scholarly journals At-sea distribution and habitat of breeding Japanese Murrelets Synthliboramphus wumizusume: implications for conservation management

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (03) ◽  
pp. 370-385
Author(s):  
MARK G. R. MILLER ◽  
YUTAKA YAMAMOTO ◽  
MAYUMI SATO ◽  
BEN LASCELLES ◽  
YUTAKA NAKAMURA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Group Size ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Marine Habitat ◽  
Offshore Island ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
Oceanographic Variables ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Neritic Habitat ◽  
Habitat Parameters

SummaryThe Japanese Murrelet Synthliboramphus wumizusume is a rare, globally ‘Vulnerable’ seabird, endemic to Japan and South Korea. However, little is known of its at-sea distribution, habitat or threats. We conducted several years of at-sea surveys around Japan to model Japanese Murrelet density in relation to habitat parameters, and make spatial predictions to assess the adequacy of the current Japanese marine Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) network for the species. During a five-year period, 3,485 km of at-sea surveys recorded 3,161 Japanese Murrelets around four breeding locations. Maximum murrelet group size was 90 individuals with a mean group size of 2.9 ± 4.2 individuals. Models of Japanese Murrelet at-sea density around the two largest breeding locations predicted that almost all murrelets occur within 30 km of the breeding colony and most within 10 km. Murrelets were predicted closer to the colony in May than in April and closer to the colony at a neritic colony than at an offshore island colony. Additionally, murrelets breeding on an offshore island colony also commuted to mainland neritic habitat for foraging. The marine habitat used by Japanese Murrelets differed between each of the four surveyed colonies, however oceanographic variables offered little explanatory power in models. Models with colony, month and year generated four foraging radii (9–39 km wide) containing murrelet densities of > 0.5 birds/km2. Using these radii the Japanese marine IBA network was found to capture between 95% and 25% of Japanese Murrelet at-sea habitat while breeding and appears appropriately configured to protect near-colony murrelet distributions. Given the range of marine habitats that breeding murrelets inhabit, our simple models offer an applicable method for predicting to unsampled colonies and generating ecologically-informed seaward extension radii. However, data on colony populations and further at-sea surveys are necessary to refine models and improve predictions.

scholarly journals Spatial models to support the management of coastal marine ecosystems: a short review of the best practices in Liguria, Italy

2013 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 189 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. VACCHI ◽  
M. MONTEFALCONE ◽  
V. PARRAVICINI ◽  
A. ROVERE ◽  
P. VASSALLO ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Impacts ◽  
Spatial Models ◽  
Short Review ◽  
Posidonia Oceanica ◽  
Spatial Modelling ◽  
Coastal Development ◽  
Marine Habitat ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
Coastal Marine ◽  
The Status

Spatial modelling is an emerging approach to the management of coastal marine habitats, as it helps understanding and predicting the results of global change. This paper reviews critically two recent examples developed in Liguria, an administrative region of NW Italy. The first example, aiming at predicting habitat status depending on pressures, provides managers with the opportunity of envisaging different scenarios for the consequences of coastal development choices. The second example defines the status of an important Mediterranean coastal marine habitat (Posidonia oceanica meadows) under natural conditions, allowing for quantifying human impacts on regressed meadows. Both modelling approaches are useful to define the targets of coastal management, and may help choosing the best management option. Well-planned and sustained monitoring is essential to model validation and improvement.

scholarly journals Explaining the ocean's richest biodiversity hotspot and global patterns of fish diversity

2018 ◽  
Vol 285 (1888) ◽  
pp. 20181314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Christina Miller ◽  
Kenji T. Hayashi ◽  
Dongyuan Song ◽  
John J. Wiens
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Fish Diversity ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Diversification Rates ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
History Of ◽  
Richness Patterns ◽  
Colonization Time ◽  
Almost All

