National Academies Press: OpenBook

Understanding Marine Biodiversity (1995)

Chapter: FRONT MATTER

Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1995. Understanding Marine Biodiversity. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4923.
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Understanding MARINE BIODIVERSITY

A Research Agenda for the Nation

Committee on Biological Diversity in Marine Systems
Ocean Studies Board
Commission on Geosciences, Environment, and Resources
Board on Biology
Commission on Life Sciences
National Research Council

National Academy Press
Washington, D.C. 1995


Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1995. Understanding Marine Biodiversity. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4923.
×

NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
2101 Constitution Ave., N.W. Washington, DC 20418

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competence and with regard for appropriate balance.

This report has been reviewed by a group other than the authors according to procedures approved by a Report Review Committee consisting of members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.

The work was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy under Grant No. DE-FG02-94ER61738, National Science Foundation's Grant No. OCE-9304519 with a contribution from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Naval Research's Grant No. N00014-94-1-0526, Department of the Interior, National Biological Survey's Grant No. 14-45-0009-94-1200.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Understanding marine biodiversity : a research agenda for the nation / Committee on Biological Diversity in Marine Systems.

p. cm.

"The workshop, entitled Biological Diversity in Marine Systems, was held May 24–26, 1994, at the Arnold & Mabel Beckman Center of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in Irvine, California"—Pref.

"Ocean Studies Board, Commission on Geosciences, Environment, and Resources; Board on Biology, Commission of Life Sciences, National Research Council."

Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.

1. Marine biology—Research—Congresses. 2. Biological diversity—Research—Congresses. I. National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on Biological Diversity in Marine Systems. II. National Research Council (U.S.). Ocean Studies Board. III. National Research Council (U.S.). Board on Biology.

QH91.A1U485 1995

574.92'072—dc20 94-44420

International Standard Book Number 0-309-05225-4

Copyright 1995 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

COVER ART: "Marine Mardi Gras"© 1994 Barbara Wallace. While growing up on a cattle ranch in rural Trout Lake, Washington, Barbara Wallace developed her love of animals and nature, which has become the subject of her work. Recently she and her family relocated to a small farm in Trout Lake, where they are happily breeding horses and collecting animals of all kinds.

Printed in the United States of America

Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1995. Understanding Marine Biodiversity. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4923.
×

COMMITTEE ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY IN MARINE SYSTEMS

CHERYL ANN BUTMAN, Co-Chair,

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts

JAMES T. CARLTON, Co-Chair,

Williams College - Mystic Seaport, Connecticut

GEORGE W. BOEHLERT,

National Marine Fisheries Service, Monterey, California

SUSAN H. BRAWLEY,

University of Maine, Orono

EDWARD F. DELONG,

University of California, Santa Barbara

J. FREDERICK GRASSLE,

Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey

JEREMY B.C. JACKSON,

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama

SIMON A. LEVIN,

Princeton University, New Jersey

ARTHUR R. M. NOWELL,

University of Washington, Seattle

ROBERT T. PAINE,

University of Washington, Seattle

STEPHEN R. PALUMBI,

University of Hawaii, Honolulu

GEERAT J. VERMEIJ,

University of California, Davis

LES WATLING,

University of Maine, Orono

Staff

MORGAN GOPNIK,

Ocean Studies Board,

Study Director as of 5/94

DAVID WILMOT,

Ocean Studies Board,

Study Director until 5/94

MARY HOPE KATSOUROS,

Ocean Studies Board,

Director

ERIC FISCHER,

Board on Biology,

Director

LAVONCYÉ MALLORY,

Ocean Studies Board,

Project Assistant

Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1995. Understanding Marine Biodiversity. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4923.
×

