Marine Connectivity Conservation Rules of Thumb for MPA and MPA Network Design

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Lausche ◽  
Aaron Laur ◽  
Mary Collins
Keyword(s):  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Marine Conservation ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Effective Management ◽  
Protective Measures ◽  
Science And Policy ◽  
Policy Issues ◽  
Marine Connectivity ◽  
Rules Of Thumb ◽  
Diversity Of Science

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are widely used as place-based protective measures for restoring and safeguarding marine biodiversity. When ecological connectivity is taken into account during design and management, the results can lead to more effective and resilient MPAs and MPA networks. This publication provides 13 ‘Rules of Thumb’ to support more consistent efforts by MPA managers and marine conservation professionals to implement connectivity conservation and better measure progress towards global conservation targets. These purpose-built tools are intended to inform more effective management and protection of oceans and coasts by covering a diversity of science and policy issues. They can also be used to progress system-based marine conservation as an essential component of national, transboundary, and global policies that establish greater connectivity across borders and at larger scales.

scholarly journals Comparing the Performance of Four Very Large Marine Protected Areas with Different Levels of Protection

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 9572
Author(s):  
Veronica Relano ◽  
Maria Lourdes Deng Palomares ◽  
Daniel Pauly
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
New Caledonia ◽  
Marine Conservation ◽  
Coast Guard ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Fishing The Line ◽  
Different Levels

In the last decades, several targets for marine conservation were set to counter the effects of increasing fishing pressure, e.g., protecting 10% of the sea by 2020, and establishing large-scale marine protected areas (LSMPAs). Using the ‘reconstructed’ catch data for 1950 to 2018 made available by the Sea Around Us initiative, we show that the declaration of an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in 1983 by the U.S.A. and its protection by the U.S. Coast Guard had a much bigger impact on catches around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands than the subsequent creation of a LSMPA. This is similar to Pitcairn Islands, a UK territory. Trends differed sharply in the Galapagos and New Caledonia, where neither their EEZ declaration nor the LSMPA (by Ecuador in 1988 and by France in 2014) stopped local fisheries from continuous expansion. Our results also demonstrate that in the studied multizone LSMPAs continued local fishing induces a ‘fishing down’ effect wherein the mean trophic level (TL) declined, especially in the Galapagos, by 0.1 TL per decade. Stakeholders’ responses to a short questionnaire and satellite imagery lent support to these results in that they documented substantial fishing operations and ‘fishing the line’ within and around multizone LSMPAs. In the case of EEZs around less populated or unpopulated islands, banning foreign fishing may reduce catch much more than a subsequent LSMPA declaration. This confirms that EEZs are a tool for coastal countries to protect their marine biodiversity and that allowing fishing in an MPA, while politically convenient, may result in ‘paper parks’ within which fishing can cause the same deleterious effects as in wholly unprotected areas.

scholarly journals Co-Management as a Successful Strategy for Marine Conservation

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 491
Author(s):  
William Voorberg ◽  
Reinout Van der Veer
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Coral Bleaching ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Marine Conservation ◽  
Fish Populations ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Combining Data ◽  
Governmental Support ◽  
Governmental Strategy

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a primary tool for conserving marine biodiversity. The literature presents a scattered picture regarding the extent to which co-management can be considered valuable. In this study we examine, what conditions are for co-management to make a contribution to conserving marine ecosystems (e.g., stopping coral bleaching and safeguarding fish populations). By combining data on MPA management practices with a novel source of global biodata collected by citizens (ReefCheck), we demonstrate that if co-management is part of a formal governmental strategy, coral reefs show up to 86% fewer bleached colonies and up to 12.2 times larger fish populations than co-managed MPAs lacking formalized governmental support.

Boundary Objects and Global Consensus: Scalar Narratives of Marine Conservation in the Convention on Biological Diversity

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 64-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noella J. Gray ◽  
Rebecca L. Gruby ◽  
Lisa M. Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Boundary Objects ◽  
Marine Conservation ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Global Consensus ◽  
Governance Processes

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) continues to promote marine protected areas (MPAs) as a preferred tool for marine biodiversity conservation, in spite of concerns over their effectiveness and equity. However, explanations for this consensus on the utility of MPAs focus primarily on their measurability and ignore the ways in which they are conceptualized through ongoing governance processes. Drawing on the results of collaborative event ethnography at the Tenth Conference of the Parties to the CBD, this paper adopts the concepts of boundary objects and scalar narratives to analyze the ways in which consensus on MPAs is produced, in spite of conflicting understandings of MPA forms and functions. Both a local narrative of participatory MPAs and a global narrative of science driven high seas conservation articulate a regional scale as ideal for MPA governance, although with different priorities. Ultimately, consensus at the CBD is enabled only by accommodating competing visions of MPAs.

scholarly journals The use of connectivity in the design of networks of marine protected areas

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arieanna C Balbar ◽  
Anna Metaxas
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Conservation Planning ◽  
Marine Conservation ◽  
Population Connectivity ◽  
Conservation Strategy ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Spatial Conservation Planning ◽  
Ecological Conservation

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are an area-based conservation strategy commonly used to safeguard marine biodiversity and ecosystem services. Population connectivity governs the exchange of individuals among spatially fragmented habitats and is an essential criterion in the design of MPAs. However, detailed computational methods for connectivity are inconsistently applied in management decisions. We reviewed the scientific and management literature to explore the use of connectivity in MPAs located in countries with advanced marine spatial planning. Only 7.8% of 739 MPAs considered connectivity as an ecological criterion, although it has been increasingly used since 2007, suggesting progress in spatial conservation planning towards the use of ecological conservation objectives. In most cases, connectivity was measured implicitly using either rules of thumb or size and spacing guidelines. Of the MPAs that considered connectivity, 67% were for state marine conservation areas or reserves in California and commonwealth marine reserves in Australia. This pattern indicates substantial geographic biases and significant differences in conservation planning and prioritization among countries. We suggest that the incorporation of connectivity in conservation planning needs to become more accessible to practitioners. Prioritizing connectivity as an ecologically important criterion in MPA design will more adequately address metapopulation persistence and recovery.

