scholarly journals From hunters to nature observers: a record of 53 years of diver attitudes towards sharks and rays and marine protected areas

2011 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
pp. 755 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally Whatmough ◽  
Ingrid Van Putten ◽  
Andrew Chin
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Attitudinal Change ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Economic Information ◽  
Perceptions And Attitudes ◽  
Conservation Awareness

Human values, perceptions, attitudes and interactions with the natural environment have been found to change over time, with social and economic information used to inform management decisions and actions. Content analysis is applied here to a 53-year long collection of the popular dive magazine, SportDiving, to identify recreational divers’ experiences with regard to sharks and rays, the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and marine protected areas (MPAs). This analysis suggests there has been a diversification of diver activities with the emergence of passive-observational activities such as SCUBA diving. Attitudes towards sharks and rays have changed significantly, with recreational divers changing from a group that could be described as adventure-seeking hunters to a group that can be described as nature-appreciating observers, suggesting an increase in conservation awareness. The GBR continues to be a highly regarded dive destination, with divers perceiving positive effects of protection within MPAs. However, declines in the abundance of large fish and sharks and rays were occasionally reported throughout the 53 year period. Collectively, these types of data can show changes in resource-use patterns, perceptions and attitudes and provide information that supplements scientific monitoring data. These data may be valuable where scientific data is scarce, historical records difficult to obtain, and where attitudinal change can significantly affect future resource use.

Interactions of productivity, predation risk, and fishing effort in the efficacy of marine protected areas for the central Pacific

2005 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
pp. 1320-1336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven J.D. Martell ◽  
Timothy E Essington ◽  
Bob Lessard ◽  
James F Kitchell ◽  
Carl J Walters ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Predation Risk ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Central Pacific ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Catch Statistics

Ecospace biomass-dynamics models for the central North Pacific predict strong space-time variation in abundances of various trophic groups in relation to nutrient-driven patterns in primary production and circulation-driven concentration of production in convergence areas. The model predicts simple patterns in ecosystem organization and abundances along productivity gradients. Predicted patterns are robust to alternative assumptions about how mobile organisms may alter dispersal behavior in relation to local fitness (per capita gain from net food intake minus predation mortality). Large marine protected areas (MPAs) would be needed to rebuild endangered populations and counter impacts of growing fishing effort. We expected that increases in dispersal rate in response to lower food availability and higher predation risk would reduce efficacy of MPAs as a management tool. Instead, simulations indicated that this negative effect may generally be eliminated or even reversed by positive effects of fitness-maximizing behaviors. Interannual variability in ocean circulation can further reduce the efficacy of MPAs; therefore, the dynamic nature of pelagic environments should also be considered in MPA design. Anomalies in ocean circulation may shift productive areas relative to MPA location, resulting in increased fishing mortality and (or) misinterpretation of catch statistics.

scholarly journals The effect of protection and wave-exposure of two marine protected areas have opposite trends on macroalgae invasiveness.

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreu Blanco Cartagena ◽  
Jesús Souza Troncoso ◽  
Celia Olabarria ◽  
Marco Filipe Loureiro Lemos
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Wave Exposure ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Grateloupia Turuturu ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Marine Invasions ◽  
Marine Invasive Species

Negative impacts of marine invasions include loss of genetic diversity, ecosystem functions/processes, and/or community structure and, consequently, a threat to global biodiversity through biotic homogenization. Recent studies indicate that invasive macroalgae make up a significant proportion of marine invasive species. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been proved to have positive effects on marine biodiversity conservation; however, their role in preventing biological invasions, especially macroalgae, is still poorly understood. In this context, we studied the effects of protection and wave exposure on the abundance of six invasive macroalgae (Grateloupia turuturu, Asparagopsis armata, Colpomenia peregrina, Sargassum muticum, Undaria pinnatifida, and Codium fragile ssp. fragile) at two MPAs of the western Iberian Peninsula, one located along the Spanish coast (Illas Atlánticas) and the other on the Portuguese coast (Berlangas). The results showed opposite effects of protection and wave-exposure at the two MPAs. Greater biomass of invasive macroalgae was found at semiexposed areas outside the reserve in the Spanish MPA, whereas in the Portuguese reserve, biomass (especially of A. armata) was significantly greater inside the reserve, mainly at semiexposed sites. These differences highlight the importance of understanding the functioning of reserves to apply proper conservation management policies in order to preserve the MPAs resilience.

