IB ESS SL 4.3 Aquatic Food Production Systems Question Bank

[Maximum number: 8]

Figure:Integrated aquaculture system

the integrated-aquaculture diagram shown above represents a system of aquaculture with four groups of harvestable species.

(a)

Identify one producer in the system illustrated in the integrated-aquaculture diagram shown above.

[ 1 ]

(b)

Outline one reason why aquaculture production has increased globally.

[ 1 ]

(c)

Describe two negative environmental impacts that may arise from integrated aquaculture.

[ 2 ]

(d)

Explain why this system may cause fewer environmental impacts than systems that farm only fish.

[ 4 ]

polyculture helps maintain biodiversity/complexity/resilience in the environment; (polyculture) allows for species to recycle wastes of other species; lobsters/mussels will reduce particles of organic waste/faecal matter/excess feed; (reduction of particles will) reduce BOD/decomposition and oxygen consumption; filtration by the mussels will improve water clarity/photosynthesis; cropping/harvesting algae will prevent build-up of nutrients/eutrophication; algae will absorb excess $\mathrm{CO}_{2}$ reducing acidification of water; algae will release oxygen limiting anaerobic conditions; food is provided naturally from within system/feeds made up from wild populations are not required;

Award [1] for each correct answer identified, up to [4 max].

[Maximum number: 1]

Figure 2: Fact file on the Coral Triangle

• The Coral Triangle is an area of approximately 6 million square kilometres in South-east Asia.
• It is the most biodiverse marine ecosystem in the world.
• Its habitats include coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves.
• The Coral Triangle provides a range of ecosystem goods and services, and supports the livelihoods of over 120 million people.
• It provides an important spawning area to the largest tuna fishery in the world.
• In 2014, capture fisheries within the Coral Triangle were valued at US$9.9 billion representing over 10 % of the world market.
• Income in the area is also generated through a growing recreation and tourist industry.

Outline one advantage for local populations within the Coral Triangle in harvesting their food from:

the marine system

[Maximum number: 9]

Figure Global seafood harvests for 2019 and projected harvest for 2050

(a)

Identify the category with the lowest global harvest weight from aquaculture in Figure 1.

[ 1 ]

(b)

Using Figure 1, calculate the projected increase in the harvest of freshwater fish between 2019 and 2050.

[ 1 ]

(c)

Outline one reason for the increase referred to in (b)(i).

[ 1 ]

(d)

Describe two possible reasons for the difference in the global aquaculture harvest between marine fish and molluscs in Figure 1.

[ 2 ]

(e)

Evaluate the use of aquaculture in meeting the projected harvest of global seafood, as shown in Figure 1.

[ 4 ]

[Maximum number: 1]

Figure:Integrated aquaculture system

the integrated-aquaculture diagram shown above represents a system of aquaculture with four groups of harvestable species.

Identify one producer in the system illustrated in the integrated-aquaculture diagram shown above.

[Maximum number: 2]

Figure:Simplified map of the Lake Shergar area

Figure 3: A simplified diagram of the Lake Shergar area.

The lake provides a water supply for the local population.

With reference to the cattle in the area, explain how the maximum sustainable yield could be calculated.

[Maximum number: 4]

Outline four impacts of climate change on wild fisheries.

[Maximum number: 6]

Figure Global trends in the world's marine capture fishery stocks, 1974-2019

(a)

Outline two reasons for the change in overfished stock between 1974 and 2019, as shown in Figure 3.

[ 2 ]

(b)

Evaluate a management strategy for capture fisheries that could be used to reduce the levels of unsustainable fishing from 2019 as shown in Figure 3.

