there are gaps in the seagrass meadows the sand below the meadow edge can be eroded by the waves and this will in turn increase the rate of seagrass loss and make it difficult for plants to recolonise the seafloor, even though the water quality has been improved. Sea levels affect Glenelg as parts of Glenelg are being subsided as a result of climate change and a relative sea level rise of one to two millimetres per year has been recorded for Glenelg. “As a result of the loss of sand from the seabed, the level of the seabed has steadily become up to one metre deeper and the wave energy reaching our beaches has increased.” (Adelaide’s Living Beaches Strategies,

Human activities pose a threat to Seagrass beds because of boating, stepping on the seagrass, which damage the root system, dredging, pollution and construction practices.

Underwater grasses, or Elodea, was observed as well. This wide variety of life is a good indicator of the water’s health.

Ecosystem is an important part of the environment and to protect the Australian native ecosystem many management plans are made to preserve it. Where the disruption occurred in the environment by human activities is not only the factor of worry, but also the exotic plants which are trying to take over the native species are a matter of concern too. The steps taken by humans to get rid of their own waste from the environment as well as the weeds, come under management plans. On the excursion to Buckley’s Hole, Godwin Beach, Red Beach and Melaleuca Wetland, it was observed that these areas come under the Buckley’s Hole Management Plan. Where the abiotic and biotic factors interact with each other and help in sustainability of better environment.

Hastings Point is a small coastal town located in New South Wales that is sounded by a national park. Hastings point has been a great location for tourists due to its marine wildlife, beaches and fishing. This destination is home to a magnificent rocky shore perfectly suited for a vast majority and wide range of marine wildlife. The rocky shore has a wide spread of both biotic and abiotic factors which provides a suitable ecosystem for all wildlife but unfortunately this unindustrialized location is becoming over developed. This takes a toll on Hastings point ecosystem immensely because the estuary, beach and the living organisms are slowly diminishing in

* The efforts of “Terrigal Lagoon Bushcare” have been largely successful in keeping the lagoons around Terrigal ecosystems. Their actions have helped the native plants compete with the introduced species.

Producing long and hair-like filaments, Lyngbya normally grows in dense mats at the bottoms of nutrient-enriched lakes and spring-fed systems. These mats produce gasses during photosynthesis that often cause the mats to rise to the surface where they can grow to several acres in size. Winds push the mats causing them to pile up against shorelines and in channels making navigation difficult and decreasing sunlight for the native species. In some areas, the algae bloom covers so much of the pre-existing vegetation that it smothers eelgrass, a preferred food of the endangered West Indian manatee. Reduced water clarity and extreme fluctuations in oxygen stress every part of the ecosystem and as a result, tiny essential, life-sustaining micro-organisms that feed on native vegetation are severely reduced, and so are the fish, turtles, manatees and other wildlife that feed on them. The birds and larger animals that feed on smaller animals must find new, more plentiful

Kelp forests are seen as the ultimate ecological engineer in coastal areas. They exist in marine environments spanning in southern California, Aleutian Islands, and the western north Atlantic. Light, latitude, and water temperature and nutrients all play a role in facilitating the growth of kelp forests all around the world, (Bolton). Kelp specifically dominates the shallow rocky coasts of the world‘s cold water marine habitats. Although they look as a free-growing plant, they are in fact primarily of brown algae. These structures provide food and shelter to a huge mix of biota, including crabs, sea urchins, mollusks, and other marine organisms (Steneck). The fronds, or large leaves of the kelp are the distinctive feature that can represent where a specific kelp may be found. The sizes of these organisms can range from the smallest found near California and Alaska at 5m to giant kelp up to 45m in length found on the west coasts of North and South America (Hamilton).

Here, we address the issue in the decline of mangroves, coral reefs, and as mentioned, seagrass which all contribute to the decline in the fish

The erosion of shorelines is a natural process that can have beneficial or adverse impacts on the creation and maintenance of habitats. Sands and gravels eroded from the shores of coastal bays maintain the beach as a natural barrier between the open water and coastal wetlands. Beaches move back and forth onshore, offshore and along shore with changing wave conditions. The finer-grained silts and clays derived from the erosion of shorelines are sorted and carried as far as the waters of wetlands or tidal flats, where benefits are derived from addition of the new material. However, excessively high sediment loads can smother submerged aquatic vegetation beds, cover shellfish beds and tidal flats, fill in riffle

The intertidal rocky shore of Caloundra Beach is inhabited by diverse range of biodiversity of animals and plants, many of which have developed high levels of adaptations throughout their existence. The very boundary of marine and terrestrial ecosystem, this environment is subjected to extremes of the physical environment such as temperature, desiccation, wave turbulence as well the ecological interactions that commonly occur in biotic communities (e.g. competition, predation). However Rocky intertidal shores are easily accessible by humans and provide an enjoyable opportunity for passive recreation and for science and environmental education as well.

The vibrant colors of underwater fish and othercolorful sea elements enhance the beauty of sea environments. There are more than 30 different kinds of seahorses. Their charming formbeauty and beautyforms make them an inspiring subject yet challenging to paint. One of favorite habitat of seahorses is seagrass. For my first project, a yellowish-brown seahorse against a blue underwater background comes to my mind. I want to add colorful seagrass alongside the seahorse rather than plain green seagrass. The goal is to capture the texture and rhythm of the underwater environment.

Seagrasses are essential primary producers that provide habitat and refuge to fauna. Anthropogenic influences have caused global loss of seagrasses and a major contributor is eutrophication, which increases phytoplankton and algal populations, reduces light availability, and causes daily hypoxic conditions. Eutrophication is commonly linked to declines in temperate conditions and is more difficult to link to tropical systems since decreases are typically related to physical damage and diminishing light conditions from runoff. Climate change, herbivore declines, disease and overfishing, along with anthropogenic impacts from coastal development, run-off, eutrophication, and aquaculture have caused declines in coral reefs and mangrove systems. These three systems are interconnected and when one system is impacted, secondary impacts are observed in the other systems; coastal ecosystems will be adversely effected and decline. Additional research, conservation, and ways to reduce anthropogenic impacts have been discussed. Restoration is used to reverse habitat loss, although success is varied. Coastal systems and the biological and ecosystem services they provide, may take decades to establish. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are instituted to protect systems from further degradation, restore communities and allow them to flourish naturally. However, local residents are affected by MPAs and may become displaced, have restriction placed on their livelihood, or elimination of their