Papahānaumokuākea Essay

The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument management guide has acquired an extensive list regarding some of the possible threats that may pose a potential risk to the park’s conservation efforts. These risks are all or partly the direct result of human interactions with the park, they are as follows: threats to migratory birds, population decline in Hawaiian monk seals or green turtles, effects on various species, fish, marine invertebrates and spinner dolphins, coral damage, release of harmful pollutants, marine debris and the introduction of invasive species, recreational water/beach activities (Papahānaumokuākea Management Plan Environmental Assessment, 2008). Collectively the human threats were categorized into biological (negative interactions amongst, mechanical (physical damages or abrasion to species) and thermal (inadequate temperatures). Certainly these adverse threats would initially cause short-term …show more content…
Environmental pressures mainly take the form of marine debris and terrestrial pollution. Marine debris that is not adequately disposed of can harm organisms that may become entangled or caught in debris, specifically threatening the lives of sea turtles and seabirds. Additionally small forms of plastic that may come form various sources also pose a threat to shearwaters and seabirds that may consume these pieces of debris (Fry et al. 1987. While the risk of entanglement remains low due to fishing prohibition, terrestrial pollution that washes ashore (i.e. lead based paint that are ruminants of old vessels/buildings) could lead to lethal consequences if ingested by organisms. On a global scale, climate change has the potential to accelerate coral bleaching related to rises in sea level temperatures and ocean acidification that is attributed to increased levels of carbon dioxide (Aeby et al. 2003; Kenyon and Brainard