World Aquatic Animal Day on April 3rd is dedicated to raising global awareness about aquatic animals. These fascinating animals play a crucial role in ecosystems around the globe. However, they are also used by the human population for various reasons and are harmed in different ways by human activities such as commercial fishing and entertainment. These types of activities disrupt the natural ecosystem by removing these vital organisms and destroying natural habitats. This has especially become a big issue with commercial fisheries. The practices used in some of these fisheries have caused major damage to the marine ecosystem by damaging marine habitat and removing fish and other organisms at an unsustainable rate leading to population decline. Other things that cause harm within the marine ecosystem include human waste (trash and fecal matter) by affecting the chemistry of the water making it unsafe for these organisms. Below I have highlighted some marine organisms that are used for human research or are at risk because of human practices.
- Horseshoe Crabs
- Horseshoe crabs are ancient organisms (around 300 million years old) that play a vital role in the ecosystem where they live. The eggs females lay are a major food source for many shorebirds living and migrating along the coast. You can find these “living fossils” in brackish water along the east coast of the United States. Horseshoe crabs are threatened by habitat loss and overharvesting. They are harvested for their blood which is utilized in medical research and for bait among fisheries. There have been successful efforts made to replace the use of their blood within the medical field by using synthetic blood instead of the blood of a wild animal (which is also more sustainable).
- Live Fish
- Fish species all over the world have been exposed to population decline due to commercial fishery practices. These practices include overfishing, meaning these fisheries take more fish out of the ecosystem than can be naturally replaced which leads to a severe population decline. Some fishing practices can also lead to bycatch or the catching of other organisms other than the intended catch. Unfortunately, these organisms are not always able to be put back into the ecosystem. Organizations such as NOAA have been working to help regulate and improve fishing practices nationwide.
- Sea Turtles
- Sea turtles have been a large topic of issue with conservation groups since they play such a vital role in the marine environment. Sea turtles help maintain the health of ecosystems including coral reefs and seagrass beds. Many sea turtle species worldwide are at risk of becoming extinct due to many different things. From the hunting of sea turtles for their shells to the harvesting of sea turtle eggs and meat, to the entanglement of many sea turtles within trash, sea turtle populations have been declining. Many efforts worldwide have been made to help save sea turtle populations by working directly with communities to help find other income sources and helping to educate the public about sea turtle conservation.