Utilizing benthic habitat maps to inform biodiversity monitoring in marine protected areas

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Revisiting UK Marine Protected Areas governance: A case study of a collaborative approach to managing an English MPA

1. Case studies of Marine Protected Area (MPA) upscaling were solicited from participants of a workshop at the International Marine Protected Areas Conference held in Autumn 2013 in Marseille.
2. One such case study was Solandt, Jones, Duval‐Diop, Kleiven, and Frangoudes (2014; Governance challenges in scaling up from individual MPAs to MPA networks. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 24, 145–152) which illustrated the role of science, non‐governmental organizations, government and local regulators in applying systemic management measures for local MPAs based on risk, highlighting the importance of balancing top‐down and bottom‐up drivers.
3. Here we follow up on the UK example, illustrating the incentives and actors involved in developing centralized and subsequent fisheries management measures in UK waters. Forty local laws were created to protect features in 143 inshore MPAs between 2013 and 2019.
4. We illustrate best practice in delivering management, focusing on multiple practitioner involvement in a single MPA and the monitoring put in place after trawling and dredging were banned.
5. We reflect on how the governance mechanisms in place in English inshore waters can be used as a template to allow for progressive MPA management in other coastal states.

     

Management effectiveness in marine protected areas for conservation of Antillean manatees on the eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula,Mexico

1. This study evaluated management effectiveness in three marine protected areas (MPAs) for conservation of the Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus Linnaeus 1758), located on the eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. The MPAs evaluated were the Yum‐Balam Flora and Fauna Reserve, Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, and Chetumal Bay Manatee Sanctuary. The extent of the traditional, popular, and scientific manatee knowledge and research were assessed, as well as the prescribed conservation management actions, relevant stakeholders, and the degree of inclusion of manatee species in the management schemes of these MPAs.
2. Four general criteria, 12 specific criteria, and 62 indicators were developed. In total, 199 interviews were completed in seven communities of the MPAs in order to determine the perception of the social, economic, and conservation impacts of the manatee and its management.
3. Although the evaluated MPAs were not wholly comparable among themselves due to their different management categories and schemes, administration, socio‐economic context, and the dynamics and conflicts encountered, a comparison was conducted using standardized criteria and a categorical scale in order to evaluate the level of effectiveness of each MPA.
4. The MPA with the highest management effectiveness in manatee conservation was found to be the Chetumal Bay, with an effectiveness classed as good (71%), followed by Sian Ka'an with intermediate effectiveness (53%) and Yum‐Balam, also with intermediate effectiveness (43%).
5. The relationships between the key stakeholders of the three MPAs and economic activities such as fishing and tourism are the factors that most influence the effectiveness of management for manatee conservation.

     

Policy analysis of the ‘MPA‐process’ in temperate continental shelf areas

• 1. The decision to designate, implement and manage marine protected areas (MPAs) is often made ad hoc without clear guiding procedures. This study evaluates the process of establishment and management of MPAs in temperate soft‐bottom marine areas, including identification of objectives, site selection, designation, implementation, ecological effectiveness and socio‐economic impacts.
• 2. For the first time, literature about marine conservation strategies in soft‐bottom temperate areas is brought together in one ‘systems approach’, which is visualized in a flow chart including three phases: setting policy objectives, making decisions and evaluating the eventual effects of the MPA. Policy objectives are generally easy to identify and in most cases national policy objectives are driven by international and regional legal obligations. The decision making process is the most complex phase, as the acceptance of MPAs has to be balanced against the human activities that take place in the area.
• 3. The relation between fisheries and MPA‐management appears to be most challenging in soft‐bottom temperate marine areas because of conflicting interests and institutional differences. Activities limited in space and not relying directly on ecosystem functions (e.g. offshore energy production and aggregate extraction) are generally easier to manage than fisheries.
• 4. The conceptual mapping exercise presented here serves as a basis for a systems approach for MPAs and has been tested for the Belgian coastal environment. In the Belgian ‘MPA‐process’, the application of the systems approach proves to be useful in providing insight into the complex interactions of various authorities with scattered jurisdictions.
• 5. The unified and simplified representation of the various aspects is (1) a useful communication tool for policy makers and managers to inform other sectors and the public at large and (2) a valuable support during the ‘MPA‐process’ that considerably enhances the prospects for success.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Advances and challenges in marine conservation in Chile: A regional and global comparison

