Why is Habitat Important?
Healthy living marine resources
Much like the homes humans live in, habitats support life by providing the basic resources that marine organisms need to successfully carry out their life cycles. Habitats provide food and water for marine organisms to grow and survive, and shelter for marine life to hide from predators. Habitats also serve as critical breeding and spawning grounds. Marine organisms depend on many different kinds of habitats to live. For example, the National Research Council (1997) estimates that 85 percent of U.S. commercial marine fish and shellfish landings, depend on estuarine habitats during at least one life stage.
Patterns of habitat use in marine organisms
Some marine species are transient and use several different habitat types throughout their life cycles. For instance, South Atlantic penaeid shrimp use offshore marine habitats for spawning and inshore estuarine waters, particularly tidal wetlands, as nursery areas. Salmon species provide a more extreme example, using freshwater rivers and streams for spawning and offshore marine waters for feeding and growth. Other species may be more permanent residents of a particular habitat type. For instance, slow-moving, reef-dwelling species such as damselfish and angelfish carry out most of their life cycles in coral reef areas. Whether seasonal or year-round, habitats are essential to the survival and productivity of fish species.
Healthy Economies
In addition to the ecological functions that fish habitats perform, they also provide critical economic benefits. Healthy, thriving habitats are the basis for healthy, thriving fisheries. Commercial and recreational fishing contribute billions of dollars to the U.S. economy each year. In 2007, commercial fishing in the U.S. generated an estimated $4.2 billion in dockside revenues alone. Their contribution to local economies adds considerably to this value. Additionally, marine recreational fishing contributes an estimated $30.5 billion to the U.S. economy annually in boats, fishing equipment, travel and other related expenditures (Steinbeck et al. 2004). Finally, healthy marine and coastal habitats also provide numerous indirect benefits such as maintenance of coastal water quality and protection from storm damage and erosion, which can save coastal communities billions of dollars.
