Aquatic

Ponds & Lakes

Ponds are vital habitats for many species. Some ponds exist year round, while others disappear during certain seasons. In countries like the UK, many ponds have disappeared due to sedimentation, but by using historical maps, we've been able to locate these spaces, excavate them, and when refilled with water, long-lost aquatic plants have re-sprouted.

Ponds can be protected by removing invasive species, planting protective barriers of trees or smaller plants to prevent run off entering the ecosystem, and so on. It is not recommended to use pesticides or herbicides in or around ponds as these harm delicate species throughout the food web, with aquatic species being some of the most delicate.

Europe

UK

Rivers & Waterways

Headwaters, streams, gullies, rivers, and other types of waterways are under increasing threat from run off pollution, illegal dumping, bank erosion, and over extraction of water. Another threat comes in the form of obstructions such as dams which prevent migratory species such as salmon or eels from navigating between feeding and breeding locations.

Shoreline

Shorelines can include waterway, lakeside, pondside, bay and ocean shorelines. These are particularly important biologically speaking as a good representation of edge effect (a location where multiple biomes interact, providing opportunities for feeding, mating, and other activities that may be less likely in other locations). Shorelines are also important as they take the brunt of extreme weather events. A healthy, intact shoreline can protect homes, communities, and farmland from serious flooding, but man-made structures, livestock grazing, and removal of plants or corals can result in accelerated erosion, putting people and their prosperities at massive risk of harm or loss.

Click the Shorelines button to learn more about protecting and rebuilding shorelines.

Kelp Forests

We haven't gathered much information for this section yet, but found this article and map interesting. Demonstrating the economic value of kelp forests may be useful during marine spatial planning, in order to gain legal protections for these important carbon sinks and ecosystems.

Seagrass Meadows

"Seagrass communities are highly productive and dynamic ecosystems. Seagrasses are not true grasses but rooted vascular (flowering) plants of terrestrial origin that have successfully returned to the sea. This return needs several adaptations that allow them to live in submerged ocean regions. The sediments where they settle on can be muddy, rocky or sandy. Seagrass ecosystems are species-rich and include endangered species such as dugongs and seahorses. They are important for the geomorphology and ecology of coastal ecosystems through processes such as stabilizing sediments, recycling nutrients and providing the base of the oceanic detrital food webs. Although seagrasses cover only 0.15% of the oceans, they represent more than 1 percent of the total marine primary production, potentially acting as a sink for CO2 [1]. Currently, they are facing many threats, due to human activities and natural causes [2] "

Reefs

Reefs provide vital habitat and breeding grounds for a variety of species. 

Ocean Reefs

Freshwater Reefs

Organizations

Europe

UK

Tools

Europe

UK

Northern Ireland

Scotland

North America

Canada

Alberta

Training Opportunities

North America

USA

Michigan

Marine Spatial Planning

Examples

North America

Organizations

North America

Organizations

Europe

North America

USA

North America

Oceana

Australia

Maps

Maps are critical for this type of project. Migration maps can help conservationists work out which places need to be protected and which can be made safer during seasonal journeys. Maps that track where injuries and fatalities are most common are also of great value. Each species movements are unique, but this section is intended aid in the planning process. 

International

Aquatic Ecosystems

Oceans

North America

USA

Grants & Funding

Europe

UK

Scotland

North America

USA

Minnesota