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SDG 14: Life Below Water Flashcards

Learn the key concepts of Sustainable Development Goal 14, including ocean protection, acidification, sustainable fishing, marine protected areas, and relate...

25 cards~9 min
SDG 14: Life Below Water Flashcards — Qwi
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All flashcards in this set

1What is SDG 14?
Answer

Life Below Water, aiming to conserve and sustainably use oceans

SDG 14 focuses on protecting marine ecosystems, reducing pollution, promoting sustainable fishing, addressing ocean acidification and climate change, and conserving ocean resources.
2Oceans cover over {{70%}} of Earth's surface and support biodiversity.
Answer

70%

3Target 14.5 aims to conserve at least 10% of coastal and marine areas.
Answer

True

4Difference between plastic pollution and nutrient pollution?
Answer

Plastic → waste harming wildlife | Nutrient → excess N/P causing algae blooms

5What is ocean acidification?
Answer

When excess CO2 absorbed by seawater forms carbonic acid

The added CO2 lowers pH, reducing carbonate ions needed by organisms like corals and shellfish to build their skeletons.
6Ocean acidification reduces {{carbonate}} availability for marine organisms.
Answer

carbonate

7IUU fishing stands for Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing.
Answer

True

8How do Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) benefit fisheries vs tourism?
Answer

Fisheries → protect fish stocks | Tourism → support jobs and attractions

9What is overfishing?
Answer

Catching fish faster than they can reproduce

Overfishing leads to declining fish populations and can disrupt marine food webs.
10One common source of marine pollution is {{plastic pollution}}.
Answer

plastic pollution

11Fuel subsidies are not considered a type of harmful fisheries subsidy.
Answer

False

Fuel subsidies are listed among the five types of fisheries subsidies that can encourage overfishing.
12Key difference between sustainable fishing and overfishing?
Answer

Sustainable → maintains healthy populations | Overfishing → depletes stocks

13What does Target 14.8 focus on?
Answer

Increasing scientific knowledge, research capacity, and marine technology

The target aims to improve ocean health and enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to development through advanced research and tools.
14Environmental DNA ({{eDNA}}) is used to monitor biodiversity.
Answer

eDNA

15The main cause of ocean acidification is deforestation alone.
Answer

False

Ocean acidification is driven by excess CO2 from many sources, including fossil fuel combustion, transportation, and land-use changes.
16Ecosystem-based approach vs single-factor management?
Answer

Ecosystem → integrates env, econ, social | Single-factor → one aspect

17What is the purpose of UNCLOS under Target 14.A?
Answer

To implement and enforce international sea law

UNCLOS establishes maritime zones, manages marine resources, protects the marine environment, and promotes cooperation on marine conservation.
18Target 14.6 seeks to eliminate {{harmful fishing subsidies}}.
Answer

harmful fishing subsidies

19Marine Protected Areas always restrict all human activities.
Answer

False

MPAs can allow sustainable fishing, tourism, and other activities while protecting biodiversity.
20How does marine eco-tourism differ from aquaculture?
Answer

Eco-tourism → income from recreation | Aquaculture → raising organisms

21What are the five types of fisheries subsidies?
Answer

Fuel, vessel construction, price supports, infrastructure, tax exemptions

These subsidies can distort markets and encourage overfishing if not reformed.
22The memory trick for the 10 targets is Pollution → Ecosystems → {{Acidification}} → Fishing...
Answer

Acidification

23Target 14.9 aims to provide small-scale fishers with access to marine resources and markets.
Answer

True

24Difference between a catch limit and a size limit in sustainable fishing?
Answer

Catch limit → caps catch | Size limit → bans small

25What is the main effect of nutrient pollution?
Answer

Excess algae growth leading to dead zones

Nutrient overload fuels algal blooms that deplete oxygen, harming aquatic life.

SDG 14: Life Below Water – Key Concepts and Targets

Goal 14 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aims to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. The oceans cover more than 70% of Earth’s surface and host a vast array of biodiversity. This lesson summarises the most important facts, challenges, and targets related to marine health, based on a set of focused flashcards.

