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A Study on Marine Life Habitat

ENSC 2112: ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

Research Paper
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page 1

Table of Contents 2

CHAPTER I: THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

Introduction 3

Abstract 5

Statement of the Problem 6

Objectives 7

Significance of the Study 8

Definition of Terms 9

CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Foreign Literature 10

Local Literature 11

Historical Background 12

Recommendation 13

Assessment 14

Bibliography 16
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INTRODUCTION

When we talk about Marine life habitat, the first thing that may come to

our mind is the coral reef. Coral reefs have the highest density of marine life

than any other part, in fact it is believed to have the highest biodiversity of any

ecosystem in the planet. In addition, only less one percent of ocean floor is

covered by coral reefs but this area is the home of 25 % of marine life, this is

because of the reason that this is the most abundant source of food, a cover or

protection, a good breeding ground, sunlight and oxygen abundant. So, it is

expected that when the coral vanish millions of species will be gone and the

ocean will become imbalance. But this is a sad scenery that most of the coral

have been affected by so called coral bleaching, in the Philippines only 5% of

coral remains, while the great barrier reefs the largest coral reef system in the

world estimated that 29-50% of the corals here have been killed by bleaching.

The bleaching is triggered by the global warming, toxics and pollution,

acidification and many other factors. sadly, it would take a century for a coral to

form, and thousands of years to grow.

Aside from the Coral, fishes and other marine organism lives in other

part of ocean including coastal region, shallow waters, cold and warm sea,

mangroves, ocean surface and deeper part of ocean. These remaining regions are

the home of the huge marine life species like whales, sharks etc. But just like the

corals the problem in this are the human factors. Many fishes are killed because
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of the rise in temperature of water and intoxications, the rate of whale being

stranded in the coast back then is rare but nowadays the rate is becoming higher.

Another problem that the marine life habitat faces in these other regions are the

plastic that they accidentally intake, whales and sea turtles are the main victims

of these. But an even worse pollution that human throws the ocean are toxins

which instantly kills every life in the nearby places.

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ABSTRACT

Marine life habitats are the part of our planet that are inhabited by

marine life species, marine life habitat also refers to the habitable part of the

ocean where the all kind of marine species breed, flock, find foods and live. This

huge part of our planet which covers 71% of our planet’s surface has the densest

number of organism, which means we cannot afford to lose this deep blue

paradise. But pollution is now getting worse and worse each year, thus killing

this marine life habitat. Pollution in ocean has a wide variety of sources, from

toxins, plastics, global warming, and even noise pollution from marine vessels.

Nearly 50% of marine life in the last 40 years had vanished and if this thing will

continue by 1948 total death of ocean and its population may occur.
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STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study aims to answer the following questions:

1. What are the different types of marine life habitat?

2. What are the importance of marine life habitat?

3. What are the problems of marine life habitat?

4. What are the effects of marine life habitat deterioration?

5. What are the different ways to protect marine life habitat

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OBJECTIVES

 To identify the different types of marine life habitat

 To determine the importance of marine life habitat

 To view the problems of marine life habitat

 To cite the effects of marine life habitat deterioration

 To enumerate the different ways to protect marine life habitat

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SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

An estimated 50-80% of all life on earth is found under the ocean surface

and the oceans contain 99% of the living space on the planet, thus pollution on it

will result to death of a large fraction of earth species, and if continuous it may

probably kill and affect millions of human populations. Such that, this paper is

made to rise awareness on how things on marine habitat is currently moving

under or on the sea and how it will affect the human in the near future.

Nowadays, marine environment is nearly coming to its end, with the rise of

death of marine species due to ocean intoxications, plastic and other solid waste,

warming of the ocean, airborne pollution, noise pollution and many other human

factors present, nearly 50% of marine life in the last 40 years had vanished and

if this thing will continue by 1948 total death of ocean and its population may

occur. This kind of situation may cause a massive catastrophe on human because

ocean is delivering us the largest source of oxygen and food and also balances

the earth’s ecosystem. This paper also cites different ways to avoid such

misfortune of ocean’s death. That misfortune may still be avoided if we make

our last stand right now, so it is important for us to understand the different

ways to do it. This reasearch also provides some insights that will be helpful
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DEFINITION OF TERMS

 Coral Reefs- Coral reefs are diverse underwater ecosystems held together by

calcium carbonate structures secreted by corals. Coral reefs are built by

colonies of tiny animals found in marine water that contain few nutrients.

 Coral bleaching- occurs when coral polyps expel algae that live inside their

tissues. Normally, coral polyps live in an endosymbiotic relationship with the

algae and that relationship is crucial for the coral and hence for the health of the

whole reef.

 Sedimentation- Is the process in which the coral is covered by off-shore run off

of sediments.

 Ocean acidification- a significant and harmful consequence of excess carbon

dioxide in the atmosphere that we don't see or feel because its effects are

happening underwater.

 Salinity - the amount of salt in ocean water. increase in salinity kills many

marine lives including coral reefs. This happens because of deposit of salty

elements to the sea and much water evaporation.

 Mangroves -a group of trees and shrubs that live in the coastal intertidal zone.
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FOREIGN LITERATURE

According to National Geographic, Human activities are threatening the

health of the world's oceans. More than 80 percent of marine pollution comes

from land-based activities. From coral bleaching to sea level rise, entire marine

ecosystems are rapidly changing.

