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Conservation Strategies
Learn more about conservation strategies that support aquatic biodiversity:
Human modifications to the environment, overexploitation, habitat loss, exotic species and others factors are greatly threatening aquatic biodiversity. Ecosystems and species important in sustaining human life and the health of the environment are disappearing at an alarming rate. In order to preserve these threatened areas and species for future generations, immediate action in the form of aquatic biodiversity conservation strategies are necessary.
Aquatic conservation strategies support sustainable development by protecting biological resources in ways that will preserve habitats and ecosystems. In order for biodiversity conservation to be effective, management measures must be broad based. This can be achieved through many mechanisms including:
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Marine Reserves: A marine reserve is a defined space within the sea in which fishing is banned or other restrictions are placed in an effort to protect plants, animals, and habitats, ultimately conserving biodiversity. Marine reserves can also be used for educational purposes, recreation, and tourism as well as potentially increasing fisheries yields by enhancing the declining fish populations. Marine reserves are also very similar to marine protected areas, fishery reserves, sanctuaries, and parks. Examples include the Aquatic Reserves Program in the State of Washington and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Science National Marine Protected Areas.
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Bioregional Management: Bioregional management is a total ecosystem strategy, which regulates factors affecting aquatic biodiversity by balancing conservation, economic, and social needs within an area. This consists of both small-scale biosphere reserves and larger reserves. Biosphere reserves, generally small in scale, have a strong conservation focus, and consist of one or more protected central habitats and surrounding buffer zones. In these bioresevation units, activities such as fishing, hunting, harvesting, and development activities are strictly limited. In contrast, nonbiosphere reserve areas encompass much broader ranges, and many more habitat types (e.g., the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary). Other examples of National Marine Sanctuaries
include Stellwagen bank, and Monterey Bay. -
Threatened or endangered species designations: The World Resources Institute documents that the designation of a particular species as threatened or endangered has historically been the primary method of protecting freshwater biodiversity. Threatened species include organisms likely to become endangered if not properly protected. Endangered species are plants and animals that need protection in order to survive, as they are in immediate danger of becoming extinct. Once species are "listed," they become subject to national recovery programs and will be placed under international protection. Severe monetary penalties can occur if threatened and endangered species regulations are broken, and can even result in jail sentences. For more information, please visit EPA's Endangered Species Protection Program, Endangered Species Act, or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Endangered Species Program
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Local watershed groups: Rivers and streams, regardless of their condition, often go unprotected since they often pass through more than one political jurisdiction, making it difficult to enforce conservation and management of resources. However, in recent years, the protection of lakes and small portions of watersheds organized by local watershed groups has helped this situation. For more information on how you can become involved in your watershed please visit EPA's Adopt Your Watershed Website.
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EPA's Healthy Watersheds Initiatives: Once healthy watersheds or healthy components of watersheds are identified, a variety of conservation and protection approaches are available. See examples of conservation and protection approaches and tools. These approaches are generally site-specific and tailored to the particular situation. Watershed managers are encouraged to use these examples as guidance in developing their own conservation and protection strategies. A combination of approaches has been found to be most effective at maintaining watershed health and integrity.
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Specialized Programs: Many specialized programs have been instituted to protect biodiversity. For example, the USDA Forest Service initiated Bring Back the Natives
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a cooperative state-federal program. The goal of this program is to
restore the health of riverine systems and associated species.
Areas targeted for this program include lands managed by the U.S. Forest
Service and the Bureau of Land management. -
Research: Various organizations and conferences that research biodiversity and associated conservation strategies help to identify areas of future research, analyze current trends in aquatic biodiversity, even conduct specialized studies. Examples of such organizations include the Nature Conservancy
, Natural Heritage Network , World Conservation Monitoring Centre , World Resources Institute , NOAA Fisheries
Office of Protected Resources ,
and Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) . -
Increase Public Awareness: Increasing public awareness is one of the most important ways to conserve aquatic biodiversity. This can be accomplished through educational programs, incentive programs, and volunteer monitoring programs. For example, the State of Delaware has an Adopt-a-Wetland Program
designed increase public awareness as to the value and of wetlands and
the need for conservation. The EPA developed a site with
links to organizations that teach the public how to become involved
in volunteer monitoring programs. Read about how fish and freshewater mussels are used as environmental indicators to protect aquatic biodiversity. -
Restoration/Mitigation Efforts: Aquatic areas that have been damaged or suffered habitat loss or degradation can be restored. Even species populations that have suffered a decline can be targeted for restoration (e.g., Pacific Northwest salmon populations). Some management practices such as the establishment of riparian buffer zones and the restoration of natural flow patterns and discharge regimes are being applied to riverine areas. Recently, habitat restoration has also been performed in various areas to replace losses from dredging projects and in many wetland habitats. Learn about the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Cheseapek Bay restoration, and River Corridor and Wetland Restoration.
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Regulatory Measures: This may include wastewater discharge regulations like NPDES or fishery conservation measures, fisheries management councils, even fishery bans. For example, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
of 1976 and the associated 1996 Sustainable
Fisheries Amendment require the conservation and management of the marine
fishery resources in the United States, predominately managed by NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). This creation of
sustainable fisheries is largely completed through regulatory actions
including the collection of the best scientific data available. Learn more about EPA's efforts to protect our oceans, coasts, estuaries and beaches. -
Local community actions: The demand for freshwater - and the threats to its health - originate from the actions of millions of people. To solve these challenges also requires actions of many. State and federal governments, and many local governments and public agencies, are already at work. So, too, are numerous citizen volunteers. Any individual can take steps to make healthy water a welcome part of everyday life. Learn how you can make a difference! Take Action!
For more information regarding aquatic biodiversity conservation strategies refer to the following web sites:
World Resources Institute
National Aquarium in Baltimore
Restoration Links