For most marine organisms, species richness peaks in the Central Indo-Pacific region and declines longitudinally, a striking pattern that remains poorly understood. Here, we used phylogenetic approaches to address the causes of richness patterns among global marine regions, comparing the relative importance of colonization time, number of colonization events, and diversification rates (speciation minus extinction). We estimated regional richness using distributional data for almost all percomorph fishes (17 435 species total, including approximately 72% of all marine fishes and approximately 33% of all freshwater fishes). The high diversity of the Central Indo-Pacific was explained by its colonization by many lineages 5.3–34 million years ago. These relatively old colonizations allowed more time for richness to build up through in situ diversification compared to other warm-marine regions. Surprisingly, diversification rates were decoupled from marine richness patterns, with clades in low-richness cold-marine habitats having the highest rates. Unlike marine richness, freshwater diversity was largely derived from a few ancient colonizations, coupled with high diversification rates. Our results are congruent with the geological history of the marine tropics, and thus may apply to many other organisms. Beyond marine biogeography, we add to the growing number of cases where colonization and time-for-speciation explain large-scale richness patterns instead of diversification rates.

Design and Implementation of Robust Controllers for an Intelligent Incubation Pisciculture System

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 101
Author(s):  
D. Ganesh ◽  
S.MD. Saleem Naveed ◽  
M. Kalyan Chakravarthi
Keyword(s):  
Embedded System ◽  
Fuzzy Controller ◽  
Pi Controller ◽  
Marine Habitat ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
The Embedded System ◽  
Healthy Growth ◽  
Tropical Climates ◽  
And Control

Aquaculture is major occupation for the humans living at coastal areas. The fresh water cultivation of the certain species is prominent in tropical and sub-tropical climates. Here the proposed work shows the relation-ship between the growth of the certain species of marine habitats and the factors affecting their growth with respect to the medium of their living. Advancement of embedded systems in aquaculture leads to new innovations of monitoring and controlling the various parameters. Here the embedded system based application is used, through which the monitoring and controlling of the light is done with the help of LabVIEW based PI controller as well as Fuzzy controller for the effective and healthy growth of the marine habitat. The Designed controllers are energy efficient based controller for controlling the Light Source (LS) via appropriate lighting control levels. The controlling and managing of the system is based on the present light intensity with the help of virtual controller. The proposed work involves the designing and implementation of PI controller and the fuzzy controller for the real time setup to monitor and control the process for optimal and feasible solution.

scholarly journals The demographics and morphometries of biogenic reefs: important considerations in conservation management

2017 ◽  
Vol 98 (6) ◽  
pp. 1231-1240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenna M. Brash ◽  
Robert L. Cook ◽  
Clara L. Mackenzie ◽  
William G. Sanderson
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Tidal Flow ◽  
Growth Curves ◽  
Shell Morphology ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Marine Habitat ◽  
Juvenile Abundance ◽  
Horse Mussel

Modiolus modiolus L. (horse mussel) reefs are a priority marine habitat of high conservation value that is currently listed as endangered and/or threatened across its European distribution. Population structure, density or shell morphology may influence the biodiversity of a reef, either directly or indirectly. Thus, such metrics are important considerations for successful conservation management of these biodiversity hotspots. Population structure, shell morphology and growth rates were examined in M. modiolus reefs across the UK range of the habitat to examine differences between key populations, including those near the Lleyn Peninsula in Wales (southern range), off Port Appin in Western Scotland (mid-range) and in Scapa Flow in the Orkney Isles, Scotland (northern range). Additionally, the influence of physical conditions (temperature and tidal flow) to growth rate and predicted maximum shell length for each population was examined. Growth rates were determined using acetate peels of sectioned shells. Lower juvenile abundance was observed in Scapa Flow. Small, narrow-shaped shells were found to be characteristic of North Lleyn mussels, and larger, globular-shaped shells were characteristic of mussels in Scapa Flow and off Port Appin. Mussels in Scapa Flow were slower growing, yet reached a longer asymptotic length (L∞) than mussels of Port Appin and North Lleyn. Growth curves from sites within this study were analysed with other published data. A trend of higher L∞ at higher latitudes and at lower flow rates was observed. Variations in growth and age are discussed in relation to flow regimes, connectivity to other reefs, density and latitude.

