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ReefLink Database

Marine Products

Marine Products

Marine products are non-food goods derived from reefs that promote human well-being (e.g, aquarium fish or ornamental resources) and human health (e.g., pharmaceuticals and cosmetics).

CMap

Anemones & zooanthids are cnidarians very similar to coral, but are not characteristic reef builders. Aquarium and Pet Trade involves the preservation and exhibition of aquatic species for public view or individual hobbies, and the sale of animals. Aquarium Stock is aquatic life that humans collect for sale to commercial aquariums or individual hobbyists. Biological Harvest is the collection of living things from the ecosystem for recreation, consumption, or sale of marine products. Biological monitoring is the use of a biological entity as a detector and its response as a measure to determine environmental conditions. Contact Uses, such as biological additions, physical damage, and biological harvesting, are activities in which humans create pressures through direct contact with the ecosystem. Coral is a colonial marine animal consisting of polyps. Culture sectors contribute to the social, emotional, and intellectual well-being of the community. Designating protected species is the process of legally establishing a species as threatened, endangered, or of special concern, often requiring that critical habitat must be designated as well and recovery plans implemented. Discharges are the intentional or unintentional distribution of chemicals, debris, or other pollution, into the environment as a consequence of human activities. Economic markets and policies can influence financing and insurance, as well as drive consumer demand for certain types of goods and services. Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems . Fish are cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates that breathe through gills and usually have scales. Fishing & harvesting management controls the activities which harvest fish and invertebrates, including commercial and recreational fishing. The Health sector includes groups which provide for human health through medical and social care, and maintenance and disposal of waste. Infrastructural policies are responses, including zoning, codes, or regulations, that impact the distribution and functioning of socio-economic sectors that provide infrastructure. Infrastructural sectors provide the physical, organizational, and technical support for the economy to function, including construction, utilities, transportation, finance, manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, and technical services. Invasive species are plants, animals, or other organisms that are foreign to a particular environment, and whose introduction may be detrimental when invasives compete with or consume native species. An Invertebrate is any animal that lacks a backbone. Landscape Changes are alterations of the natural landscape through human activities, including coastal development, shoreline armoring, impervious surfaces, deforestation, or soil disturbance, which can alter water flow patterns and lead to pollutant runoff into coastal systems. Industries in the Manufacturing and Trade subsector produce and sell food, beverage, tobacco, wood, plastics, chemical products, metals, electronics, and machinery products, in both wholesale and retail trade. Manufacturing and trade regulations are laws and policies enacted to control production, distribution, and sale of goods and services. Marine products are non-food goods derived from reefs that promote human well-being (e.g, aquarium fish or ornamental resources) and human health (e.g., pharmaceuticals and cosmetics). Ornamental Jewelry & Art includes products derived from reef species, including coral and sponges to make artistic products for display or retail sale as souvenirs, beads, or jewelry. Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics industries are engaged in manufacturing drugs, medicines and related products for human or animal use. Marine ecosystems provide sources and templates for pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, biochemicals, and other biomaterials. The Reef Ecosystem includes a suite of abiotic variables that form the physical and chemical environment. Pressures are human activities that create stress on the environment. Provisioning services are the products or ecosystem goods obtained from ecosystems, including seafood, genetic and biochemical resources, pharmaceuticals, ornamental resources, and water resources. The state of the Reef Ecosystem is the condition, in terms of quantity and quality, of the abiotic and biotic components including physical, chemical, and biological variables. Reef Habitat is the abundance, distribution, and condition of the benthic components of the reef ecosystem. Reef Inhabitants are all of the motile components of the reef ecosystem, including fish, invertebrates, marine reptiles and mammals, and are quantified by their abundance, distribution, and condition. Reef Life is the abundance, distribution, and condition of the biological components of the coral reef ecosystem. Resource use management pertains to responses to regulate or limit contact activities that may directly impact coastal species through harvesting or physical damage. Responses are actions taken by groups or individuals in society and government to prevent, compensate, ameliorate or adapt to changes in Ecosystem Services or their perceived value. Rock production is the processes by which calcified coral skeletons can be harvested to form rocks and building blocks. Socio-Economic Drivers include the sectors that fulfill human needs for Food & Raw Materials, Water, Shelter, Health, Culture, and Security, and the Infrastructure that supports the sectors. The Souvenir and Decorative Trade is involved in producing and selling souvenirs and novelty decorative items, including those derived from marine products. Sponges are sessile colonial animals with soft porous bodies supported by a fibrous skeletal framework. Valuation is the process of estimating the worth, merit, or desirability of benefits derived from ecosystems.

CMap Description

A number of reef-dependent organisms may be harvested or collected for development or sale as marine products. Colorful fish and invertebrates may be collected for distribution and sale in the aquarium trade. A large number of pharmaceutical and cosmetic products have been derived from sponges, snails, and other marine organisms. Invertebrate shells, sponges, coral, and other organisms may be harvested to make ornamental art and jewelry for the souvenir and decorative trade. Many of the sectors that benefit from marine products also create pressures on the reef ecosystem through coastal development, pollution, and harvesting. Overfishing, or accidental harvesting of non-target species, can disrupt the coral reef food web. Trade regulations and economic markets, including supply and demand, will influence the value of marine products. Species protections and fishing regulations can control the amount of potential stock that is actually harvested, or limit harvest of vulnerable taxa.

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