Importance of an aquatic ecosystem

Everything is connected in an aquatic ecosystem, when an ecosystem is out of balance, human beings will begin to suffer as well, together with the other organisms. Our health and many of the human activities are dependent on the health of aquatic ecosystems. Most of the water that we drink is taken from lakes or rivers. If the lake or river system is unhealthy, the water may be unsafe to drink or unsuitable for industry, agriculture, or recreation – even after treatment. Uses of aquatic ecosystems are impaired when these systems are unhealthy.


The frequency of urban beach closures has escalated as a result of contamination by animal faeces and medical waste.


Navigation problems for pleasure craft, caused by the rapid expansion of bottom-rooted aquatic plants, have increased over the years.


The proliferation of non-native species has created problems. One example is the rapidly expanding zebra mussel population, introduced from the ballast waters of a European freighter into the Great Lakes.

Zebra mussels have few natural predators in the area and because of the fact that the female can produce 30 000 eggs in a year, they are expected to spread throughout most of the freshwater systems of North America. This mussel species is already clogging industrial and municipal water treatment intake pipes, coating boats and piers, thus causing beach closures.