%0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T A Decision Framework for Interventions to Increase the Persistence and Resilience of Coral Reefs %@ 978-0-309-49184-6 %D 2019 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25424/a-decision-framework-for-interventions-to-increase-the-persistence-and-resilience-of-coral-reefs %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25424/a-decision-framework-for-interventions-to-increase-the-persistence-and-resilience-of-coral-reefs %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Earth Sciences %P 212 %X Coral reefs are critical to ocean and human life because they provide food, living area, storm protection, tourism income, and more. However, human-induced stressors, such as overfishing, sediment, pollution, and habitat destruction have threatened ocean ecosystems globally for decades. In the face of climate change, these ecosystems now face an array of unfamiliar challenges due to destructive rises in ocean temperature, acidity and sea level. These factors lead to an increased frequency of bleaching events, hindered growth, and a decreasing rate of calcification. Research on interventions to combat these relatively new stressors and a reevaluation of longstanding interventions is necessary to understand and protect coral reefs in this changing climate. Previous research on these methods prompts further questions regarding the decision making process for site-specific interventions. A Decision Framework for Interventions to Increase the Persistence and Resilience of Coral Reefs builds upon a previous report that reviews the state of research on methods that have been used, tested, or proposed to increase the resilience of coral reefs. This new report aims to help coral managers evaluate the specific needs of their site and navigate the 23 different interventions described in the previous report. A case study of the Caribbean, a region with low coral population plagued by disease, serves as an example for coral intervention decision making. This report provides complex coral management decision making tools, identifies gaps in coral biology and conservation research, and provides examples to help individuals and communities tailor a decision strategy to a local area. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T A Research Review of Interventions to Increase the Persistence and Resilience of Coral Reefs %@ 978-0-309-48535-7 %D 2019 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25279/a-research-review-of-interventions-to-increase-the-persistence-and-resilience-of-coral-reefs %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25279/a-research-review-of-interventions-to-increase-the-persistence-and-resilience-of-coral-reefs %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Earth Sciences %P 258 %X Coral reef declines have been recorded for all major tropical ocean basins since the 1980s, averaging approximately 30-50% reductions in reef cover globally. These losses are a result of numerous problems, including habitat destruction, pollution, overfishing, disease, and climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions and the associated increases in ocean temperature and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations have been implicated in increased reports of coral bleaching, disease outbreaks, and ocean acidification (OA). For the hundreds of millions of people who depend on reefs for food or livelihoods, the thousands of communities that depend on reefs for wave protection, the people whose cultural practices are tied to reef resources, and the many economies that depend on reefs for fisheries or tourism, the health and maintenance of this major global ecosystem is crucial. A growing body of research on coral physiology, ecology, molecular biology, and responses to stress has revealed potential tools to increase coral resilience. Some of this knowledge is poised to provide practical interventions in the short-term, whereas other discoveries are poised to facilitate research that may later open the doors to additional interventions. A Research Review of Interventions to Increase the Persistence and Resilience of Coral Reefs reviews the state of science on genetic, ecological, and environmental interventions meant to enhance the persistence and resilience of coral reefs. The complex nature of corals and their associated microbiome lends itself to a wide range of possible approaches. This first report provides a summary of currently available information on the range of interventions present in the scientific literature and provides a basis for the forthcoming final report. %0 Book %T %D %U %> %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %P %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T Review of Fate, Exposure, and Effects of Sunscreens in Aquatic Environments and Implications for Sunscreen Usage and Human Health %@ 978-0-309-27283-4 %D 2022 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26381/review-of-fate-exposure-and-effects-of-sunscreens-in-aquatic-environments-and-implications-for-sunscreen-usage-and-human-health %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26381/review-of-fate-exposure-and-effects-of-sunscreens-in-aquatic-environments-and-implications-for-sunscreen-usage-and-human-health %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Environment and Environmental Studies %K Health and Medicine %P 408 %X Regular use of sunscreens has been shown to reduce the risk of sunburn and skin cancer, and slow photoaging of skin. Sunscreens can rinse off into water where people are swimming or wading, and can also enter bodies of water through wastewater such as from bathing or showering. As a result, the ultraviolet (UV) filters - the active ingredients in sunscreens that reduce the amount of UV radiation on skin - have been