Marine Ecosystem Protection: Strategies for Sustainable Development and Biodiversity Conservation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53555/jaz.v46i2.5250Keywords:
Threats, Pollution, Marine Life, Sustainable DevelopmentAbstract
Marine ecosystems are vital to the health of the planet, providing critical ecological, economic, and cultural services that sustain life on earth. This review underscores the ecological importance of marine biodiversity, analyses major threats like overfishing, pollution, and climate change, and proposes innovative solutions including satellite technology, AI, and interdisciplinary cooperation to safeguard marine ecosystems for sustainable development. Emphasizing on the interconnections between ocean health, environmental protection, and sustainable development, the study highlights innovative solutions such as sustainable fishing practices, marine habitat restoration, and advanced technologies for monitoring and conservation. The role of community engagement and public awareness in fostering sustainable marine management is also discussed. By synthesizing current knowledge and future prospects, this review underscores the urgent need for integrated global efforts to safeguard marine ecosystems and align their protection with the broader goals of sustainable development.
Downloads
References
1. Anitha, V., Soman, D., Sandeep, S., Sreejith, K. A., & Sreekumar, V. B. (2024). The Nexus of Ecosystem Services and Human Wellbeing: Case Study from the Forests of Western Ghats, Kerala, India. In Ecosystem Services Valuation for Sustainable Development (pp. 77-120). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.
2. Ann, C. C., Sidik, M. J., Shaleh, S. R. M., & Mustafa, S. (2024). Marine biodiversity and climate change: multidimensional approaches for “the ocean we want” by 2030. In SDGs in the Asia and Pacific Region (pp. 1429-1459). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
3. Arora, N. K., Mishra, I., & Arora, P. (2023). SDG 14: life below water-viable oceans necessary for a sustainable planet. Environmental Sustainability, 6(4), 433-439.
4. Bello, F. A. (2022). Critical analysis of policies on single-use plastics disposal from ships as a source of pollution to the marine environment.
5. Boström-Einarsson, L., Babcock, R. C., Bayraktarov, E., Ceccarelli, D., Cook, N., Ferse, S. C., ... & McLeod, I. M. (2020). Coral restoration–A systematic review of current methods, successes, failures and future directions. PloS one, 15(1), e0226631.
6. Brathwaite, A., Clua, E., Roach, R., & Pascal, N. (2022). Coral reef restoration for coastal protection: Crafting technical and financial solutions. Journal of Environmental Management, 310, 114718.
7. Burke, L., & Spalding, M. (2022). Shoreline protection by the world’s coral reefs: Mapping the benefits to people, assets, and infrastructure. Marine Policy, 146, 105311.
8. Byrne, M. E., Wetherbee, B. M., Sampson, M., Shivji, M., Harvey, G. C. M., Vaudo, J. J., & Cortés, E. (2017). Satellite telemetry reveals higher fishing mortality rates than previously estimated, suggesting overfishing of an apex marine predator. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 284(1860), 20170658. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.0658.
9. Cannizzo, Z. J., Hunter, K. L., Hutto, S., Selgrath, J. C., & Wenzel, L. (2025). Future-proofing the global system of marine protected areas: Integrating climate change into planning and management. Marine Policy, 171, 106420.
10. Choudhary, B., Dhar, V., & Pawase, A. S. (2024). Blue carbon and the role of mangroves in carbon sequestration: Its mechanisms, estimation, human impacts and conservation strategies for economic incentives. Journal of Sea Research, 199, 102504.
11. Choudhary, P., Khade, M., Savant, S., Musale, A., Chelliah, M. S., & Dasgupta, S. (2021). Empowering blue economy: From underrated ecosystem to sustainable industry. Journal of environmental management, 291, 112697.
12. Cotas, J., Gomes, L., Pacheco, D., & Pereira, L. (2023). Ecosystem services provided by seaweeds. Hydrobiology, 2(1), 75-96.
13. Doxa, A., Kaschner, K., Kesner‐Reyes, K., Queirós, A. M., Garilao, C., Mazaris, A. D., Katsanevakis, S., & Almpanidou, V. (2022). 4D marine conservation networks: Combining 3D prioritization of present and future biodiversity with climatic refugia. Global Change Biology, 28(15), 4577–4588.
14. Duarte, C. M., Agusti, S., Barbier, E., Britten, G. L., Castilla, J. C., Gattuso, J. P., ... & Worm, B. (2020). Rebuilding marine life. Nature, 580(7801), 39-51.
15. Evans, L. S., Buchan, P. M., Fortnam, M., Honig, M., & Heaps, L. (2023). Putting coastal communities at the center of a sustainable blue economy: A review of risks, opportunities, and strategies. Frontiers in Political Science, 4, 1032204.
