Why are coastal areas valuable? : Geography Chapter 1 Gateway 2

Ecosystem Services

Provisioning services

Fish&seafood:

•main dietary protein for more than 1billion people

•over 100 million people earn a living directly from marine fishing

•greenland earns 72% of its export income from fish products

Water:

•wave energy and tidal energy can be harnessed from waves and tides and converted into electrical energy.

•power of waves could supply about 10% of the world's energy needs.

•tidal energy could potentially supply about 3% of the energy needs of USA

Building and ornamental materials:

•mangrove wood and coral

•mangrove wood can be used to build boats and provide materials for building houses and shelters (building material)

•mangrove wood can also be fired and converted to charcoal

•corals can be crushed and used to manufacture cement

•shells and coral pieces can also be converted into ornaments and sold as souvenirs

Regulating services

Shoreline stabilisation:

•coral reefs and mangroves cause waves to break and lose their energy.

•reduce the impact of shoreline erosion

i.e. protects the existing shoreline

Flood prevention:

•wide sandy beaches, sand dunes, wetlands, coastal lagoons prevent flooding

•wide sandy beaches help disperse water; reduce the risk of flooding

•sand dunes act as barriers which help prevent water from advancing inland.

•wetlands (mangroves and coastal lagoons) can contain substantial amounts of water, reducing likelihood of coastal flooding

Storm and natural hazard protection:

•mangroves absorb wave energy and buffers the impact of storms

Cultural services

Recreational benefits

•relax, be rejuvenated, be inspired

• recreational activities such as swimming, sailing or taking a walk

Aesthetic benefits

• attract tourists who enjoy the quietness of the sea and the scenery

• inspires people to write or draw and encourage them to appreciate nature

Spiritual benefits

•spiritual places

•Tanah Lot Temple, Bali, Indonesia: a temple by the shore dedicated to the sea gods.

Supporting services

Mangrove habitat:

provide living creatures with food, protection from predators, and breeding grounds

Beach habitat

•breeding and growing zone for fish,shorebirds and turtles

•home to creatures such as crabs and squids

•food

•fish may be sold for consumption

FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE

CaMau, Vietnam

HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION

Kukup, Malaysia

•Air Masin (village)

•180 stilt houses

• floating fish farms

•fresh fish and other marine products such as salted fish and dried prawns are sold here

•boats are used by fishermen to facilitate their fishing activities

•ferry services that go to kukup (tourists)

Sentosa, Singapore

•One°15 Marina Club:

-world class marina facilities

-a habour with wharfs offering maintenance services for boats and yachts.

-recreational boating facilities

-Resorts World Sentosa: build hotel, museum and marine life park on the coast

•attracted 19million visitors in 2011 (600% increase from 2003)

Value of coral reefs

•supports natural ecosystem (more than 25% of earth's marine fish species)

•absorb wave energy generated in the open sea and protects the adjacent land mass from erosion

•tourist attractions: Maldives (an island nation in the Indian Ocean)➡ famous diving site bc of its unique limestone rocks and sheltered environment filled with corals, lagoons and fish species

• souvenirs: made from corals

Pressure on coral reefs

overcollecting

fishing methods

recreational use of coast

pollution

untreated sewage

siltration; sediments from areas being cleared of forests are washed into waters , suffocating the corals

coastal development

climate change

piecemeal coastal development

Value of Mangroves

•protect coastal areas from erosion by tides, storm waves and tsunamis

•breedinf ground and habitat for marine creatures like barnacles, osysters, and sponge

•provide wood for fuel and construction, and for producing charcoal

•improve water quality as its roots accumulate fine sediments which trap particles of heavy metals such as iron and copper that act as natural filters and help purify the water.

• annual value of mangroves : US$200 000 & US$900 000 per square km

Pressure on Mangroves

demand for fuel wood and charcoal

need for more farming areas

land reclamation

water pollution

rising sea level