scholarly journals A new approach to selecting Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Southern Ocean

2007 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 189-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Harris ◽  
Marcus Haward ◽  
Julia Jabour ◽  
Eric J. Woehler
Keyword(s):  
Southern Ocean ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Marine Environment ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Critical Issue ◽  
Marine Conservation ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
High Conservation ◽  
High Seas

AbstractConservation of the high seas marine environment poses a significant challenge to policy-makers and managers. Marine conservation efforts are often hindered by the lack of data and the difficulties in addressing multiple, and typically conflicting uses. The majority of extant Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are in coastal or tropical regions within national jurisdiction. Conservation of high seas MPAs has emerged on the international agenda as a critical issue requiring the application of novel approaches, international cooperation and political will. Knowledge and understanding of the marine environment and data on marine biodiversity are all typically limited for the high seas, and the use of surrogates to assist in the identification of areas of high conservation value is one possible mechanism to address and potentially overcome these limitations. Drawing upon a database spanning more than 20 years and containing approximately 140 000 records of seabird sightings at sea, this study assesses the potential use of seabirds as surrogates for marine biodiversity in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean. At-sea ranges, species diversity and the distributions of endangered species may be appropriate selectors or filters to identify areas with high conservation values. Integrating policy with science provides an appropriate mechanism to identify and prioritise MPAs in the Southern Ocean.

Marine Protected Areas beyond National Jurisdiction: Some Practical Perspectives for Moving Ahead

2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 351-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina M. Gjerde ◽  
Anna Rulska-Domino
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Marine Conservation ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
National Jurisdiction ◽  
Political Commitments ◽  
High Seas

Abstract Despite strong legal duties and political commitments for marine conservation and ecosystem-based management, biodiversity in the high seas and the Area (jointly referred to as areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ)) is under increasing threat. One important tool for enhancing conservation and multi-sectoral cooperation is the establishment and maintenance of representative networks of marine protected areas (MPAs). This commentary reviews potential avenues for accelerating progress towards representative MPA networks as part of a larger-scale effort towards improving the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction. It builds on the report by Petra Drankier, Marine Protected Areas in Areas beyond National Jurisdiction, Report on Research Question 2 of the Study on ‘Biological Diversity and Governance of the High Seas’ (2011), which describes the applicable global and regional conventions by discussing the strengths and weaknesses of proposed avenues for progress, including a possible multilateral agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOSC). The commentary concludes with some observations for a pragmatic path ahead.

scholarly journals The use of connectivity in the design of networks of marine protected areas

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arieanna C Balbar ◽  
Anna Metaxas
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Conservation Planning ◽  
Marine Conservation ◽  
Population Connectivity ◽  
Conservation Strategy ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Spatial Conservation Planning ◽  
Ecological Conservation

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are an area-based conservation strategy commonly used to safeguard marine biodiversity and ecosystem services. Population connectivity governs the exchange of individuals among spatially fragmented habitats and is an essential criterion in the design of MPAs. However, detailed computational methods for connectivity are inconsistently applied in management decisions. We reviewed the scientific and management literature to explore the use of connectivity in MPAs located in countries with advanced marine spatial planning. Only 7.8% of 739 MPAs considered connectivity as an ecological criterion, although it has been increasingly used since 2007, suggesting progress in spatial conservation planning towards the use of ecological conservation objectives. In most cases, connectivity was measured implicitly using either rules of thumb or size and spacing guidelines. Of the MPAs that considered connectivity, 67% were for state marine conservation areas or reserves in California and commonwealth marine reserves in Australia. This pattern indicates substantial geographic biases and significant differences in conservation planning and prioritization among countries. We suggest that the incorporation of connectivity in conservation planning needs to become more accessible to practitioners. Prioritizing connectivity as an ecologically important criterion in MPA design will more adequately address metapopulation persistence and recovery.

scholarly journals CONTRIBUIÇÕES DAS ÁREAS MARINHAS PROTEGIDAS PARA A CONSERVAÇÃO E A GESTÃO DO AMBIENTE MARINHO

2003 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jérôme FOURNIER ◽  
Andrea De CASTRO PANIZZA
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Marine Environment ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Natural Environment ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
The Third ◽  
Conservation And Management ◽  
Reserve Effect

Este artigo apresenta os diferentes aspectos da proteção do ambiente litorâneo abordando três pontos essenciais. O primeiro evoca a instalação de áreas marinhas protegidas (AMP) em um contexto socioeconômico e político, destacando seu funcionamento e a noção de “ efeito reserva”. O segundo mostra a importância das AMP na proteção da biodiversidade marinha. Finalmente, o terceiro ponto exemplifica a avaliação do meio natural e aborda, de maneira geral, o valor econômico das espécies e da “Natureza” na ocorrência de degradação. Contributions of the marine protected areas for the conservation and management of the marine environment Abstract This article presents the various aspects of the littoral environmental protection by approaching three important points. The first evokes the installation of the marine surfaces protected in a socio-economic and political context. The operation of the reserves and the concept of “ reserve effect “ are explained. The second explains the interest of MPA to protect the marine biodiversity. Lastly, the third point shows the evaluation of the natural environment and more generally of the economic value of the species and “Nature” in the event of degradation.

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