16. Feng, C., Ge, S., Zeng, J., He, L., & Ye, G. (2024). Mapping the Global Carbon Emissions of Marine Sectors. Environmental Science & Technology, 58(42), 18508-18519.
17. Free, C. M., Anderson, S. C., Hellmers, E. A., Muhling, B. A., Navarro, M. O., Richerson, K., ... & Bellquist, L. F. (2023). Impact of the 2014–2016 marine heatwave on US and Canada West Coast fisheries: Surprises and lessons from key case studies. Fish and Fisheries, 24(4), 652-674.
18. Friedlander, A. M., & Gaymer, C. F. (2021). Progress, opportunities and challenges for marine conservation in the Pacific Islands. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 31(2), 221-231.
19. Gilman, E., Chaloupka, M., Booth, H., Hall, M., Murua, H., & Wilson, J. (2023). Bycatch-neutral fisheries through a sequential mitigation hierarchy. Marine Policy, 150, 105522.
20. Goncalves, L. C. S. (2020). Legal Remedies against the Plastic Pollution of the Oceans: an analysis of the attempts from public international law and private initiatives to face the plastic soup.
21. Granada, L., Lopes, S., Novais, S. C., & Lemos, M. F. (2018). Modelling integrated multi-trophic aquaculture: Optimizing a three trophic level system. Aquaculture, 495, 90-97.
22. Granek, E. F., & Brown, M. A. (2005). Co‐management approach to marine conservation in Mohéli, Comoros Islands. Conservation biology, 19(6), 1724-1732.
23. Heiskanen, A.-S., Teixeira, H., Rossberg, A. G., Berg, T., Uyarra, M. C., Krause-Jensen, D., Bruhn, A., Korpinen, S., Lynam, C. P., Uusitalo, L., & Borja, A. (2016). Biodiversity in Marine Ecosystems—European Developments toward Robust Assessments. Frontiers in Marine Science, 3.
24. Hettithanthri, O., Nguyen, T. B. T., Fiedler, T., Phan, C., Vithanage, M., Pallewatta, S., ... & Bolan, N. (2024). A review of oil spill dynamics: Statistics, impacts, countermeasures, and weathering behaviors. Asia‐Pacific Journal of Chemical Engineering, e3128.
25. Heymans, J. J., Shin, Y.-J., Bundy, A., Piroddi, C., Travers-Trolet, M., Fulton, E. A., Coll, M., Steenbeek, J., De Mutsert, K., & Christensen, V. (2020). The Ocean Decade: A True Ecosystem Modeling Challenge. Frontiers in Marine Science, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.554573
26. Hilmi, N., Osborn, D., Acar, S., Bambridge, T., Chlous, F., Cinar, M., ... & Safa, A. (2019). Socio-economic tools to mitigate the impacts of ocean acidification on economies and communities reliant on coral reefs—a framework for prioritization. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 28, 100559.
27. Käse, L., & Geuer, J. K. (2018). Phytoplankton responses to marine climate change–an introduction. In YOUMARES 8–Oceans Across Boundaries: Learning from each other: Proceedings of the 2017 conference for YOUng MARine RESearchers in Kiel, Germany (pp. 55-71). Springer International Publishing.
28. Kawiyani, R., Ben-Hasan, A., Mohsen, K., & Almojil, D. (2024). Status, threats, and conservation considerations of selected marine habitats and organisms in the Arabian/Persian Gulf. Marine Environmental Research, 106556.
29. Keller, B. D., Gleason, D. F., McLeod, E., Woodley, C. M., Airamé, S., Causey, B. D., ... & Steneck, R. S. (2009). Climate change, coral reef ecosystems, and management options for marine protected areas. Environmental management, 44, 1069-1088.
30. Keong, C. Y. (2019). The Ocean Carbon Sink and Climate Change: A Scientific and Ethical Assessment. International Journal of Environmental Science and Development, 10(8), 246-251.
31. Kittinger, J. N., Hanich, Q., Pasisi, B., Rotjan, R. D., & Rambourg, C. (2024). Balancing protection and production in ocean conservation. Npj Ocean Sustainability, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44183-024-00062-w
32. Kriegl, M., Von Dorrien, C., Elías Ilosvay, X. E., & Oesterwind, D. (2021). Marine Protected Areas: At the Crossroads of Nature Conservation and Fisheries Management. Frontiers in Marine Science, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.676264
33. Lebreton, L. C., et al. (2018). Evidence that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is rapidly accumulating plastic. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 4666.
34. Li, S. (2024). De-marginalizing Through Nature: Assessing Enabling Policy Environment for Integrating Decentralized Nature-based Solutions in Restoration of Urban Slums Through the Cases of Indonesia and the Philippines.
35. Ling, S. D., et al. (2009). Overfishing reduces resilience of kelp beds to climate-driven catastrophic phase shift. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(52), 22341–22345.