scholarly journals Behavioural mechanisms affecting the success of translocations. An investigation using New Zealand’s rarest ratite, the rowi

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Rachael Abbott
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Group Size ◽  
Habitat Quality ◽  
Cognitive Mapping ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Release Site ◽  
Dispersal Distance ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Release Group ◽  
Invertebrate Biomass

<p>Translocations are increasingly being used for conservation management of threatened species (Sarrazin & Legendre, 2000). Outcomes are influenced by a range of factors including effects of early rearing experience, conspecific familiarity, density of resident conspecifics, and habitat quality at the release site, all of which may impact on the behaviour of released individuals and subsequent survival and fitness (Law & Linklater, 2007; Linklater & Swaisgood, 2008; Sarrazin & Legendre, 2000). Conservation success, defined as the realisation of goals set out at the start of a project, can be improved by detecting factors causing suboptimal outcomes and identifying potential solutions (Buner et al., 2011; Green et al., 2005; Mihoub et al., 2011).  I aimed to expand current knowledge on factors influencing translocation outcomes by investigating the conservation management of the rowi (Apteryx rowi), the rarest species of kiwi. Current rowi conservation practices provide an opportunity to investigate this type of translocation management model. I provide new evidence and knowledge of behavioural mechanisms driving translocation success, include an expansion of current home range cognitive mapping theory relevant to conservation translocations, and present the first study of rowi home range behaviour (defined as the pattern of space use which leads to the emergence of a stable home range). Rowi conservation management involves removing eggs from the wild, hatching chicks in captivity, rearing on a predator free island until they are large enough to no longer be at risk of predation by stoats (Mustela erminae), then translocation back into the single remaining mainland population at Ōkārito forest. Over three years, experimental releases (n=66) were undertaken into both the existing population of rowi at South Ōkārito, and into an adjacent but unoccupied area of their former range at North Ōkārito. After intensive post-release monitoring, the effects of various elements of the translocation process on post-release survival, dispersal, conspecific association, habitat selection and home range behaviour were examined.  An investigation into the effects of season of release, conspecific density, sex, and release group size on survival during the 90 day critical period following release, found release season and release group size are the most likely factors to influence post-release survival, with highest survival in spring, and for large release groups of four or more birds per release site. Habitat quality throughout the Ōkārito forest was estimated using invertebrate biomass as a proxy. A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) layer showing relative estimated invertebrate biomass was created and used to provide values of habitat quality at release locations and within home ranges. An investigation of the influence of habitat quality on post-release dispersal, conspecific association and home range behaviour found maximum dispersal distance was affected by the release site (North or South Ōkārito), and the interaction of release site and the estimated invertebrate biomass at the release location. Mean home ranges (± SE) of translocated rowi (3.35 ± 0.37 km²), were larger and of lower habitat quality than those of wild rowi (1.06 ± 0.09 km²). No effects of release group size on dispersal distance or conspecific association rates post-release were found.  The effects of early rearing experience are proposed as a key factor influencing translocated rowi behaviour. By monitoring the survival, dispersal, conspecific association and home range behaviour resulting from the translocation of rowi reared in a non-natural social situation, I highlight the potential impact of prior social experience and social memory on cognitive mapping and home range establishment. This innovative approach has the potential to be a valuable expansion to current home range cognitive mapping theory, and warrants further study.  Translocation is a vital tool in conservation, and has undoubtedly been instrumental in improving the situation of rowi since the first application to rowi conservation in the 1990s. This study has demonstrated that further improvements in the effectiveness and efficiency of translocations for conservation can be gained through sound scientific analysis of factors affecting the mechanisms leading to translocation success. Ongoing monitoring, analysis and reassessment of translocation management practices are recommended to ensure optimal conservation outcomes.</p>

scholarly journals UAS DATA ACQUISITION PROTOCOL FOR MARINE HABITAT MAPPING: AN ACCURACY ASSESSMENT STUDY

2020 ◽  
Vol XLIII-B3-2020 ◽  
pp. 1321-1326
Author(s):  
M. Doukari ◽  
K. Topouzelis
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Data Acquisition ◽  
Marine Environment ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Accuracy Assessment ◽  
Habitat Mapping ◽  
Marine Habitat ◽  
Acquisition Protocol ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
Marine Habitat Mapping

