Schreiber, Betty Anne (10/06/98)

Following are my comments submitted to assist NSF with ideas on funding needs for marine conservation biology.

1) There is a great need to have a better understanding of the connections between wetlands, watersheds, coral reefs, grassbeds, the open ocean and fish production. For instance, in the Caribbean, run off caused by feral animals grazing on islands causes erosion that then destroys the reefs surrounding the islands, which in turn destroys the nursery grounds of many fish species. This erosion then destroys the island habitat for nesting seabirds, who additionally loose their food supply when young fish die as the reef dies.

2) Research is needed on the accumulation of pollutants in the oceans and their effect on seabirds, fish, reefs, etc. Many of these pollutants act in subtle ways such as disrupting the endocrine systems of animals, affecting behavior, mating, reproduction.

3) Some long-term monitoring-sampling programs should be set up worldwide. Since many heavy metals, for example, are naturally occurring in the environment, their presence in tissues does not necessarily indicate contamination of the animal. Without a baseline, we cannot necessarily tell what abnormal levels are.

4) A comprehensive list of the most significant areas to be preserved worldwide should be compiled and then efforts made to protect them (high productivity areas, areas such as mangroves that have been mostly lost already, etc.). These areas frequently affect production of resources well beyond their national borders. Much more extensive marine protected areas are needed.

5) An international committee should be formed with representatives of concerned disciplines (mangroves, seagrasses, coral reefs, seabirds, fishes, chemical pollutants, etc.). They should first host a symposium designed to formulate a plan of action for Marine Conservation.

Betty Anne Schreiber, Ph.D.
Research Associate, Bird Dept.
National Museum of Natural History, MRC 114
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, DC 20560
phone: 703-768-6726
Internet: schreibere@aol.com