36. Ling, S. D., Johnson, C. R., Frusher, S. D., & Ridgway, K. (2009). Overfishing reduces resilience of kelp beds to climate-driven catastrophic phase shift. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(52), 22341-22345.
37. Llewellyn, L. E., English, S., & Barnwell, S. (2016). A roadmap to a sustainable Indian Ocean blue economy. Journal of the Indian Ocean Region, 12(1), 52–66. https://doi.org/10.1080/19480881.2016.1138713
38. Long, S., & Jones, P. J. S. (2020). Greenland’s offshore Greenland halibut fishery and role of the Marine Stewardship Council certification: A governance case study. Marine Policy, 127, 104095. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2020.104095
39. Lovelock, C. E., Barbier, E., & Duarte, C. M. (2022). Tackling the mangrove restoration challenge. PLoS biology, 20(10), e3001836.
40. Meynecke, J. O., Samanta, S., De Bie, J., Seyboth, E., Prakash Dey, S., Fearon, G., ... & Mackey, B. (2023). Do whales really increase the oceanic removal of atmospheric carbon?. Frontiers in Marine Science, 10, 1117409.
41. Mongin, M., et al. (2016). The exposure of the Great Barrier Reef to ocean acidification. Nature Communications, 7, 10732.
42. Nash, K. L., Van Putten, I., Alexander, K. A., Bettiol, S., Cvitanovic, C., Farmery, A. K., ... & Vince, J. (2022). Oceans and society: feedbacks between ocean and human health. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 1-27.
43. Nilsson, J. A., Fulton, E. A., Johnson, C. R., & Haward, M. (2019). How to Sustain Fisheries: Expert Knowledge from 34 Nations. Water, 11(2), 213. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11020213
44. Oakley, K. (2024). World Oceans. Publifye AS.
45. Okafor-Yarwood, I., & Sefa-Nyarko, C. (2021). Towards an inclusive implementation of sustainable oceans, seas and marine resources–SDG14: A holistic approach in Nigeria. In Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals in Nigeria (pp. 226-244). Routledge.
46. Olds, A. D., Pitt, K. A., Maxwell, P. S., Babcock, R. C., Rissik, D., & Connolly, R. M. (2014). Marine reserves help coastal ecosystems cope with extreme weather. Global change biology, 20(10), 3050-3058.
47. O'Leary, B. C., Fonseca, C., Cornet, C. C., de Vries, M. B., Degia, A. K., Failler, P., ... & Roberts, C. M. (2023). Embracing nature-based solutions to promote resilient marine and coastal ecosystems. Nature-Based Solutions, 3, 100044.
48. Pham, C. V., Wang, H. C., Chen, S. H., & Lee, J. M. (2023). The Threshold Effect of Overfishing on Global Fishery Outputs: International Evidence from a Sustainable Fishery Perspective. Fishes, 8(2), 71.
49. Phelan, A. (Anya), Ruhanen, L., & Mair, J. (2020). Ecosystem services approach for community-based ecotourism: towards an equitable and sustainable blue economy. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 28(10), 1665–1685. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2020.1747475
50. Renaldo, N., Junaedi, A. T., Suhardjo, S., Jahrizal, J., Yovita, I., Musa, S., & Cecilia, C. (2024). Balancing Offshore Renewable Energy and Marine Conservation in the Blue Economy. Journal of Applied Business and Technology, 5(2), 116–122. https://doi.org/10.35145/jabt.v5i2.168
51. Roberts, J., Ali, A., & Secretariat, C. (2016). The blue economy in small states.
52. Röthig, T., Trevathan‐Tackett, S. M., Voolstra, C. R., Ross, C., Chaffron, S., Durack, P. J., ... & Sweet, M. (2023). Human‐induced salinity changes impact marine organisms and ecosystems. Global change biology, 29(17), 4731-4749.
53. Sala, E., & Knowlton, N. (2006). Global marine biodiversity trends. Annual review of environment and resources, 31(2006), 93-122.
54. Sala, E., Cabral, R. B., Halpern, B. S., Hinson, A., Mcgowan, J., Worm, B., Rechberger, K. D., Cheung, W., Lubchenco, J., Kaschner, K., Mouillot, D., Kesner-Reyes, K., Leprieur, F., Costello, C., Ferretti, F., Auber, A., Goodell, W., Palacios-Abrantes, J., Atwood, T. B., … Bradley, D. (2021). Protecting the global ocean for biodiversity, food and climate. Nature, 592(7854), 397–402
55. Sandifer, P. A., Brooks, B. W., Canonico, G., Chassignet, E. P., Kirkpatrick, B., Porter, D. E., ... & Kelsey, R. H. (2023). Observing and monitoring the ocean. In Oceans and Human Health (pp. 549-596). Academic Press.