Abstract. Marine habitat mapping is essential for updating existing information, preserving, and protecting the marine environment. Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) are an important tool for monitoring and mapping coastal and marine environment because of their ability to provide very high-resolution aerial imagery.Environmental conditions have a critical role in marine mapping using UAS. This is due to the limitations of UAS surveys in coastal areas, i.e. the environmental conditions prevailing in the area. The limitations of weather and oceanographic conditions affecting the quality of marine data led to the creation of a UAS protocol for the acquisition of reliable marine information. The produced UAS Data Acquisition Protocol consists of three main categories: (i) Morphology of the study area, (ii) Environmental conditions, (iii) Flight parameters. These categories include the parameters that must be considered for marine habitat mapping.The aim of the present study is the accuracy assessment of the UAS protocol for marine habitat mapping through experimental flights. For the accuracy assessment of the UAS protocol, flights on different dates and environmental conditions were conducted, over a study area. The flight altitude was the same for all the missions, so the results were comparable. The high-resolution orthophoto maps derived from each date of the experiment were classified. The classification maps show several differences in the shape and size of the marine habitats which are directly dependent on the conditions that the habitats were mapped. A change detection comparison was conducted in pairs to examine the exact changes between the classified maps.The results emphasize the importance of the environmental conditions prevailing in an area during the mapping of marine habitats. The present study proves that the optimal flight conditions that are proposed of the UAS Data Acquisition protocol, respond to the real-world conditions and are important to be considered for an accurate and reliable mapping of the marine environment.

Identifying key marine habitat sites for seabirds and sea ducks in the Canadian Arctic

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark L. Mallory ◽  
Anthony J. Gaston ◽  
Jennifer F. Provencher ◽  
Sarah N.P. Wong ◽  
Christine Anderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Marine Conservation ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Marine Habitat ◽  
Sea Ice Extent ◽  
Marine Birds ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Long Term Trends

The Canadian Arctic hosts millions of marine birds annually, many of which aggregate in large numbers at well-defined sites at predictable times of the year. Marine habitats in this region will be under increasing threats from anthropogenic activities, largely facilitated by climate change and long-term trends of reduced sea ice extent and thickness. In this review, we update previous efforts to delineate the most important habitats for marine birds in Arctic Canada, using the most current population estimates for Canada, as well as recent information from shipboard surveys and telemetry studies. We identify 349 160 km2of key habitat, more than doubling earlier suggestions for key habitat extent. As of 2018, 1% of these habitats fall within the boundaries of legislated protected areas. New marine conservation areas currently being finalized in the Canadian Arctic will only increase the proportion protected to 13%.

scholarly journals From Marxan to management: ocean zoning with stakeholders for Tun Mustapha Park in Sabah, Malaysia

Oryx ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 775-786 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robecca Jumin ◽  
Augustine Binson ◽  
Jennifer McGowan ◽  
Sikula Magupin ◽  
Maria Beger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Steering Committee ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Reserve Design ◽  
Multiple Use ◽  
Marine Habitat ◽  
Stakeholder Consultation ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
The Government ◽  
The University