Marine Protected Areas: reserve effect or natural variability? The Patagonian octopus case

2012 ◽  
Vol 93 (1) ◽  
pp. 259-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorena P. Storero ◽  
Maite A. Narvarte ◽  
Raúl A. González
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
San Antonio ◽  
Natural Variability ◽  
Population Characteristics ◽  
Fishing Ground ◽  
Frequency Distributions ◽  
Intertidal Zones ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Traditional Fishing

Population characteristics can be influenced by specific factors of the habitat and the natural variability of populations can confuse the effect related to protected environments. This study compares the demographic characteristics of Octopus tehuelchus in three coastal environments: two Marine Protected Areas (San Antonio Bay (SAB) and Islote Lobos (IL)) and a traditional fishing zone (El Fuerte (EF)). Weight–frequency distributions, sex-ratio and recruitment were monthly compared between the three intertidal zones. Octopus tehuelchus was smaller in IL, where fishing intensity is lower or null, and reached the largest sizes in the main fishing area of EF and within SAB (where there is no regulation and a mid–high fishing intensity). The sex proportion in SAB and EF was 1:1 all along the year. Although the proportion of mature females in IL was higher, the highest recruitment was observed in EF (the traditional fishing ground). These new data suggest that previous studies, which reported that Marine Protected Areas have positive effects for O. tehuelchus populations, can no longer be supported, and highlight the importance of understanding and quantifying the magnitude and range of natural variability in each environment when assessing the effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas.

Limited effects of marine protected areas on the distribution of invasive species, despite positive effects on diversity in shallow-water marine communities

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 1169-1179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Cacabelos ◽  
Gustavo M. Martins ◽  
João Faria ◽  
Afonso C. L. Prestes ◽  
Tarso Costa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Shallow Water ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Marine Communities ◽  
Positive Effects

scholarly journals The effect of protection and wave-exposure of two marine protected areas have opposite trends on macroalgae invasiveness.

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreu Blanco Cartagena ◽  
Jesús Souza Troncoso ◽  
Celia Olabarria ◽  
Marco Filipe Loureiro Lemos
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Wave Exposure ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Grateloupia Turuturu ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Marine Invasions ◽  
Marine Invasive Species

Negative impacts of marine invasions include loss of genetic diversity, ecosystem functions/processes, and/or community structure and, consequently, a threat to global biodiversity through biotic homogenization. Recent studies indicate that invasive macroalgae make up a significant proportion of marine invasive species. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been proved to have positive effects on marine biodiversity conservation; however, their role in preventing biological invasions, especially macroalgae, is still poorly understood. In this context, we studied the effects of protection and wave exposure on the abundance of six invasive macroalgae (Grateloupia turuturu, Asparagopsis armata, Colpomenia peregrina, Sargassum muticum, Undaria pinnatifida, and Codium fragile ssp. fragile) at two MPAs of the western Iberian Peninsula, one located along the Spanish coast (Illas Atlánticas) and the other on the Portuguese coast (Berlangas). The results showed opposite effects of protection and wave-exposure at the two MPAs. Greater biomass of invasive macroalgae was found at semiexposed areas outside the reserve in the Spanish MPA, whereas in the Portuguese reserve, biomass (especially of A. armata) was significantly greater inside the reserve, mainly at semiexposed sites. These differences highlight the importance of understanding the functioning of reserves to apply proper conservation management policies in order to preserve the MPAs resilience.

Characterising essential breeding habitat for whales informs the development of large-scale Marine Protected Areas in the South Pacific

2016 ◽  
Vol 548 ◽  
pp. 263-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
RE Lindsay ◽  
R Constantine ◽  
J Robbins ◽  
DK Mattila ◽  
A Tagarino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
Breeding Habitat ◽  
The South
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