Why Oceans Matter

Oceans support marine life, regulate climate, provide food, and generate economic value through fisheries and tourism. Protecting them is essential for human well‑being and planetary health.

  • Coverage: Oceans cover over 70% of the planet’s surface.
  • Biodiversity: Marine ecosystems host millions of species, many of which are still undiscovered.

Major Threats to Marine Ecosystems

Several human activities jeopardise ocean health. The most pressing are:

  • Plastic pollution: Visible waste that harms wildlife and entangles marine organisms.
  • Nutrient pollution: Excess nitrogen and phosphorus cause algal blooms, leading to dead zones.
  • Ocean acidification: Excess CO₂ absorbed by seawater forms carbonic acid, lowering pH and reducing carbonate availability for organisms such as corals and shellfish.
  • Overfishing and IUU fishing: Catching fish faster than they can reproduce, often aided by Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) practices.
  • Harmful fisheries subsidies: Fuel, vessel construction, price supports, infrastructure, and tax exemptions that encourage overcapacity.

Ocean Acidification Explained

When CO₂ from fossil‑fuel combustion, transportation, and land‑use change dissolves in seawater, it reacts to form carbonic acid. This process reduces the concentration of carbonate ions, which are essential for calcifying organisms such as corals, mollusks, and some plankton. The resulting drop in pH threatens the structural integrity of reefs and the broader marine food web.

Sustainable Fishing vs. Overfishing

Understanding the difference between sustainable fishing and overfishing is crucial for managing fish stocks.

  • Sustainable fishing: Practices that maintain healthy populations, allowing fish to reproduce and ecosystems to remain balanced.
  • Overfishing: Harvesting fish at a rate faster than they can replenish, leading to population declines and disrupted food webs.

Key management tools include:

  • Catch limits: Caps on the total amount of fish that can be harvested.
  • Size limits: Restrictions that prevent the capture of undersized individuals, ensuring they reach reproductive age.

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)

MPAs are designated zones that aim to protect marine biodiversity while allowing certain human activities. They do not always prohibit all uses; instead, they balance conservation with sustainable fishing, tourism, and research.

  • Fisheries benefit: MPAs protect spawning grounds and replenish fish stocks, supporting long‑term catches.
  • Tourism benefit: Healthy reefs attract divers and snorkelers, creating jobs and revenue.

MPAs illustrate an ecosystem‑based approach, integrating environmental, economic, and social dimensions, unlike single‑factor management that focuses on only one aspect.

Key Targets of SDG 14

SDG 14 includes 10 specific targets. The most relevant for this lesson are highlighted below.

TargetFocus
14.5Conserve at least 10% of coastal and marine areas.
14.6Eliminate harmful fishing subsidies.
14.8Increase scientific knowledge, research capacity, and marine technology.
14.9Provide small‑scale fishers access to marine resources and markets.

These targets aim to protect ecosystems, improve governance, and support livelihoods.

Scientific Tools and Monitoring

Advances in marine science help track biodiversity and assess ecosystem health.

  • Environmental DNA (eDNA): Genetic material collected from water samples that reveals the presence of species without direct observation.
  • UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea): Provides the legal framework for implementing and enforcing international maritime law, including the establishment of marine protected zones.

Common Misconceptions

Addressing false statements helps clarify the reality of marine challenges.

  • Fuel subsidies are indeed a type of harmful fisheries subsidy; they encourage overcapacity.
  • Ocean acidification is driven by multiple CO₂ sources, not solely deforestation.
  • MPAs do not always restrict every human activity; many allow sustainable fishing and tourism.

Mnemonic for the Ten Targets

A memory aid lists the targets in order: Pollution → Ecosystems → Acidification → Fishing … Remember that “Acidification” follows “Ecosystems” in the sequence.

Connecting Marine Health to Human Well‑Being

Healthy oceans provide food, livelihoods, and climate regulation. Protecting them through the measures described—reducing plastic and nutrient pollution, curbing overfishing, expanding MPAs, and investing in research—supports both ecological resilience and sustainable development.