AbstractTun Mustapha Park, in Sabah, Malaysia, was gazetted in May 2016 and is the first multiple-use park in Malaysia where conservation, sustainable resource use and development co-occur within one management framework. We applied a systematic conservation planning tool, Marxan with Zones, and stakeholder consultation to design and revise the draft zoning plan. This process was facilitated by Sabah Parks, a government agency, and WWF-Malaysia, under the guidance of the Tun Mustapha Park steering committee and with support from the University of Queensland. Four conservation and fishing zones, including no-take areas, were developed, each with representation and replication targets for key marine habitats, and a range of socio-economic and community objectives. Here we report on how decision-support tools informed the reserve design process in three planning stages: prioritization, government review, and community consultation. Using marine habitat and species representation as a reporting metric, we describe how the zoning plan changed at each stage of the design process. We found that the changes made to the zoning plan by the government and stakeholders resulted in plans that compromised the achievement of conservation targets because no-take areas were moved away from villages and the coastline, where unique habitats are located. The design process highlights a number of lessons learned for future conservation zoning, which we believe will be useful as many other places embark on similar zoning processes on land and in the sea.

scholarly journals Ecosystem Services of Mangrove Forests: Results of a Meta-Analysis of Economic Values

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (16) ◽  
pp. 5830
Author(s):  
Michael Getzner ◽  
Muhammad Shariful Islam
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Influential Factors ◽  
Direct Transfer ◽  
Mangrove Forests ◽  
Economic Values ◽  
Range Of Values

Mangrove forests are paramount for sustaining and enhancing ecosystem services benefitting both local and regional communities, and the global environment. Scholars have long studied the values of ecosystem services of mangrove forests. However, the number of recent primary studies monetizing ecosystem services is rather limited. This paper ascertains the values of ecosystem services of 66 primary valuation studies with a total of 250 observations. The results indicate that the range of values is substantially wide. This range cannot be explained sufficiently by the various differences of the studies, as the explanatory power of the econometric estimations is low. Main influential factors on the values of ecosystem services are the elicitation methods, the types of ecosystem services considered, and the conservation status of the respective mangrove forest as Ramsar site. The results stress the significant economic values of ecosystem services of mangrove forests and the importance for conservation management. However, the results also caution against a direct transfer of benefits between sites. The substantial variety of site and country specifics warrants the implementation of separate, original valuation studies.

scholarly journals Conservation Translocations in Aotearoa New Zealand in the Predator-Free era

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin A. Parker ◽  
John G. Ewen ◽  
Emily L. Weiser ◽  
Aisling Rayne ◽  
Tammy Steeves ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Single Element ◽  
Genetic Management ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Introduced Predators ◽  
Source Populations ◽  
Almost All

The biological changes that have occurred in Aotearoa New Zealand following human settlement are well documented with almost all ecosystems and taxa having been negatively impacted. Against this background of loss there have been remarkable advances in conservation management, particularly in the large-scale eradication and control of exotic mammalian pests. In 2016, the New Zealand Government announced Predator Free 2050, an ambitious project to eradicate introduced predators in Aotearoa New Zealand by 2050. Here, we discuss conservation translocations in the context of Predator Free 2050 aspirations. Our review draws together knowledge from Aotearoa New Zealand’s rich history of translocations and outlines a framework to support translocation decision making in the predator-free era. Predator Free 2050 aspirations encompass an ongoing question in conservation management; should we focus on maintaining small protected populations, because this seems generally easier and currently achievable, or on reversing declines in the large mainland areas that contain most of our biodiversity, a much harder challenge largely reliant on the continued use of aerially applied toxins? We focus on successfully establishing small translocated populations because they will provide the source populations for colonisation of a predator-free landscape. We define a successful translocation as one that meets a clear set of fundamental objectives defined a priori. If translocation objectives are clearly defined all subsequent decisions about factors that influence conservation translocation outcomes (e.g. the cultural and social setting, pest thresholds, habitat quality, genetic management) will be easier. Therefore, we encourage careful thinking in formulating conservation translocation objectives that align with aspirations for a predator-free Aotearoa NZ. We discourage a focus on any single element of planning and rather encourage all people involved in conservation translocations, particularly decision makers, to explicitly recognise the multiple values-based objectives associated with conservation translocations.

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