Large Marine Ecosystems of the Indian Ocean - Assessment, Sustainability and Management

Coastal resources of developed and developing nations are being adversely affected by human activities and environmental degradation, and the fate of the Indian Ocean is no exception. In an effort to improve the current state of this important large marine ecosystem (LME) and to prevent future damage, a symposium on the status and future of LMEs of the Indian Ocean was held in Kenya by marine experts from the region. It was organized to review results from various studies, including reports on the Somali Current, the Agulhas Current, the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea, and a number of other LMEs, representing contributions from 19 countries.The studies in this book were selected from among those presented at the symposium and have been peer reviewed. In addition, they have been augmented with a peer reviewed study describing an innovative strategy for the assessment and management of the Bay of Bengal ecosystem. This book is arranged into four sections: Assessment and Sustainability of LMEs, Pelagic Ecosystems, Case Studies, and Management and Governance: Assessment and Sustainability of LMEs: The first section consists of descriptions of strategies for assessing ecosystem change, including modules for productivity, fish and fisheries, pollution and ecosystem health, socioeconomics, and governance.Pelagic Ecosystems: Six chapters deal solely with the results of assessments of the oceanography, productivity, plankton, and fishes of the pelagic domains of the region. Case Studies: Encompassing a broad spectrum of LME-related issues, an entire section (six chapters) of case studies has been included to provide the reader with specific examples of conditions within LMEs of the region. Management and Governance: This section focuses on the future of the region, and what needs to be done in order to support long term sustainability of costal resources.