OCEAN STUDIES BOARD

WILLIAM MERRELL, Chair,

Texas A&M University, Galveston

ROBERT A. BERNER,

Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut

DONALD F. BOESCH,

University of Maryland, College Park

KENNETH BRINK,

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts

GERALD CANN,

Independent Consultant, Rockville, Maryland

ROBERT CANNON,

Stanford University, California

BILIANA CICIN-SAIN,

University of Delaware, Newark

WILLIAM CURRY,

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts

RANA FINE,

University of Miami, Florida

JOHN E. FLIPSE,

Texas A&M University, Galveston

MICHAEL FREILICH,

Oregon State University, Corvallis

GORDON GREVE,

Amoco Production Company, Houston, Texas

ROBERT KNOX,

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California

ARTHUR R. M. NOWELL,

University of Washington, Seattle

PETER RHINES,

University of Washington, Seattle

FRANK RICHTER,

University of Chicago, Illinois

BRIAN ROTHSCHILD,

University of Maryland, Solomons

THOMAS ROYER,

University of Alaska, Fairbanks

LYNDA SHAPIRO,

University of Oregon, Charleston

SHARON SMITH,

University of Miami, Florida

PAUL STOFFA,

University of Texas, Austin

Staff

MARY HOPE KATSOUROS, Director

EDWARD R. URBAN, JR., Staff Officer

ROBIN PEUSER, Research Associate

MARY PECHACEK, Administrative Associate

LAVONCYÉ MALLORY, Senior Secretary

CURTIS TAYLOR, Office Assistant

ROBIN ALLEN, Senior Project Assistant

Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1995. Understanding Marine Biodiversity. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4923.
×

COMMISSION ON GEOSCIENCES, ENVIRONMENT, AND RESOURCES

M. GORDON WOLMAN, Chair,

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland

PATRICK R. ATKINS,

Aluminum Company of America, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

EDITH BROWN WEISS,

Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, D.C.

JAMES P. BRUCE,

Canadian Climate Program Board, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

WILLIAM L. FISHER,

University of Texas, Austin

EDWARD A. FRIEMAN,

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California

GEORGE M. HORNBERGER,

University of Virginia, Charlottesville

W. BARCLAY KAMB,

California Institute of Technology, Pasadena

PERRY L. MCCARTY,

Stanford University, California

S. GEORGE PHILANDER,

Princeton University, New Jersey

RAYMOND A. PRICE,

Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario, Canada

THOMAS A. SCHELLING,

University of Maryland, College Park

ELLEN SILBERGELD,

Environmental Defense Fund, Washington, D.C.

STEVEN M. STANLEY,

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland

VICTORIA J. TSCHINKEL,

Landers and Parsons, Tallahassee, Florida

Staff

STEPHEN RATTIEN, Executive Director

STEPHEN D. PARKER, Associate Executive Director

MORGAN GOPNIK, Assistant Executive Director

JEANETTE SPOON, Administrative Officer

SANDI FITZPATRICK, Administrative Associate

Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1995. Understanding Marine Biodiversity. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4923.
×

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Robert M. White is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Kenneth I. Shine is the president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce Alberts and Dr. Robert M. White are chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.

Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1995. Understanding Marine Biodiversity. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4923.
×

Foreword

In 1992, the Ocean Studies Board (OSB) of the National Research Council identified seven issues important to society that ocean scientists can and should address. One of these issues is marine biological diversity, as stated in the OSB report Oceanography in the Next Decade: Building New Partnerships:

The ocean comprises a large portion of Earth's biosphere. It hosts a vast diversity of flora and fauna that are critical to Earth's biogeochemical cycles and that serve as an important source of food and pharmaceuticals. In addition to the exciting discoveries of previously unknown biota near hydrothermal vents, many deep-ocean organisms have evolved under relatively stable conditions. Their unique physiologies and biochemistries have not yet been explored adequately, and methods for sampling the more fragile of these species have been developed only in the past decade. Human influence on marine biota has increased dramatically, threatening the stability of coastal ecosystems. Some species have been overharvested; others have been transported inadvertently to areas where they are not indigenous, sometimes resulting in deleterious effects on native species. Still other species are being cultivated commercially, and aquaculture facilities along coastlines are becoming commonplace in some countries. A better understanding of the ecology of marine organisms is urgently needed to prevent irreversible damage to this living resource.1

The White House National Science and Technology Council, through its Committee on Environment and Natural Resources (CENR), also identified biodiversity as a critical issue. The CENR appointed a Subcommittee on Biodiver-

1  

National Research Council 1992. Oceanography in the Next Decade: Building New Partnerships. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., p. 3.

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1995. Understanding Marine Biodiversity. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4923.
×

sity and Ecosystem Dynamics as a mechanism for federal agencies to coordinate biodiversity research.

Because of the importance of marine biological diversity, the OSB and the Board on Biology established a study committee to develop a research strategy to advance our knowledge of factors that affect biological diversity in the ocean. Such a systematic plan is needed to guide research activities toward the common goal of preserving existing diversity in the face of changes brought about by humankind. This report presents the committee's findings and recommendations and includes information and ideas gathered from a broad spectrum of marine scientists.

The research agenda described in this report provides a useful blueprint for U.S. government agencies, the CENR Committee on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, the international community, and all those who support and conduct research on biological diversity in marine systems.

