Biological tool for marine ecosystem health assessment

Abstract

Coastal marine ecosystems continue to be under unrelenting pressures from future population growth, increased development and climate change. Its capacity for self-repair is losing with the increase of anthropogenic production. What is the present health or conditions of the coastal water? What condition is serious if our coastal waters are unhealthy? With these questions, US, Canada, and Australia are currently assessing coastal ecosystem health by the systematic monitoring program and continuing to identify and undertake management actions to improve the health of degraded coastal ecosystem. For the coastal ecosystem assessment, we are limited with only several items to estimate the water quality. There are no the biologically specific criteria responding on the effects of various pollutants. To select biological, chemical, and physical indicators represented habitats for the marine life is a desirable approach on diagnosing the condition of coastal ecosystem. Practical indicator set is agreed and supported by considering the characteristics and uses of a local area and the key issue. Numerical expression on indices transformed from the indicator values must need to get the public understanding for practitioners, policy makers and environmental managers.