Toward the conservation and management of Sedlo Seamount: A case study     

《Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography》2009,56(25):2720-2730

Seamount-associated communities and ecosystems have proven to be highly vulnerable to the impact of human activities. Globally, seamount and cold-water coral habitats and species, which often go along with each other, are considered a priority for developing conservation and sustainable management measures within and beyond national jurisdiction. Seamounts may be good candidates for site-based management such as by means of marine protected areas (MPAs), due to their singularity and isolation. In the north-east Atlantic, so far, there are only two seamounts managed as marine protected areas, both in the waters of the Azores, and several others as closed areas to fisheries by Northeast Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC).This paper describes, using the example of Sedlo Seamount, the development of a framework for the management of activities and interests of a potential offshore marine protected area. The work is based on the scientific results of the OASIS project and on input from various stakeholders, including fishery organizations, government and scientists. It reviews the current state of the site in terms of natural setting, existing uses and potential threats and proposes boundaries and regulations with the overall goal to manage human activities around Sedlo in a way that protects its ecosystem function and biodiversity, and its significance as a rather unexploited example of a seamount within a network of marine protected areas in the NE Atlantic. The resulting proposed management plan is a fundamental prerequisite to the establishment of the Sedlo Seamount as an offshore MPA, contributing to the OSPAR network of MPAs in the north-east Atlantic.  相似文献   

The impact of OSPAR on protected area management beyond national jurisdiction: Effective regional cooperation or a network of paper parks?     

《Marine Policy》2014

Various international treaty bodies and non-governmental organisations continuously urge States to establish a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction (ABNJ). Although this goal is far from being reached, the OSPAR Convention may serve as an example illustrating the efforts made on a regional level for the North-East Atlantic. However, these efforts to effectively protect the marine environment are subject to limitations under the Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Likewise, the OSPAR Convention itself restricts the scope of such protected areas. The OSPAR Convention does not adequately cover all human uses of the oceans that may interfere with a protected area, and it lacks opportunities for internationalised enforcement measures. Consequently, the responsibility for effective conservation measures under the OSPAR model ultimately remains with individual Contracting Parties, i.e. their commitment to set stricter standards and to agree on their enforcement. Nevertheless, ‘soft’ obligations such as reporting duties are suitable for collecting data on the need for protection and utilisation of the MPAs. Additionally, cooperation with regional fisheries management bodies allows for better protection of the living resources in these areas. Finally, OSPAR MPAs can draw attention to particularly vulnerable ecosystems and promote conservation standards and measures such as those developed under the auspices of the FAO.  相似文献   

The science of European marine reserves: Status,efficacy, and future needs     

Phillip B. Fenberg  Jennifer E. Caselle  Joachim Claudet  Michaela Clemence  Steven D. Gaines  Jose Antonio García-Charton  Emanuel J. Gonçalves  Kirsten Grorud-Colvert  Paolo Guidetti  Stuart R. Jenkins  Peter J.S. Jones  Sarah E. Lester  Rob McAllen  Even Moland  Serge Planes  Thomas K. Sørensen 《Marine Policy》2012

The ecologically and socio-economically important marine ecosystems of Europe are facing severe threats from a variety of human impacts. To mitigate and potentially reverse some of these impacts, the European Union (EU) has mandated the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) in order to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) in EU waters by 2020. The primary initiative for achieving GES is the implementation of coherent networks of marine protected areas (MPAs). Marine reserves are an important type of MPA in which no extraction is allowed, but their usefulness depends upon a number of ecological, management, and political factors. This paper provides a synthesis of the ecological effects of existing European marine reserves and the factors (social and ecological) underlying their effectiveness. Results show that existing European marine reserves foster significant positive increases in key biological variables (density, biomass, body size, and species richness) compared with areas receiving less protection, a pattern mirrored by marine reserves around the globe. For marine reserves to achieve their ecological and social goals, however, they must be designed, managed, and enforced properly. In addition, identifying whether protected areas are ecologically connected as a network, as well as where new MPAs should be established according to the MSFD, requires information on the connectivity of populations across large areas. The adoption of the MSFD demonstrates willingness to achieve the long-term protection of Europe's marine ecosystems, but whether the political will (local, regional, and continent wide) is strong enough to see its mandates through remains to be seen. Although the MSFD does not explicitly require marine reserves, an important step towards the protection of Europe's marine ecosystems is the establishment of marine reserves within wider-use MPAs as connected networks across large spatial scales.  相似文献   

Actions taken by fishing Nations towards identification and protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems in the high seas: The Spanish case (Atlantic Ocean)     

P. Durán Muñoz  M. Sayago-Gil  F.J. Murillo  J.L. Del Río  L.J. López-Abellán  M. Sacau  R. Sarralde 《Marine Policy》2012,36(2):536-543

In reply to the United Nations General Assembly Resolutions on sustainable fisheries, Spain, either by itself or in collaboration with other Nations, has been carrying out studies on vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) in the high seas of the Atlantic Ocean (areas beyond national jurisdictions) since 2005. Such studies provide advice to the Spanish Government, the Regional Fisheries Management Organizations and the European Union. This paper presents the multidisciplinary methodology used and summarises the following management results: (i) contribution to identification of cold-water corals and provision of evidence to close part (∼16,000 km²) of the Hatton Bank (NE Atlantic) to bottom fishing; (ii) compilation of an international data base to identify VMEs on the slopes of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, Flemish Pass, and Flemish Cap (NW Atlantic) and to redefine areas currently closed to fishing; (iii) improvement of knowledge about deepwater ecosystems on Walvis Ridge and adjacent seamounts (SE Atlantic) as a pilot project for implementation in this region; and (iv) identification of VMEs and closure of an area (∼41,300 km²) on the high seas of the SW Atlantic. Also discussed are progress and challenges related to identifying and protecting VMEs.  相似文献   

Global implementation of marine protected areas: Is the developing world being left behind?     

