5:15 PM - 6:45 PM
[ACG38-P06] Discussion on conservation of shallow coastal ecosystems and their functions
Keywords:Coral reefs, Seagrass and macroalgal beds, Mangroves
Coastal marine ecosystems are complex open system interacting with surrounding watersheds, outer
ocean, and the atmosphere, providing a wealth of various ecosystem services to human life.
Simultaneously, they are also influenced strongly and often negatively by human activities. This session
aimed to provide a platform for interdisciplinary discussion covering various aspects of frontiers in coastal
ecosystem sciences, especially focusing on shallow-water benthic communities ranging from temperate to
tropical regions, such as coral reefs, seagrass and macroalgal beds, mangroves, intertidal flats, and
saltmarshes. All these communities are characterized by intrinsically high primary production, active
material cycling, and biodiversity hot spots. However, increasing human demand for coastal marine
resources and industrial development concentrating on coastal regions incur the risk of rapid degradation
and diminishment. Comprehensive assessment and monitoring of ecosystem functions and development
of effective means for conservation and restoration are urgently needed for such communities. In this and
related sessions, field-based and modeling studies concerning the following topics; material cycling,
community connectivity, impacts of environmental changes such as global warming, ecosystem services
such as carbon sequestration, etc. were presented by ecologists, geologists, geochemists, and
biogeographers. This presentation will discuss together how to organize and promote such research and
management activities by reviewing these presentations.
ocean, and the atmosphere, providing a wealth of various ecosystem services to human life.
Simultaneously, they are also influenced strongly and often negatively by human activities. This session
aimed to provide a platform for interdisciplinary discussion covering various aspects of frontiers in coastal
ecosystem sciences, especially focusing on shallow-water benthic communities ranging from temperate to
tropical regions, such as coral reefs, seagrass and macroalgal beds, mangroves, intertidal flats, and
saltmarshes. All these communities are characterized by intrinsically high primary production, active
material cycling, and biodiversity hot spots. However, increasing human demand for coastal marine
resources and industrial development concentrating on coastal regions incur the risk of rapid degradation
and diminishment. Comprehensive assessment and monitoring of ecosystem functions and development
of effective means for conservation and restoration are urgently needed for such communities. In this and
related sessions, field-based and modeling studies concerning the following topics; material cycling,
community connectivity, impacts of environmental changes such as global warming, ecosystem services
such as carbon sequestration, etc. were presented by ecologists, geologists, geochemists, and
biogeographers. This presentation will discuss together how to organize and promote such research and
management activities by reviewing these presentations.