Blog 6- Impacts of Biodiversity Loss on Ocean Ecosystem Services

In this selection it is said that the loss of biodiversity is a problem because it theatens the stability of ecosystems and its ability to adapt to changes in climate and other conditions. Farmers are worried since there is a lowered number of wild bees and other pollinators, and fisheries are concluded this can be the ned of commercial fishing.
Marine ecosystems have an accelarating loss of populations and species across temporal and spatial scales. Marine biodiversity loss is imparing the ocean's ability to provide food, maintain water quality, and recover from perturbation, yet it is still reversible. Species richness may enhance ecosystem productivity and stability. Marine ecosystems provide a wide variety of goods and services, including food resources for millions of people, as well as for the population living close to the coast, the services lost would flood control and waste detoxification. These changes are caused by exploitation, pollution, and habitat destruction. Ecosystems such as estruaries, coral reefs, coastal and oceanic fish communities are rapidly lossing populations, species, and entire functional groups.
Experiments were done to examine the effects of variation in genetic or species richness on productivity, resource use, nutrient cycling, and ecosystem stability. These effects have been continuously debated. All experiments showed increased diversity enhanced all ecosystem processes, diversity enhanced ecosystem stability which is the ability to withstand recurrent perturbations. Experiments demonstrated the importance of diverse food srouces, and on the life processes such as growth, survival, and fecundity. All results indicated positve lankages between biodiversity, productivity, and stability across marine ecosystems.
Experiments done on coastal ecosystems revealed a rapid decline of native species diversity since industrialization, and systems with higher regional species richness appeared more stable. There were also a loss of filtering services because of the decline in water quality and the increasing occurence of harmful algal blooms, fish kills, and beach closures, and oxygen depletion.

The experiments on large marine ecosystems revealed that globally, the rate of fisheries collapses below 10% of the recorded maximum has accelerated over time.
The experiments on marine reserves and fishery closures acknowledged the pressing question on whether management on loss of services can reverse effects, once it has occured already. It was found that reserves and fisheries closures increased species diversity, averaging a 23% increase in species richness associated with large increases in fisheries productivity. Community variability was reduced by 21% on average, and the tourism revenue increased after they were established which translates into extractive and nonextractive revenue.

It can be concluded that there are positive relationships between diversity and ecosystem functions and services that were found using experimental and correlative approaches. Studies suggested that elimination of populations and species impairs the ecosystem. Theories, experiments, and observations across widely different scales and ecosystems. High-diversity protection has economic and policy implications that must be viewed as interdependent societal goals.
By restoring marine biodiversity we can invest in the productivity and reliability of the goods and services that the ocean provides to humanity.