1. Despite significant progress made in Chile, and globally, in establishing marine protected areas (MPAs), the actual contribution to marine biodiversity conservation needs to be revised, to focus on representativeness and the diversity of tools alongside effective implementation, management, and enforcement.
2. This study makes progress in this direction, describing the most recent advances in marine conservation in Chile and analysing the contribution of the different conservation instruments as well as the distribution of designated areas across ecoregions. Furthermore, it examines the potential contribution of alternative area-based instruments to balance ocean protection. The advances observed in Chile were compared among four South American countries and five leading countries in ocean conservation, analysing protection levels in coastal areas, continental exclusive economic zones, and overseas territories.
3. Data on MPA boundaries and attributes were sourced from the World Database on Protected Areas and complemented the official information on MPAs and territorial user rights for fisheries and for indigenous people in South America.
4. The current level of protection in Chile is among the highest in the world in area coverage and in the proportion of the continental exclusive economic zone assigned to fully protected areas. However, it exhibits the strongest imbalances in the distribution of designated MPAs between coastal and oceanic waters, in comparison with the leading countries and also within South America (Perú, Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay), and among ecoregions.
5. The patterns observed suggest that Chile has advanced, but concentrated, conservation efforts in low-threat, remote ecoregions. There is an urgent need to progress towards high-threat ecoregions, which implies balancing the needs of nature and people. The distribution of ancillary conservation instruments can help double the level of protection in threatened coastal areas, filling gaps in marine conservation and creating an opportunity to progress and diversify conservation strategies.

     

Evaluating the efficacy of small‐scale marine protected areas for preserving reef health: A case study applying emerging monitoring technology

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Benthic habitat modelling and mapping as a conservation tool for marine protected areas: A seamount in the western Mediterranean

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Actual status of the sea urchin Diadema aff. antillarum populations and macroalgal cover in marine protected areas compared to a highly fished area (Canary Islands—eastern Atlantic Ocean)

• 1. The aim was to determine the status of subtidal rocky benthic assemblages in three marine protected areas (MPAs) of the Canary Islands: (1) La Graciosa; (2) Mar de Las Calmas; (3) La Palma. Sea urchin (Diadema aff. antillarum) populations and non‐crustose macroalgal cover were surveyed, and used as an indicator of conservation status in the three MPAs as well as in a highly fished area (HFA‐Tenerife Island).
• 2. Comparing characteristics between each MPA and the HFA, and considering issues of management and design, it was concluded that the three MPAs each have a different conservation status. ‘Mar de Las Calmas’ marine reserve was found to have the most desirable conservation status, followed by ‘La Palma’ marine reserve based on sea urchin populations and non‐crustose macroalgae assemblages.
• 3. Conversely, ‘La Graciosa’ had the highest density of D. aff. antillarum and the lowest cover of non‐crustose macroalgae out of the three MPAs. Values were comparable to those at the HFA, which shows ‘La Graciosa’ to have the undesired conservation status.
• 4. Different spatial distribution patterns of non‐crustose macroalgal as well as different algal composition cover were observed between the three MPAs and the HFA. These differences were principally attributed to the intensity of grazing activity of the key herbivore D. aff. antillarum. It is suggested that the different study areas correspond to different phase shifts that imply differing resilience of systems that should be taken into a count in future conservation strategies.

Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Requirements for marine protected areas to conserve the biodiversity of rocky reef fishes

• 1. This study describes spatial patterns in the biodiversity (species, assemblages) of rocky reef fishes at a spatial scale relevant to management, and compared the outcomes for this biodiversity from alternative procedures for selecting marine protected areas (MPAs) and from the selection of MPAs for fisheries‐related objectives.
• 2. The study area included 104 species in two assemblage types; 36 species and 14 species occurred only in one or two locations respectively.
• 3. MPAs selected by hotspot richness, greedy richness complementarity, and summed irreplaceability included similar percentages of species and significantly more species than randomly selected MPAs. A combined species‐assemblage selection ensured representation of assemblage diversity. Representation of all species and assemblage types required 92% of locations.
• 4. MPAs chosen using density of all fishes or density of exploitable fishes as selection criteria included fewer species (than MPAs selected using species identity) and the percentage of species accumulated did not differ from a random selection.
• 5. Use of an established MPA as the seed for an expanded network was inefficient, leading to additional locations being required and an accumulation of species that did not differ from a random selection.
• 6. The smallest MPA network that fulfilled multiple management objectives (representation of assemblage diversity and majority of species, population viability, support for fisheries, connectivity) required 30% of the surveyed locations.
• 7. This study concluded that: MPAs selected without the benefit of data on intra‐habitat variation in species assemblages will be unrepresentative; the upper range of currently promoted targets for MPA establishment (i.e. 30%) should be regarded as a minimum for biodiversity conservation; MPAs selected for fisheries‐related reasons may not provide expected benefits for the remainder of the fish assemblage.

Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ecological coherence of Marine Protected Areas: New tools applied to the Baltic Sea network

1. Spatial connectivity is an essential process to consider in the design and assessment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). To help maintain and restore marine populations and communities MPAs should form ecologically coherent networks. How to estimate and implement connectivity in MPA design remains a challenge.
2. Here a new theoretical framework is presented based on biophysical modelling of organism dispersal, combined with a suite of tools to assess different aspects of connectivity that can be integrated in MPA design. As a demonstration, these tools are applied to an MPA network in the Baltic Sea (HELCOM MPA).
3. The tools are based on the connectivity matrix, which summarizes dispersal probabilities, averaged over many years, between all considered areas in the geographic target area. The biophysical model used to estimate connectivity included important biological traits that affect dispersal patterns where different trait combinations and habitat preferences will produce specific connectivity matrices representing different species.
4. Modelled connectivity matrices were used to assess local retention within individual MPAs, which offers indications about the adequacy of size when MPAs are considered in isolation. The connectivity matrix also provides information about source areas to individual MPAs, e.g. sources of larvae or pressures such as contaminants. How well several MPAs act as a network was assessed within a framework of eigenvalue perturbation theory (EPT). With EPT, the optimal MPA network with respect to connectivity can be identified. In addition, EPT can suggest optimal extensions of existing MPA networks to enhance connectivity. Finally, dispersal barriers can be identified based on the connectivity matrix, which may suggest boundaries for management units.
5. The assessment of connectivity for the HELCOM MPA are discussed in terms of possible improvements, but the tools presented here could be applied to any region.

     

Integrating social network development into marine protected area management capacity building and institutionalization in the Philippines and Indonesia

1. comprehensive needs assessment;
2. strong collaborative partnerships for programme delivery;
3. clear learning objectives and intended long‐term results; and
4. strong and sustained political will at the local, national, and regional scales.
5. Each MPA site, region, and capacity‐building programme is unique in structure and content, yet what all programmes have in common is that they build on the principles of trust and community building to create a locally relevant format and framework for the network to flourish.

     

Bio‐physical models of marine environments reveal biases in the representation of protected areas

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Characteristics of effective marine protected areas in Hawaiʻi

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Remote monitoring of a deep‐sea marine protected area: The Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents

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Differences in benthic cover inside and outside marine protected areas on the Great Barrier Reef: influence of protection or disturbance history?

• 1. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are being used increasingly to manage and protect marine resources. Most studies of MPAs have focused on fish. In this study, the influence of MPA protection on coral reef benthic organisms on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) was investigated. In addition, the interaction between protection and natural disturbance history was examined.
• 2. Differences in benthic cover inside and outside MPAs were assessed at 15 pairs of Protected and General Use reefs on the GBR using annual monitoring data from the Australian Institute of Marine Science's Long‐Term Monitoring Programme (LTMP). At each reef, benthic cover was determined using a benthic video survey at three sites, with each site consisting of five 50 m transect lines separated by at least 250 m running parallel to the reef crest at 6–9 m depth.
• 3. Benthic cover was related to both protection status and disturbance history, but natural perturbations exerted a stronger influence on benthic cover than did protection status. The influence of natural perturbation was most noticeable for hard coral.
• 4. Most reefs where no natural disturbance events had occurred (‘undisturbed reefs’) had higher hard coral cover and lower soft coral cover than General Use reefs. While the high levels of hard coral on Protected reefs may be a result of protection status, it might also have resulted from selection bias that occurred during the initial zoning of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (i.e. managers may have given protection status to reefs with high coral cover).
• 5. These results are likely influenced by the relatively low intensity of human use, both on the Great Barrier Reef in general and at the particular monitoring sites studied. Over time, as local populations and tourism increase, the effect of protection may become more evident at LTMP sites. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

     

Securing effective and equitable coverage of marine protected areas: The UK's progress towards achieving Convention on Biological Diversity commitments and lessons learned for the way forward

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Improving assessments of marine protected areas

• 1. The use of experimental design and statistical analysis to evaluate the effects of marine protected areas (MPAs) is increasingly popular throughout the world.
• 2. However, in looking at historical approaches to MPA evaluations, flaws were identified in the execution of theoretically correct designs, as well as disconnects between the stated objectives of MPAs and those of assessment studies.
• 3. MPA assessments can be improved by: (1) considering the enforcement/compliance level; (2) linking explicitly the choice of indicator(s) to the MPA objectives; (3) accounting for habitat structure; (4) taking into account the age and size of the MPA; and (5) quantifying the fishing pressure outside the MPA (including possible displacement effects).
• 4. Neglecting social factors, using inappropriate indicators, and/or ignoring relevant covariates, carries the risk of having MPAs dismissed as an effective management tool. Societal expectations are strong that MPAs will confer benefits, and thus assessment studies need to be progressively improved using new methodologies and the best available scientific evidence. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

     

Developing a marine protected area network with multiple objectives in China

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Modelling the effects of reserve size and fishing mortality for Caribbean queen conch Strombus gigas

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