[ 4 ]

[Maximum number: 6]

Figure A:Area without fishing exclusion

Figure B:Marine area with preserved/no-take area

Figure A:Community planting of mangroves in 2004

Figure B:Same site in 2011 with established mangroves

Figure:Drop in demand for shark fins in Hong Kong and mainland China

Mangrove	Seagrass	Coral reef
Provides nursery and habitat for fish and shellfish	Provides nursery and habitat for variety of species	Provides nursery and habitat which supports high biodiversity
Intercepts freshwater flow, traps sediments and absorbs nutrients	Traps sediments and absorbs nutrients from the water	Filters particulate matter from the water, increasing water clarity
Absorbs carbon dioxide and emits oxygen	Absorbs carbon dioxide and emits oxygen
Provides a source of fish and shellfish	Provides a source of fish and shellfish	Provides a source of fish and shellfish
Reduces coastal erosion		Provides coastal protection by buffering incoming waves and currents
Provides a source of wood		Provides a tourist and recreation attraction

Figure:Ecosystem goods and services in coastal marine habitats

Ecosystem category	Ecosystem	Soil organic carbon (metric ton carbon per hectare)	Living biomass (metric ton carbon per hectare)	Total (metric ton carbon per hectare)
Terrestrial forest ecosystems	Boreal forest	150	94	244
Terrestrial forest ecosystems	Tropical forest	83	167	250
Coastal marine ecosystems	Mangroves	1030	464	1494
Coastal marine ecosystems	Tidal marsh	920	31	951
Coastal marine ecosystems	Seagrass meadows	608	10	618

Figure:Carbon storage in different ecosystems

Figure 2: Fact file on the Coral Triangle

• The Coral Triangle is an area of approximately 6 million square kilometres in South-east Asia.
• It is the most biodiverse marine ecosystem in the world.
• Its habitats include coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves.
• The Coral Triangle provides a range of ecosystem goods and services, and supports the livelihoods of over 120 million people.
• It provides an important spawning area to the largest tuna fishery in the world.
• In 2014, capture fisheries within the Coral Triangle were valued at US$9.9 billion representing over 10 % of the world market.
• Income in the area is also generated through a growing recreation and tourist industry.

Figure 7: Threats to biodiversity and ecosystems within the Coral Triangle

• Coral reefs and mangroves in the Coral Triangle have declined by over 40 % since the 1970s.
• Over 85 % of coral reefs are under threat from population growth and human activity.
• Mangroves have commonly been removed to make way for agriculture, aquaculture or urban development.
• Increase in unsustainable fishing practices, because of the demand for marine resources, has led to the decline of many species, such as bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) and yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares).
• Destructive fishing methods that impact marine habitats have been used throughout the region, such as use of dynamite and cyanide.
• Demand for wildlife goods such as turtle products and shark fins (used to make shark-fin soup) has caused a reduction in population numbers of some species.
• Land-based pollution from agriculture, logging, mining and urban development has damaged habitats within the Coral Triangle.

Large-scale tourism development also threatens the Coral Triangle through:
• pollution produced by tourists, such as sewage effluent, plastic waste materials
• coral trampling by snorkelers and divers
• physical damage caused by boat anchors ripping up corals and seagrass
• stress to marine wildlife caused by tourists following them too closely
• collection of wildlife souvenirs, such as corals, shellfish or turtle shells.

Climate change is a major threat to the Coral Triangle. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) estimates that at current rates of global temperature increase, most coral reefs could be destroyed by 2050.

Figure 8(a): Conservation within the Coral Triangle

• The Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF) is an agreement between all six nations in the area with the objectives of:
• ensuring food security and a sustainable livelihood of residents of the Coral Triangle
• protecting the unique ecosystem and marine species within the Coral Triangle.
• Conservation projects in the Coral Triangle involve collaboration between national governments, regional organisations, non-governmental organisations, private companies and local communities.
• Popular approaches to encourage sustainable use of the sea and its resources include creation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and networks of Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs).
• MPAs are usually managed by national and local government whereas LMMAs are more likely to be managed by the local community.
• These designated areas are often classified according to their use or the restrictions placed on them, such as “no-take zones” where no fishing is allowed or “tourism zones” that can be used for recreation but where other activities such as fishing are banned.
• Some zones allow restricted activity, such as use by local fishermen using only traditional fishing methods or during certain times of the year.
• Research has shown that over time in a well-managed MPA there is an increase in fish size, fish numbers and overall biodiversity.
• There are currently over 1000 MPAs within the Coral Triangle.
• The Coral Triangle Initiative aims to designate 20 % of each of the main habitats within the Coral Triangle as MPAs by 2020.