detected in the water, sediment, and animal tissues in aquatic environments. Because the impact of these filters on aquatic ecosystems is not fully understood, assessment is needed to better understand their environmental impacts. This report calls on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to conduct an ecological risk assessment of UV filters to characterize the possible risks to aquatic ecosystems and the species that live in them. EPA should focus on environments more likely to be exposed such as those with heavy recreational use, or where wastewater and urban runoff enter the water. The risk assessment should cover a broad range of species and biological effects and could consider potential interacting effects among UV filters and with other environmental stresses such as climate change. In addition, the report describes the role of sunscreens in preventing skin cancer and what is known about how human health could be affected by potential changes in usage. While the need for a risk assessment is urgent, research is needed to advance understanding of both risks to the environment from UV filters and impacts to human health from changing sunscreen availability and usage. %0 Book %T %D %U %> %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %P %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T Effective Monitoring to Evaluate Ecological Restoration in the Gulf of Mexico %@ 978-0-309-44037-0 %D 2017 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/23476/effective-monitoring-to-evaluate-ecological-restoration-in-the-gulf-of-mexico %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/23476/effective-monitoring-to-evaluate-ecological-restoration-in-the-gulf-of-mexico %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Earth Sciences %P 219 %X Gulf Coast communities and natural resources suffered extensive direct and indirect damage as a result of the largest accidental oil spill in US history, referred to as the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill. Notably, natural resources affected by this major spill include wetlands, coastal beaches and barrier islands, coastal and marine wildlife, seagrass beds, oyster reefs, commercial fisheries, deep benthos, and coral reefs, among other habitats and species. Losses include an estimated 20% reduction in commercial fishery landings across the Gulf of Mexico and damage to as much as 1,100 linear miles of coastal salt marsh wetlands. This historic spill is being followed by a restoration effort unparalleled in complexity and magnitude in U.S. history. Legal settlements in the wake of DWH led to the establishment of a set of programs tasked with administering and supporting DWH-related restoration in the Gulf of Mexico. In order to ensure that restoration goals are met and money is well spent, restoration monitoring and evaluation should be an integral part of those programs. However, evaluations of past restoration efforts have shown that monitoring is often inadequate or even absent. Effective Monitoring to Evaluate Ecological Restoration in the Gulf of Mexico identifies best practices for monitoring and evaluating restoration activities to improve the performance of restoration programs and increase the effectiveness and longevity of restoration projects. This report provides general guidance for restoration monitoring, assessment, and synthesis that can be applied to most ecological restoration supported by these major programs given their similarities in restoration goals. It also offers specific guidance for a subset of habitats and taxa to be restored in the Gulf including oyster reefs, tidal wetlands, and seagrass habitats, as well as a variety of birds, sea turtles, and marine mammals. %0 Book %T (NAS Colloquium) The Future of Evolution %D 2002 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10499/nas-colloquium-the-future-of-evolution %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10499/nas-colloquium-the-future-of-evolution %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Biology and Life Sciences %P 96 %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Marine Protected Areas: Tools for Sustaining Ocean Ecosystems %@ 978-0-309-46779-7 %D 2001 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9994/marine-protected-areas-tools-for-sustaining-ocean-ecosystems %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9994/marine-protected-areas-tools-for-sustaining-ocean-ecosystems %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Earth Sciences %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 288 %X Although the ocean-and the resources within-seem limitless, there is clear evidence that human impacts such as overfishing, habitat destruction, and pollution disrupt marine ecosystems and threaten the long-term productivity of the seas. Declining yields in many fisheries and decay of treasured marine habitats, such as coral reefs, has heightened interest in establishing a comprehensive system of marine protected areas (MPAs)-areas designated for special protection to enhance the management of marine resources. Therefore, there is an urgent need to evaluate how MPAs can be employed in the United States and internationally as tools to support specific conservation needs of marine and coastal waters. Marine Protected Areas compares conventional management of marine resources with proposals to augment these management strategies with a system of protected areas. The volume argues that implementation of MPAs should be incremental and adaptive, through the design of areas not only to conserve resources, but also to help us learn how to manage marine species more effectively. %0 Book %A National Academy of Sciences %E Avise, John C. %E Hubbell, Stephen P. %E Ayala, Francisco J. %T In the Light of Evolution: Volume II: Biodiversity and Extinction %@ 