Coastal biodiversity is under threat from human activities like habitat destruction, pollution, overfishing, and climate change. The document discusses how coastal ecosystems like mangroves and coral reefs have high biodiversity but are being degraded. Bangladesh has many endangered coastal and marine species as well as economically important fisheries that are declining due to threats. Initiatives are underway in Bangladesh to better understand and protect coastal biodiversity through community-based management, conservation programs, and integrated policy efforts.

1. Coastal Biodiversity
Md. Yousuf Gazi, Lecturer, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka (yousuf.geo@du.ac.bd)
"Biological diversity" means the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial,
marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within
species, between species and of ecosystems.
Ecosystems Communities Species Genes

2. • Oceans occupy 70% of earth
• Over 50% of humans live in the coastal zone
and draw 90% of our marine-living resources
from this region
The marine environment provides us with
• Natural beauty (used for recreation)
• Goods (food, medicine, drugs, energy)
• Services (e.g. moderation of climate and
weather extremes; processing of waste)
• Employment (e.g. fisheries, tourism)
• Sense of Stewardship/Cultural identity
• Education on evolution, ecology
Why is marine biodiversity
so important ?
Md. Yousuf Gazi, Lecturer, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka (yousuf.geo@du.ac.bd)

3. We Have Much to Learn about Aquatic Biodiversity
• Greatest marine biodiversity
• Coral reefs
• Estuaries
• Deep-ocean floor
• Biodiversity is higher
• Near the coast than in the open sea
• In the bottom region of the ocean
than the surface region
Md. Yousuf Gazi, Lecturer, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka (yousuf.geo@du.ac.bd)

4. Human Activities Are Destroying and Degrading Aquatic Habitats
• Habitat loss and degradation
• Marine
• Coastal
• Ocean floor: effect of trawlers
• Freshwater
• Dams
• Excessive water withdrawal
Md. Yousuf Gazi, Lecturer, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka (yousuf.geo@du.ac.bd)
Natural Capital Degradation: Area of Ocean Bottom Before and After a Trawler

5. Invasive Species Are Degrading Aquatic Biodiversity
❑ Invasive species
• Threaten native species
• Disrupt and degrade whole ecosystems
❑ Three examples
• Water hyacinth: Lake Victoria (East Africa)
• Asian swamp eel: waterways of south Florida
• Purple loosestrife: indigenous to Europe
• Treating with natural predators—a weevil
species and a leaf-eating beetle—Will it
work?
Md. Yousuf Gazi, Lecturer, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka (yousuf.geo@du.ac.bd)
Invasive Water Hyacinths

6. Population Growth and Pollution Can Reduce Aquatic Biodiversity
• Nitrates and phosphates mainly from
fertilizers enter water
• Leads to eutrophication
• Toxic pollutants from industrial and
urban areas
Hawaiian Monk Seal
Md. Yousuf Gazi, Lecturer, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka (yousuf.geo@du.ac.bd)

7. Climate Change Is a Growing Threat
❑ Global warming: sea levels will rise and aquatic
biodiversity is threatened
• Coral reefs
• Swamp some low-lying islands
• Drown many highly productive coastal wetlands
• New Orleans, Louisiana, and New York City
Md. Yousuf Gazi, Lecturer, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka (yousuf.geo@du.ac.bd)

8. Science Focus: Protecting and Restoring Mangroves
❑ Protect and restore mangroves
• Reduce the impact of rising sea levels
• Protect against tropical storms and tsunamis
• Cheaper than building concrete sea walls
• Mangrove forests in Indonesia
Md. Yousuf Gazi, Lecturer, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka (yousuf.geo@du.ac.bd)

9. Overfishing and Extinction: Gone Fishing, Fish Gone
• Marine and freshwater fish
• Threatened with extinction by human activities
more than any other group of species
• Commercial extinction
• Collapse of the cod fishery and its domino effect
• Bycatch
Md. Yousuf Gazi, Lecturer, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka (yousuf.geo@du.ac.bd)

10. ❑ Why is it hard to protect marine biodiversity?
• Human ecological footprint and fishprint are
expanding
• Much of the damage in the ocean is not visible
• The oceans are incorrectly viewed as an
inexhaustible resource
• Most of the ocean lies outside the legal
jurisdiction of any country
Md. Yousuf Gazi, Lecturer, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka (yousuf.geo@du.ac.bd)

11. • Habitat destruction and fragmentation
• Overexploitation of resources
• Pollution
• Introduced species
• Climate change
Threats to marine biodiversity
Md. Yousuf Gazi, Lecturer, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka (yousuf.geo@du.ac.bd)

12. How can we prevent biodiversity loss?
•Research
•Legislation
•Education/Awareness
•Sustainable use of biodiversity
•Integration/Co-ordination
Md. Yousuf Gazi, Lecturer, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka (yousuf.geo@du.ac.bd)

13. Coastal and marine biodiversity of Bangladesh (Bay of Bengal)
▪ The coastal fauna of Bangladesh are a total 453 species
of birds, 42 species of mammals, 35 reptiles and 8
amphibian species.
▪ Among the endangered species are five mammals, 25
birds, 14 reptiles ( one crocodile, eight turtles, four
lizards and one snake) and two amphibians (frogs). The
marine waters of Bangladesh are also having 442
species of fish 36 species of marine shrimps.
Md. Yousuf Gazi, Lecturer, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka (yousuf.geo@du.ac.bd)

14. ❑ Mangrove biodiversity
Out of the global total true mangrove species
numbering 35, Sundarban has 12-13 sp. The
Sunderban mangrove forests provide timber; pulp
wood, fuel-wood, raw materials for industries. The
major commercial timber/wood species of
Sunderbans are Sundri (Heritiera fomes), Gewa
(Excoecaria agallocha), Keora (Sonneratia
apetala), Goran (Ceriops roxburghiana).
Md. Yousuf Gazi, Lecturer, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka (yousuf.geo@du.ac.bd)