With reference to data throughout the resource booklet, to what extent would the establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) benefit marine ecosystems and human societies within the Coral Triangle?

Merits – [4 max]:

MPAs are supported by legislation and associated enforcement powers;
MPA could provide nursery/breeding ground for species/sanctuary for some species/ protect species from human activities / MPAs stop reduction in fish stocks through fishing activities / by restricting tourism to certain areas MPAs can reduce damage caused by tourism to reef ecosystems;
...this could allow recovery of threatened species/range of species/ biodiversity;
MPA would lead to increase in population of species that could provide food;
MPA would lead to increase in population of species that could provide an income avenue for local people/sustainable livelihood;
species from MPA could move/migrate and allow for increase in biodiversity in surrounding areas;
increase in regional biodiversity could lead to increase in ecotourism that provides an alternative income for local communities;
improvements in marine ecosystems/increase in mangroves/seagrasses can enhance carbon dioxide sequestered from the atmosphere / improvements in mangroves/seagrasses can increase carbon storage, contributing to the mitigation of climate change;
within MPAs the increase in mangroves/seagrasses/coral filters the water and removes pollutants in the marine environment;
MPAs help to meet our moral/ethical obligation to conserve/protect species / MPAs help to meet our duty to conserve our environment for future generations;
improvements in coastal ecosystems can help to protect coastal communities from extreme storm events/coastal flooding;
increase in mangroves/seagrasses population can improve water quality for other primary producers/coral reefs;
MPA creates jobs for local people and an alternative income;
MPAs allow some restricted fishing to meet the needs of local people;

Limitations - [4 max]:
establishing MPAs could cause areas surrounding them to be over-exploited / many areas still adversely affected by fishing/human activities;
difficult to stop people fishing/using areas that have been traditionally used;
difficult to stop illegal fishing by non-local vessels;
without effective policing/enforcement is unlikely to work;
some species population may have fallen below recovery levels;
MPAs can in the short-term lead to loss of income/resources / may be difficult to find alternative income/food source in the short term for local people;
in the short-term local communities may require support to consider other ways to earn money/obtain food / loss/reduction in shark fin trade results in loss of income for fishers;
local community needs to be educated on value of MPAs;
local community needs to be educated/trained on how to sustainably fish stocks outside the MPAs;
as MPAs are managed by government (not local community) there may be a lot of bureaucracy involved and management of MPA may be inefficient / may take time to reach a consensus before action can be implemented / corruption may be an issue leading to inefficient management of MPA;
difficult to manage/balance interests of so many stakeholders (ie six countries, local governments, NGOs etc.);
predicted loss of coral by 2050 is a result of global warming, which will not be stopped by protecting local areas;
with increase in tourism there may be increased pollution caused by waste/plastics resulting in decrease in biodiversity;
with population growth in the area and associated increase in food demand the restriction in fishing within MPAs will cause human hardship;

Marking guidance:

Award [5 max] for merits and limitations.
Conclusion/opinion [1 max]
For example: over the long term MPAs can be effective at improving biodiversity/state of the ecosystem and sustainable resources for local people although in the short term they can pose many difficulties/hardships for local communities (without appropriate support);

A valid conclusion should be credited if it is explicit, balanced (addresses both sides of the argument) and supported by evidence. Do not credit the conclusion if only one side of the argument has been considered within the overall response.

Accept other reasonable responses supported by information in the resource booklet.

[Maximum number: 4]

Figure 3: Global trends in the world's marine capture fishery stocks, 1974-2019

Evaluate the potential value of aquaculture as a strategy to avoid the levels of unsustainable fishing as seen in 2019 in Figure 3.

IB ESS SL 4.3 Aquatic Food Production Systems Questions

Exam points

Covered syllabus points

Covered syllabus points

Question 1

Question (a)

Question (b)

Question (c)

Question (d)

Question 2

Question 3

Question (a)

Question (b)

Question (c)

Question (d)

Question (e)

Question 4

Question 5

Question 6

Question 7

Question (a)

Question (b)

Question 8

Question 9