978-0-309-12743-1 %D 2008 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12501/in-the-light-of-evolution-volume-ii-biodiversity-and-extinction %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12501/in-the-light-of-evolution-volume-ii-biodiversity-and-extinction %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Biology and Life Sciences %P 432 %X The current extinction crisis is of human making, and any favorable resolution of that biodiversity crisis--among the most dire in the 4-billion-year history of Earth--will have to be initiated by mankind. Little time remains for the public, corporations, and governments to awaken to the magnitude of what is at stake. This book aims to assist that critical educational mission, synthesizing recent scientific information and ideas about threats to biodiversity in the past, present, and projected future. This is the second volume from the In the Light of Evolution series, based on a series of Arthur M. Sackler colloquia, and designed to promote the evolutionary sciences. Each installment explores evolutionary perspectives on a particular biological topic that is scientifically intriguing but also has special relevance to contemporary societal issues or challenges. Individually and collectively, the ILE series aims to interpret phenomena in various areas of biology through the lens of evolution, address some of the most intellectually engaging as well as pragmatically important societal issues of our times, and foster a greater appreciation of evolutionary biology as a consolidating foundation for the life sciences. %0 Book %T %D %U %> %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %P %0 Book %T %D %U %> %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %P %0 Book %E Corfield, Richard %T The Silent Landscape: The Scientific Voyage of HMS Challenger %D 2003 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10725/the-silent-landscape-the-scientific-voyage-of-hms-challenger %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10725/the-silent-landscape-the-scientific-voyage-of-hms-challenger %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Explore Science %K Biography and Autobiography %P 300 %X In 1872 HMS Challenger set sail from Portsmouth, England, to map and sample the ocean floor. This marked the birth of modern oceanography. By retracing Challenger’s extraordinary voyage, we view our underwater landscape anew – focusing on what 21st century science is now able to add to this incredible story. The oceans make up more than two thirds of the Earth’s surface. But they are as mysterious for what they conceal beneath their surfaces as they are familiar for their ubiquity. Deep below the susurrus swell of waves lies an alien world that we have only begun to explore. The quest to know more about this secret domain began in earnest in the late 1800s. In 1859, Charles Darwin’s book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection set the scientific world abuzz with its radical theory of evolution, and sparked a feverish desire to know more about the workings of nature. Scientists became increasingly convinced that the ocean floor could provide proof – or refutation – of Darwin’s theory of natural selection. They believed that the ocean floor was a haven for life that had long been extinct on land and that obscure fossil evidence culled from the depths could provide us with information on species that no longer existed topside. So an expedition was specifically designed and undertaken to investigate the natural history and geology of the ocean floor. With its emphasis on locating and retrieving fossil records that would test the new theory of evolution, Challenger’s voyage was nothing less than a mission to choose between God and science. Sailing three and half years and 69,000 nautical miles through burning tropical heat waves and stupefyingly cold Antarctic seas, and suffering further privations of hunger, storms, and sometimes crushing boredom between data-collecting surveys, Challenger dredged up thousands of samples from the sea floor and mapped enormous areas of undersea terrain. The final result was nothing short of a roaring success. So extensive were their findings that it was to take the scientists 19 years to completely examine and report on all their data. The final report, published in 1895, ran to fifty volumes. Most startling of all was the revelation that the ocean was not a silent landscape that serenely reflected Earth’s past – it was a gloriously vibrant ecosystem teeming with a variety and multitude of life on a scale we could scarcely imagine from our landlocked perspective. Relying on the official documentation, logs, and journals of the ship’s company, The Silent Landscape recounts the tale of an extraordinary voyage brought to life by 21st-century science. From the endangered coral reefs of the Caribbean to the trackless depths beneath the western Pacific, The Silent Landscape takes us on an epic journey across time. