What will it take to change our destructive ways before it is too late?

Streams Rivers Lakes Ponds Inland wetlands

Ponds

Streams

Rivers

Wetlands

Platypus

Fish

Frogs Some species of Crocodiles Geese

Recreation◦ Boating◦ Tubing and skiing◦ Swimming◦ Fishing

Food Navigation Irrigation Drinking water Bathing

Runoff from agriculture and urban areas Exotic species Construction of dams Privatization Overexploitation Diversion Pollution

Dead fish and other living organisms

Polluted waters

Contamination affects aquatic life and limits activities for humans

How is an increasing population impacting freshwater sources?

How much of an increase in the consumption of water can we handle?

How does the amount of water used for meat-eaters compare to vegetarians?

What is happening to freshwater sources in developing countries?

Laws to stop illegal dumping Regulations on how humans use waterways Catch and release fishing programs Education for boaters Education on hygiene and sanitation

Coastal wetlands

Estuaries

Mangroves

Oceans

> 70% of Earth is water and 97% is saltwater

Coastal wetlands

Oceans

Estuaries

Mangroves

Great diversity of life in marine zones:

Microscopic vs. massive

Docile vs. deadly

Tropical vs. polar species

Recreation◦ Boating◦ Swimming◦ Snorkeling and SCUBA◦ Cruises

Commercial fishing Development

Scientific research◦ Water characteristics◦ Weather events◦ Biodiversity◦ Energy

Shipping Oil rigs Mining

Runoff Oil spills Pollution Global warming Melting ice Overexploitation Exotic species Coral reef damage

Oil spills lead to death and habitat destruction

Plastic and debris from humans leads to injury and death of many species

An analysis, published in Science, Feb. 15, 2008, shows that over 40% of the world’s oceans are heavily affected by human activities and few if any areas remain untouched.

Does your cruise ship support the Clean Cruise Ship Act of 2004? Are you a steward to your environment?

There are 7 billion tons of litter released into the ocean each year – 60% is of plastic composition – as a result 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine animals die.

The Clean Cruise Ship Act of 2004 and other similar Acts regulating what happens in marine aquatic zones

Laws on illegal dumping The EPA, NOAA, and other research groups

collecting data and educating individuals, companies, states, and countries

Cracking down on illegal fishing and pirate activity

An increase in international cooperation

www.epa.gov/nep/about1.htm www.epa.gov/owow/estuaries/kids www.estuaries.gov www.epa.gov/wetlands www.audobon.org/campaign/wetland/

destroy.html www.bigmarinefish.com/wetlands.html www.eco-pros.com/humanimpact.htm

www.unep.org/ourplanet/imgversn/83/williams.html

www.oceanservice.noaa.gov/websites/retiredsites/supp_sotc_retired.html

www.ecologicalproblems.blogspot.com www.nceas.ucsb.edu/GlobalMarine http://internationalrivers.org/en/node/1590