56. Sarkar, D. J., et al. (2021). Microplastic pollution in the Bay of Bengal: A review on its occurrence, fate, and ecological consequences. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 171, 112779.
57. Schmaltz, E., Melvin, E. C., Diana, Z., Gunady, E. F., Rittschof, D., Somarelli, J. A., ... & Dunphy-Daly, M. M. (2020). Plastic pollution solutions: emerging technologies to prevent and collect marine plastic pollution. Environment international, 144, 106067.
58. Schwing, F. B. (2023). Modern technologies and integrated observing systems are “instrumental” to fisheries oceanography: A brief history of ocean data collection. Fisheries Oceanography, 32(1), 28-69.
59. Sunkur, R., Kantamaneni, K., Bokhoree, C., & Ravan, S. (2023). Mangroves' role in supporting ecosystem-based techniques to reduce disaster risk and adapt to climate change: A review. Journal of Sea Research, 196, 102449.
60. Suryawan, I. W. K., Suhardono, S., Nguyen, V. V., & Lee, C. H. (2025). Importance‐Performance Evaluation of Coral Reef Conservation in Advancing the Bioeconomy of Marine Tourism in Bali, Indonesia. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 35(3), e70085.
61. Swilling, M., Ruckelshaus, M., Rudolph, T. B., Allison, E. H., Gelcich, S., Mbatha, P., & Österblom, H. (2023). The ocean transition: what to learn from system transitions. In The Blue Compendium: From Knowledge to Action for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (pp. 445-483). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
62. Thomas, E. A., Böhm, M., Pollock, C., Chen, C., Seddon, M., & Sigwart, J. D. (2022). Assessing the extinction risk of insular, understudied marine species. Conservation Biology, 36(2), e13854.
63. Thomas, R. (2019). Marine biology: An ecological approach. Scientific e-Resources.
64. Ward, D., Hunt, H. L., Jansen, J., Shaw, J., Mull, C., Edgar, G., Van Steveninck, T. J., Green, M., Trebilco, R., Bax, N., Novaglio, C., Mccormack, P. C., Lea, M., Makomere, R., Evans, K., Semmens, J. M., Tinch, D., Cavan, E. L., Brasier, M., … Layton, C. (2022). Safeguarding marine life: conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 32(1), 65–100. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-022-09700-3
65. Ward, D., Melbourne-Thomas, J., Pecl, G. T., Evans, K., Green, M., McCormack, P. C., ... & Layton, C. (2022). Safeguarding marine life: conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems. Reviews in fish biology and fisheries, 32(1), 65-100.
66. Wernberg, T., Thomsen, M. S., Baum, J. K., Bishop, M. J., Bruno, J. F., Coleman, M. A., ... & Vanderklift, M. A. (2024). Impacts of climate change on marine foundation species. Annual review of marine science, 16(1), 247-282.
67. Winther, J.-G., Unger, S., Li, Y., Morrissey, K., Rist, T., Halpin, P., Hoel, A. H., Scarano, F. R., Juinio-Meñez, M. A., Whitehouse, S., Dai, M., Trice, A., & Fernandes, L. (2020). Integrated ocean management for a sustainable ocean economy. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 4(11), 1451–1458. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-020-1259-6
68. Wuwung, L., Mcilgorm, A., & Voyer, M. (2024). Sustainable ocean development policies in Indonesia: paving the pathways towards a maritime destiny. Frontiers in Marine Science, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1401332
69. Yang, J., Li, C., Lo, L. S. H., Zhang, X., Chen, Z., Gao, J., ... & Cheng, J. (2024). Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Environmental DNA Metabarcoding and High-Resolution Underwater Optical Imaging for Noninvasive and Innovative Marine Environmental Monitoring. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 12(10), 1729.
70. Youssef, M. (2023). Blue Economy Literature Review. International Journal of Business and Management, 18(3), 12. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v18n3p12
71. Zhai, T., Wang, J., Fang, Y., Qin, Y., Huang, L., & Chen, Y. (2020). Assessing ecological risks caused by human activities in rapid urbanization coastal areas: Towards an integrated approach to determining key areas of terrestrial-oceanic ecosystems preservation and restoration. Science of the Total Environment, 708, 135153.
72. Zhang, S., Butt, M. M. Z., Wu, Q., Lv, (Judge) Yan-Ming, & Yan-E-Wang, (Judge). (2024). International Legal Framework for Joint Governance of Oceans and Fisheries: Challenges and Prospects in Governing Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs) under Sustainable Development Goal 14. Sustainability, 16(6), 2566. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16062566
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Vaishali, Shivam Pandey, Swati Bisht, Apoorva Singh, Charu Saklani, Shefalee Singh
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