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Understanding Marine Biodiversity %@ 978-0-309-08397-3 %D 1995 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/4923/understanding-marine-biodiversity %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/4923/understanding-marine-biodiversity %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Biology and Life Sciences %K Earth Sciences %P 128 %X The diversity of marine life is being affected dramatically by fishery operations, chemical pollution and eutrophication, alteration of physical habitat, exotic species invasion, and effects of other human activities. Effective solutions will require an expanded understanding of the patterns and processes that control the diversity of life in the sea. Understanding Marine Biodiversity outlines the current state of our knowledge, and propose research agenda on marine biological diversity. This agenda represents a fundamental change in studying the ocean—emphasizing regional research across a range of space and time scales, enhancing the interface between taxonomy and ecology, and linking oceanographic and ecological approaches. Highlighted with examples and brief case studies, this volume illustrates the depth and breadth of undescribed marine biodiversity, explores critical environmental issues, advocates the use of regionally defined model systems, and identifies a series of key biodiversity research questions. The authors examine the utility of various research approaches—theory and modeling, retrospective analysis, integration of biotic and oceanographic surveys—and review recent advances in molecular genetics, instrumentation, and sampling techniques applicable to the research agenda. Throughout the book the critical role of taxonomy is emphasized. Informative to the scientist and accessible to the policymaker, Understanding Marine Biodiversity will be of specific interest to marine biologists, ecologists, oceanographers, and research administrators, and to government agencies responsible for utilizing, managing, and protecting the oceans. %0 Book %E Reaka-Kudla, Marjorie L. %E Wilson, Don E. %E Wilson, Edward O. %T Biodiversity II: Understanding and Protecting Our Biological Resources %@ 978-0-309-05584-0 %D 1997 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/4901/biodiversity-ii-understanding-and-protecting-our-biological-resources %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/4901/biodiversity-ii-understanding-and-protecting-our-biological-resources %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Explore Science %K Biology and Life Sciences %P 560 %X "The book before you...carries the urgent warning that we are rapidly altering and destroying the environments that have fostered the diversity of life forms for more than a billion years." With those words, Edward O. Wilson opened the landmark volume Biodiversity (National Academy Press, 1988). Despite this and other such alarms, species continue to vanish at a rapid rate, taking with them their genetic legacy and potential benefits. Many disappear before they can even be identified. Biodiversity II is a renewed call for urgency. This volume updates readers on how much we already know and how much remains to be identified scientifically. It explores new strategies for quantifying, understanding, and protecting biodiversity, including: New approaches to the integration of electronic data, including a proposal for a U.S. National Biodiversity Information Center. Application of techniques developed in the human genome project to species identification and classification. The Gap Analysis Program of the National Biological Survey, which uses layered satellite, climatic, and biological data to assess distribution and better manage biodiversity. The significant contribution of museum collections to identifying and categorizing species, which is essential for understanding ecological function and for targeting organisms and regions at risk. The book describes our growing understanding of how megacenters of diversity (e.g., rainforest insects, coral reefs) are formed, maintained, and lost; what can be learned from mounting bird extinctions; and how conservation efforts for neotropical primates have fared. It also explores ecosystem restoration, sustainable development, and agricultural impact. Biodiversity II reinforces the idea that the conservation of our biological resources is within reach as long as we pool resources; better coordinate the efforts of existing institutions—museums, universities, and government agencies—already dedicated to this goal; and enhance support for research, collections, and training. This volume will be important to environmentalists, biologists, ecologists, educators, students, and concerned individuals. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %T Ocean Studies Board: 2019-2020 Annual Report %D 2023 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26856/ocean-studies-board-2019-2020-annual-report %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26856/ocean-studies-board-2019-2020-annual-report %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Earth Sciences %P 24 %X The Ocean Studies Board (OSB) is a unit of the Division on Earth and Life Studies of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. OSB explores the science, policies, and infrastructure needed to understand, manage, and conserve coastal and marine environments and resources. This annual report highlights the published and ongoing activities of OSB from 2019 to 2020. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Ocean Acidification: A National Strategy to Meet the Challenges of a Changing Ocean %@ 978-0-309-15359-1 %D 2010 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12904/ocean-acidification-a-national-strategy-to-meet-the-challenges-of %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12904/ocean-acidification-a-national-strategy-to-meet-the-challenges-of %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Earth Sciences %P 200 %X The ocean has absorbed a significant portion of all human-made carbon dioxide emissions. This benefits human society by moderating the rate of climate change, but also causes unprecedented changes to ocean chemistry. Carbon dioxide taken up by the ocean decreases the pH of the water and leads to a suite of chemical changes collectively known as ocean acidification. The long term consequences of ocean acidification are not known, but are expected to result in changes to many ecosystems and the services they provide to society. Ocean Acidification: A National Strategy to Meet the Challenges of a Changing Ocean reviews the current state of knowledge, explores gaps in understanding, and