WILLIAM J. MERRELL

CHAIRMAN, OCEAN STUDIES BOARD

Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1995. Understanding Marine Biodiversity. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4923.
×

Preface

Recent widespread changes in the biological diversity of life in the sea are largely due to effects of human activities. Serious concern for the conservation of marine life in the face of rapid population expansion, particularly in coastal regions, and the desire for long-term sustained use of the seas for food, mineral resources, biomedical products, recreation, and other societal needs have motivated marine ecologists and oceanographers to recognize their responsibility to document biodiversity changes and to understand their causes and consequences. The ultimate goal is to improve predictions regarding the magnitude and extent of subsequent alterations to marine biodiversity by human activities. To do this requires a substantially improved understanding of the fundamental mechanisms that create, maintain, and regulate marine biological diversity. Such knowledge is needed to develop conservation and management plans for sustained use by humans of marine habitats and resources that minimize impacts on nature.

Over the last half-decade, the awareness of scientists, society, and state and federal governments regarding crucial issues in biodiversity has been elevated through various grass-roots appeals, such as the Sustainable Biosphere Initiative (Lubchenco et al., 1991), The Diversity of Life (E.O. Wilson 1992), The Diversity of Oceanic Life: An Evaluative Overview (M.N.A. Peterson, 1992), and the Systematics Agenda 2000 (SA2000, 1994), and through multiagency efforts, such as the Ecosystem Function of Biological Diversity Programme (Diversitas) (di Castri and Younès, 1990; Solbrig, 1991), which has a separately identified marine component (J.F. Grassle et al., 1991), and the Global Marine Biological Diversity Strategy (Norse, 1993). Most recently, two small, independently organized workshops held in 1993—one sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) (Butman and Carlton, 1993) and one sponsored by the National Research Council's (NRC) Ocean Studies Board (OSB)—spoke in a strong and unified

Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1995. Understanding Marine Biodiversity. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4923.
×

voice of the urgent need for a national marine biological diversity research program.

Responding to cogent arguments and critical needs identified in these and other documents, in November 1993, the OSB and the Board on Biology of the NRC established the Committee on Biological Diversity in Marine Systems to develop the foundation for a national research agenda on this topic based on a workshop of scientists and federal agency representatives. At a meeting held in March 1994, the committee further delineated the purpose of the workshop: to develop a well-defined set of research questions designed to improve understanding of the causes and consequences of changes in marine biological diversity due to effects of human activities, and to provide the knowledge and criteria for assessing and predicting subsequent effects of human stresses on the marine environment.

The workshop, entitled Biological Diversity in Marine Systems, was held May 24–26, 1994, at the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center of the National Academy of Sciences in Irvine, California (Appendix A). Fifty-four individuals participated in the workshop (Appendix B), representing a wide spectrum of expertise in the fields of oceanography, marine ecology, molecular biology, systematics, and population biology. Dynamic discussions among workshop participants resulted in gratifying unanimity on some issues, particularly regarding the perceived most important anthropogenic threats to the marine environment. There was also spirited debate, with invaluable input from the participants, and ultimately a sense of accord and direction was established that crystallized the focus, mission, and substance of this proposed research agenda.

The overall goals, specific objectives, and recommendations for the next steps in developing a marine biodiversity research initiative are discussed herein. The workshop was the primary vehicle by which information was gathered and consensus was built for this report, and the committee deeply appreciates the creative energy and investment of time by the workshop participants. Although the report was written by the committee, many workshop participants contributed both conceptually and in writing, for which the committee is most grateful. We also thank John Ogden, Rita Colwell, Marjorie Reaka, and John Chapman for their useful input. The committee furthermore acknowledges the valuable support of the NRC staff, particularly Mary Hope Katsouros and David Wilmot of the OSB, Eric Fischer of the BB, and Morgan Gopnik of the Commission on Geosciences, Environment, and Resources.

Financial support for the project was provided by the NSF, the Office of Naval Research, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Energy, and the U.S. Department of the Interior's National Biological Service. Representatives from these agencies, particularly Phil Taylor, Randall Alberte, and Michael Sissenwine, contributed to the workshop and provided valuable guidance and insight.

CHERYL ANN BUTMAN

JAMES T. CARLTON

CO-CHAIRS

Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1995. Understanding Marine Biodiversity. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4923.
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Suggested Citation:"FRONT MATTER." National Research Council. 1995. Understanding Marine Biodiversity. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4923.
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Understanding MARINE BIODIVERSITY

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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.

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