15. ❑ Marine fish species
▪ Bangladesh is very rich in fish and shrimp species
biodiversity. A total of, 442 marine and 76 species fish from
estuarine waters were recorded by IUCN Bangladesh (2000).
▪ MOEF (2002) surveys made 87 new records from the St.
Martin’s Island. Thus the present total would be 529
(442+87) marine and 149 (76+73) estuarine fish species.
However, many of them are not of commercial importance.
(Amin & Kawsar 2003). There are about 100 commercial
species of which 20 fish families are highly commercial,
contributing about 82-87% of the total demersal exploitation.
Md. Yousuf Gazi, Lecturer, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka (yousuf.geo@du.ac.bd)

16. ❑ Seaweeads
▪ Only in St. Martin’s Island have favorable
substrata of the growth of seaweeds. A
preliminary survey of this Island and of the
Sundarbans area revealed the occurrence of
nearly 200 species of seaweeds. There are also
160 taxa of marine phytoplankton in the Bay
of Bengal.
Md. Yousuf Gazi, Lecturer, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka (yousuf.geo@du.ac.bd)

17. ❑ Shellfish
▪ In addition to fin fish Bangladesh also has a rich diversity of shellfish, especially of Caridean shrimps,
several of which are of commercial interest and export value. About 36 species of shrimps have been
recorded from the marine water of Bangladesh. With a recent record a total of 63 shrimp and prawn from
inland and marine water of Bangladesh. The brown shrimp M. Monoceros contributed about 56% of the
total shrimp catch, though P. monodon is the targeted species because of its export value.
Md. Yousuf Gazi, Lecturer, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka (yousuf.geo@du.ac.bd)

18. Major Threats to Biodiversity
▪ Cause of decline of fishery resources Fishery
resources have declined sharply due to
environmental degradation and numerous
anthropogenic activities: such as over-fishing of
inshore fisheries, indiscriminate catching of
juveniles, construction of barrages and dams.
siltation, extensive use of pesticides, pollution etc.
Md. Yousuf Gazi, Lecturer, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka (yousuf.geo@du.ac.bd)

19. PL collection of shrimp and colossal loss of bio-
diversity
▪ Post larvae, juveniles and pre-adults of shrimps and
fin fishes are extensively exploited and even over-
exploited. For example, in the coastal Sundarbans
area estimation provides that 97% of the shrimp fry
and finfish larvae are destroyed or thrown on the
land during of collection of only 3% seed of tiger
prawn for shrimp culture.
Md. Yousuf Gazi, Lecturer, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka (yousuf.geo@du.ac.bd)
Major Threats to Biodiversity

20. Coastal and Marine Pollution
▪ Municipal Waters, Industrial Pollution, Oil Pollution, Ship
Breaking, Impact of coastal Aquaculture on Environment,
Natural Disasters, Sea Level Rise, Persistent Organic
Pollutants (POPs) –a transboundary problem. These are
creating harmful to coastal and marine biodiversity.( (Maruf,
H 2004)
Md. Yousuf Gazi, Lecturer, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka (yousuf.geo@du.ac.bd)
Major Threats to Biodiversity

21. Biodiversity related research initiatives in Bangladesh
▪ Coastal and Wetland Biodiversity Management
Bangladesh has completed a Pre-Investment Feasibility
(PRIF) study in the “Coastal and Wetland Biodiversity
Management Project” funded by the Global
Environmental Facility (GEF). It was a preparatory
initiative to develop a project proposal to implement a
reserve, and a multiple-use management program for
the protection, sustainable management, and
integration of at least three-priority biodiversity sites in
Bangladesh.
Md. Yousuf Gazi, Lecturer, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka (yousuf.geo@du.ac.bd)

22. ▪ Integrated Coastal Zone Management
(ICZM)
In December 2000 the Minister of Water
Resources announced the Government’s
intention to develop an ICZM policy. Among
other objectives, the ICZM policy will attempt
to rationalize and coordinate more effectively a
number of environment and development
initiatives taking place in the coastal zone. A
number of donors, including the World Bank
and the Netherlands Government, will be
supporting the development of the policy over
the coming years.
Biodiversity related research initiatives in Bangladesh
Md. Yousuf Gazi, Lecturer, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka (yousuf.geo@du.ac.bd)

23. ▪ Management of Aquatic Ecosystem through Community Husbandry (MACH)
Government of Bangladesh and the United States of America have jointly developed a program called
MACH. An agreement to implement this program was signed in May 1998. Its goal is to ensure the
sustainable productivity of all wetland resources such as water, fish, plant and wildlife over an entire wetland
ecosystem.
Biodiversity related research initiatives in Bangladesh
Md. Yousuf Gazi, Lecturer, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka (yousuf.geo@du.ac.bd)

24. ▪ Sundarbans Biodiversity Conservation Program
The Asian Development Bank funded the project
“Biodiversity Conservation in the Sundarbans Reserved
Forest.” The objective of the project was to establish an
effective system for the participatory and sustainable
management of the ecosystem of the Sundarbans
Reserved Forest. The scope of the project included
biodiversity conservation, sustainable resource
management, community development, participatory
resources management program, development of
ecotourism infrastructure, and establishing a new multi-
sectoral management agency that will work for an
integrated conservation and development approach.
Biodiversity related research initiatives in Bangladesh
Md. Yousuf Gazi, Lecturer, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka (yousuf.geo@du.ac.bd)

25. Md. Yousuf Gazi, Lecturer, Department of Geology, University of Dhaka (yousuf.geo@du.ac.bd)