An overview of marine biodiversity in United States waters

Abstract

Marine biodiversity of the United States (U.S.) is extensively documented, but data assembled by the United States National Committee for the Census of Marine Life demonstrate that even the most complete taxonomic inventories are based on records scattered in space and time. The best-known taxa are those of commercial importance. Body size is directly correlated with knowledge of a species, and knowledge also diminishes with distance from shore and depth. Measures of biodiversity other than species diversity, such as ecosystem and genetic diversity, are poorly documented. Threats to marine biodiversity in the U.S. are the same as those for most of the world: overexploitation of living resources; reduced water quality; coastal development; shipping; invasive species; rising temperature and concentrations of carbon dioxide in the surface ocean, and other changes that may be consequences of global change, including shifting currents; increased number and size of hypoxic or anoxic areas; and increased number and duration of harmful algal blooms. More information must be obtained through field and laboratory research and monitoring that involve innovative sampling techniques (such as genetics and acoustics), but data that already exist must be made accessible. And all data must have a temporal component so trends can be identified. As data are compiled, techniques must be developed to make certain that scales are compatible, to combine and reconcile data collected for various purposes with disparate gear, and to automate taxonomic changes. Information on biotic and abiotic elements of the environment must be interactively linked. Impediments to assembling existing data and collecting new data on marine biodiversity include logistical problems as well as shortages in finances and taxonomic expertise.

Figure 1. Map of six regions covered in the overview.

The six regions are identified by the LME with which they coincide or of which they are a part: Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf, Southeast U.S. Continental Shelf, Gulf of Mexico, Insular Pacific–Hawaiian, California Current, Chukchi Sea, Beaufort Sea, East Bering Sea, and Gulf of Alaska.

Figure 2. Federal fleet status projected through 2025.

Figure courtesy of the Interagency Working Group on Facilities Federal Oceanographic Fleet Status Report. July 2007. Available at http://www.oceanleadership.org/files/IWG-F%20Fleet%20Status%20Report%20-%20Final.pdf

Figure 3. Virginian and Gulf of Maine/Bay of Fundy Ecoregions, showing bathymetry and major geographic landmarks.

The New England Seamounts are those extending south from Georges Bank. Only the larger protected areas are shown, and they have different goals and levels of protection.

Figure 4. Detail of the study area.

Right panel shows shelf and slope areas used in Table 3. The line extending across the shelf and upper slope (“Halifax Line”) northeast of the Gulf of Maine marks the eastern end of the Gulf of Maine Area Program of the Census of Marine Life. The major bays and estuaries of the Virginian ecoregion are also shown. Left panel shows climatological sea surface temperature for August, 1985-2001 (data are from U.S. NASA Pathfinder mission, 4 km resolution). Arrows show schematic of the prevailing residual circulation (after Townsend et al. [22]).

Figure 5. The SAB-Florida East Coast Large Marine Ecosystem.

The large red arrow represents the Gulf Stream.

Figure 6. Gulf of Mexico Large Marine Ecosystem, surrounded by United States, Mexico, and Cuba.

Map also shows EEZ boundaries, state boundaries, international boundaries, marine ecoregions, and marine protected areas. The large pink arrows in the eastern Gulf represent the dominant Loop Current.

Figure 7. The Hawaiian Archipelago.

Map shows the designation of the Marine protected areas, the Marine Ecoregion Boundary, and the U.S. EEZ.

Figure 8. Bathymetric map of the Hawaiian Archipelago.

Figure courtesy of [Rooney J, Wessel P, Hoeke R, Weiss J, Baker J, et al (2008) Geology and geomorphology of coral reefs in the northwestern Hawaiian Islands. In: Riegl BM, Dodge RE (eds). Coral Reefs of the USA. Springer, pp. 515-567]

Figure 9. California Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME).

Map also shows EEZ boundaries, state boundaries, international boundaries, marine ecoregions, marine protected areas, major embayments, bathymetry and major oceanic currents.

Figure 10. Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea and Aleutians, and Chukchi and Beaufort seas.

Map also shows large marine ecosystems, EEZ boundaries, state boundaries, international boundaries, marine ecoregions, and marine protected areas.