Global warming is causing alterations in ocean chemistry and many

oceanic processes, and it is threatening many species of marine animals that

cannot cope with higher temperatures. Overfishing is a serious problem in many

parts of the world. Conservationists advocate creating expansive marine reserves

to protect the biodiversity of the oceans.

To make the situation worse, the study of Boris Worm who has a PhD

from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Along with colleagues in

the U.K, U.S., Sweden, and Panama, Worm has predicted that by the year 2048,

the ocean will be devoid of fish – which, if it occurs, would effectively end life

as we know it on planet Earth.

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LOCAL LITERATURE

Philippines has one the most populous and diverse aquatic ecosystems in

the world. The marine waters of the Philippines contain significant marine

habitats – coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangrove forests and the deep seas. These

habitats are estimated to host at least 2,000 species of fish, 5,000 species of

clams and other mollusks and crustaceans, 22 species of whales and dolphins,

more than 900 species of seaweed, and more than 400 species of corals. Because

of this rich diversity in marine life, some experts have acknowledged the

Philippines as the global center ofmarine biodiversity.

According to Alexandra Cousteau's study on Philippine ocean, the

country’s coastal and marine ecosystems are degraded, and efforts to protect and

conserve the country’s coastal marine ecosystems remain wanting.

She also added that the decades of neglect that led to ocean degradation

in the Philippines, in fact, have already taken its toll on the fishery sector. The

dwindling fish catch of municipal fishermen—from an average of 10 kilos per

day to just 5 kilos per day and/or lower—over the past decades pose a serious

challenge. Thus this massive degreadation is a great threat to nation's food

security and economy which mainly relies on aquaculture and agriculture.

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HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Three(3) billion years ago ocean became the home of the first organism

in the planet, the ocean life became dense since then. Evolution first emerge on

the ocean and some organism move from it to walk on the land, but still ocean is

still more viable home to most organism so it retains its title as the most

populated part of the planet up to this modern era. The ice age which lasted

195,000 to 130,000 years ago drove some of the first humans near the ocean

where they settle, since then the ocean is distracted by the humans since it was

the largest source of food in the world, in addition the sea has provided trade

routes and fueled early empires empires which makes it the one of the most

stratigical place to build a civilization.

Hundreds of centuries after the first settlement of humans in the ocean

shores, the industrial revolution took place, it paved way to inventions of

machineries, use of fuel energy, urbanizations and economic growth. However,

the industrial revolution brought another problem for water: chemical pollution,

which joined the faecal pollution of waste water. In this way, paradoxically,

while we were progressing in the treatment of organic pollution, the industrial

discharges started polluting rivers and oceans unconsciously with products

whose harmfulness was later discovered: heavy metals, pesticides, DDT, nitrates

etc. Now the problem brought by industrial revolution worsen, most countries

especially the third world, lacks sewerage systems and cannot manage the

increase of pollution brought by large populations and production.

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RECOMMENDATION

Based on the findings and conclusions of the research, the following were
recommended:

 By simply using plastic products lesser and lesser, we can protect the ocean
and its oraganism. We should start to develop alternative products that are
biodegradable and can replace the plastics, but while we are waiting for that
product to be develop let's do our share by using baskets, avoiding the use of
straws, plastic cups, bottles, bags etc.

 Organizing regular clean up drive cleans the ocean shores thus the pollutants
will not wash out to the middle of the oceans where it may cause more harm
to the organism underneath. Regular clean up can be organize not just by
formal organization but also by small communities, institutions and some
individuals.

 Reducing carbon emmision is a very efficient way of reviving the ocean, this
can be done by reducing the use of fossil energy which emitts carbon dioxide
which makes our oceans more acidic. High acidity in our ocean can kill every
marine organism.

 Avoiding the use of non-environmental friendly sunscreen may reduce the

coral bleaching. Coral bleaching is the phenomenon whereby coral loses its
color and rejects symbiotic organisms, essentially killing the coral. While
rising sea temperatures are the main culprit behind coral bleaching,
researchers believe oxybenzone, a UV blocker used in many popular
sunscreens.
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ASSESSMENT

1. Types of marine life habitats

 Mangroves

 Coastal Regions

 Coral Reefs

 Shallow waters/sunlit zone

 Deeper sea/night zone

2. Importance of marine habitats

 Home of all marine life

 Balancing of worlds ecosystem

 Largest source of world’s oxygen

 Largest Food source

 Source of livelihood

3. problems of marine life habitats

 Coral Bleaching

 Global Warming

 Land reclamation

 Excessive and Illegal harvest

 Marine Pollution

4. Effects of marine life habitat deterioration

 Clearing of Corals
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 Death of marine life

 Large nutrition problems

 Loss of livelihoods to coastal region

 Loss of balance ecosystem

5. Different ways to protect marine life habitat

 Ocean clean-up

 Water treatment

 Coral farming

 Implementation of laws and treaties

 Lessen the use of plastics and other toxins

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

 -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_pollution

 -http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/fishes/environment/environment_zones.html

 -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_conservation

 -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_global_warming_on_oceans

 -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_reclamation

 -http://www.pollutionissues.com/Fo-Hi/History.html

 http://www.streetdirectory.com/etoday/history-of-water-pollution-cewpje.html

 https://www.jstor.org/stable/25042239

 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313426362_RESEARCHES_IN_WATER_P

OLLUTION_A_REVIEW

 -http://www.alliedacademies.org/articles/water-pollution-and-human-health-

7925.html

 https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/6ffd/2e86026c3825adca39f453cd3a61782676ca.p

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