identifies several key findings. Like climate change, ocean acidification is a growing global problem that will intensify with continued CO2 emissions and has the potential to change marine ecosystems and affect benefits to society. The federal government has taken positive initial steps by developing a national ocean acidification program, but more information is needed to fully understand and address the threat that ocean acidification may pose to marine ecosystems and the services they provide. In addition, a global observation network of chemical and biological sensors is needed to monitor changes in ocean conditions attributable to acidification. %0 Book %A National Academy of Sciences %T Climate Change and Ecosystems %D 2019 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25504/climate-change-and-ecosystems %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25504/climate-change-and-ecosystems %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 28 %X The National Academies convened a forum on November 8-9, 2018 to highlight current research frontiers such as the effects of climate extremes, interactions among climate and other stressors, the timing, sequence, and clustering of climate-related events, and tipping points for abrupt change. Topics of discussion at the forum pertained to the changes ecosystems are currently undergoing, sustaining ecosystems, the impact of ecosystems on global climate change, societal adaptation to climate change, and priorities for future research. This report summarizes the presentations and discussions from the forum. %0 Book %A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine %E Johnson, Anne Frances %T Advancing Research on Understanding Environmental Effects of UV Filters from Sunscreens: Proceedings of a Workshop %@ 978-0-309-69585-5 %D 2023 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26775/advancing-research-on-understanding-environmental-effects-of-uv-filters-from-sunscreens %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26775/advancing-research-on-understanding-environmental-effects-of-uv-filters-from-sunscreens %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 52 %X Sunscreens and a variety of other products contain chemical ultraviolet (UV) filters that absorb or block the sun’s radiation and thereby help mitigate harms to human skin from the sun. The 2022 NASEM report Review of Fate, Exposure, and Effects of Sunscreens in Aquatic Environments and Implications for Sunscreen Usage and Human Health called on the EPA to conduct an ecological risk assessment of UV filters to characterize the possible risks to aquatic ecosystems and the species that live in them. However, the 2022 report also identified a number of knowledge gaps and research barriers that may limit understanding of those ecological risks.To share progress and identify opportunities to further address gaps and barriers, NASEM hosted a workshop in Washington, D.C., on January 23–24, 2023, entitled Workshop to Advance Research on Understanding Environmental Effects of UV Filters in Sunscreens. Through a series of prepared talks, panel discussions, and structured breakout discussions, participants examined the 2022 report and its management context; explored data needs and analytical challenges relevant to the development of accurate toxicity metrics for UV filters; and suggested opportunities to improve and standardize toxicity testing for these chemicals. These proceedings has been prepared by the workshop rapporteur as a factual summary of what occurred at the workshop. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Opportunities for Environmental Applications of Marine Biotechnology: Proceedings of the October 5-6, 1999, Workshop %@ 978-0-309-07188-8 %D 2000 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9988/opportunities-for-environmental-applications-of-marine-biotechnology-proceedings-of-the %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9988/opportunities-for-environmental-applications-of-marine-biotechnology-proceedings-of-the %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Environment and Environmental Studies %K Biology and Life Sciences %P 186 %X This 2-day workshop is the culmination of a study of the status and future of marine biotechnology. The overall goal of this workshop is to examine what was initially called "Opportunities for Marine Biotechnology in the United States," to consider where we are now in this field of "Environmental Marine Biotechnology," to envision the field in the future, and to discuss any impediments that might be encountered along the way. Opportunities for Environmental Applications of Marine Biotechnology: Proceedings of the October 5-6, 1999, Workshop addresses the question of where the federal government should invest its limited funds and what future initiatives should be planned. %0 Book %A National Research Council %T Ecological Impacts of Climate Change %@ 978-0-309-12710-3 %D 2008 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12491/ecological-impacts-of-climate-change %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12491/ecological-impacts-of-climate-change %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Environment and Environmental Studies %P 70 %X The world's climate is changing, and it will continue to change throughout the 21st century and beyond. Rising temperatures, new precipitation patterns, and other changes are already affecting many aspects of human society and the natural world. In this book, the National Research Council provides a broad overview of the ecological impacts of climate change, and a series of examples of impacts of different kinds. The book was written as a basis for a forthcoming illustrated booklet, designed to provide the public with accurate scientific information on this important subject.