1998 Year of the Ocean Ocean Living Resources 



Coastal Wetlands 



If coral reefs represent the most diverse marine communities, coastal wetlands and 

 estuaries rank among the most productive ecosystems. These ecosystems, including salt marshes, 

 seagrass beds and mangroves, provide habitat for migrating waterfowl and are associated with 

 some of the world's greatest fisheries. They also provide critical ecological functions as the 

 sources of nutrients for nearshore production, as filters for land runoff, and as stabilizers for 

 coastal lands. 



The relationships between wetlands and fish production are an essential and important 

 part of the ongoing debate on wetland regulation and policy. Although research continues to 

 increase understanding of wetland ecosystems, the life cycles of most commercial fish and 

 shellfish species are fairly well understood. Biologists have determined that wetlands play an 

 important part in providing food, protection, and spawning areas. For example, wetlands are 

 crucial for shrimp production, and estuarine habitat is critical for salmon. Approximately 75 

 percent of the nation's commercial fishes and shellfishes depend on estuaries at some stage in 

 their life cycle. Estuaries themselves depend on their wetlands to maintain water quality and 

 provide the basis for food chains that culminate in seafood harvests. Many estuarine-dependent 

 species have even closer ties to wetlands in that they feed, take refuge, or reproduce within them. 

 Without wetlands, these fishes and shellfishes cannot survive. 



Until quite recently, the United States was losing wetlands at an alarming rate. The Clean 

 Water Act, and other federal environmental laws have been instrumental in decreasing wetland 

 losses since that time. From 1982-92, the losses totaled 31,000 acres of wetland per year, down 

 from 157,000 acres per year in 1974-83, and down further from the 398,000 acres per year in 

 1954-74 (USDA/NRCS 1995). However, despite regulatory programs and natural resource 

 management plans, human population growth and development continue to yield a net loss of 

 habitat acreage and function. Coastal population has risen by 40 million people since 1960, and 

 continues to grow at four times the national average. This challenge will become more acute as 

 each year marine, estuarine, and riverine fish habitats are further sacrificed to physical 

 destruction, nonpoint and point discharges, eutrophication, waste dumps, and other human 

 activities. These losses are complicated by natural changes predicated on geology and climate. 

 Globally, coastal wetlands are also among the most threatened habitats — ^mangroves are being 

 cleared for timber or for shrimp farms, and estuaries are being dredged or polluted. 



Summary 



Basic assessment and information on status and trends are the fundamental tools 

 managers of natural resources require. Uncertainty is a reality in marine resource management. 

 The greater the uncertainty, the more conservative the management must be. Managers rely upon 

 scientifically based information to reduce the degree of uncertainty. The need for accurate, 

 timely, and precise scientific information has never been greater. Current knowledge of marine 

 resources — the threats they face and their condition — is tremendously improved from what it was 

 20 years ago. However, in the ocean realm, many of the fundamentals are still unknown. Yet, 



C-14 