Sophie Marinesque  David M. Kaplan 《Marine Policy》2012,36(3):727-737

While the global network of marine protected areas (MPAs) has recently been evaluated in the light of bio-geographic targets, there has been no attempt to evaluate the relative conservation efforts made by the different nations with regards to their level of socio-economic development. Using information mostly gathered from the world database on protected areas (WDPA), this paper gives a comparative assessment of MPA progress in countries from different economic categories, ranging from advanced economies to least developed countries (LDCs). Potentially explanatory socio-economic and environmental factors, such as fishing activity and existence of vulnerable marine ecosystems, for variability between nations in the level of MPA implementation are also explored. Existing MPA databases demonstrate a clear gap between developed and developing nations in MPA establishment, with advanced economies accounting for two thirds of the global MPA network. Patterns of MPA use, however, remain extremely heterogeneous between countries within each development group. International agreements on marine conservation, above and beyond the influence of country socio-economic and environmental profiles, are identified as a stimulating factor to MPA implementation. The level dependence on marine resource extraction appears to impede MPA implementation, though the relationship is not statistically significant due to large heterogeneity among countries. Leading developed nations increasingly use MPAs to designate integrated and adaptive management areas, and implementation of large “no-take” reserves in relatively-pristine overseas areas continues to accelerate. These analyses highlight certain limitations regarding our ability to assess the true conservation effectiveness of the existing global MPA network and the need for improved indicators of MPA restrictions and management efforts.  相似文献   

Public willingness to pay for alternative management regimes of remote marine protected areas in the North Sea     

《Marine Policy》2016

Despite increasing attention paid to the value of marine resources, in particular marine protected areas (MPAs), their economic valuation focuses mainly on use values of ecosystem services such as fishery and tourism. Furthermore, most MPA related studies are carried out for coastal ecosystems, especially tropical coral reefs. The valuation of remote marine ecosystems is rare. The main objective of this paper is to estimate public willingness to pay (WTP) for alternative management regimes of a network of offshore MPAs in the North Sea under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). In a baseline valuation study carried out just before the adoption of the MSFD, beach visitors and a random sample of coastal and non-coastal residents were asked for their preferences for two alternative management options of three remote, ecologically sensitive areas with multiple use conflicts. Despite the lack of public awareness and familiarity with the offshore marine areas, a majority of 70% is willing to pay extra tax for their protection. Using a conservative value elicitation procedure, Dutch households are willing to pay on average maximum 0.25% of their annual disposable income to ban access and economic use. This serves as an indicator of what a network of remote MPAs in the MSFD is allowed to cost according to the Dutch tax payer.  相似文献   

Status of the marine protected area network across the English channel (La Manche): Cross-country similarities and differences in MPA designation,management and monitoring     

《Marine Policy》2015

Recent international policy developments require states to conserve at least 10% of coastal and marine areas by creating effectively managed and ecologically coherent networks of protected areas in the marine environment. In the framework of the PANACHE project, the current status of designation, management and monitoring of the network of marine protected areas (MPAs) of an important environmental, social and economic marine area: the English Channel (the Channel) was examined. Currently 224 MPAs exist belonging to 12 different designation categories and covering 17 440 km², or approximately 20.3% of the project area in the Channel. International protection targets in the marine environment are thus met at this regional scale, although the individual contributions of the UK and France are considerably different, with French MPAs accounting for nearly 80% of the total area protected. Differences between countries are also found regarding MPA designation categories (11 in France, 6 in the UK, 1 in the Channel Islands) and management structures (with more actors involved in the UK) and approach, whereas the monitoring techniques used are similar, although more standardised in the UK. Pending challenges include greater within-country and cross-country MPA designation, monitoring and management simplicity, integration and coordination as well as the assessment of management effectiveness and ecological coherence of the Channel network of MPAs.  相似文献   

黄东海间遗传连通性多物种案例分析与启示     

赵峰  王子涵  曹玲  曾聪 《海洋科学》2023,47(11):97-109

黄东海是太平洋重要的边缘海,拥有丰富的海洋生物多样性资源,但在气候变化及人类活动的双重胁迫下,黄东海面临生物多样性衰退等问题,亟需加强保护。保护区网络被认为可有效防止或减缓人类活动和气候变化对生物多样性的负面影响,但连通性作为保护区网络的重要参数却很难直接测量。因此,本研究希望通过梳理已发表的黄东海间遗传连通性文献来揭示黄东海区域内的保护区是否形成网络。通过搜集已发表的137篇文献,共获得175个研究案例。超过半数的案例(65.71%)认为黄东海之间具有显著的遗传分化,这也意味着跨生态区群体间具有较低的遗传连通性。在总结影响因素时发现长江冲淡水、生境异质性、空间距离、进化过程、生活史(较短的浮游幼体期)、洋流等6个因素阻碍了黄东海群体间的遗传连通性,而洋流、生活史(较长的浮游幼体期)等2个因素促进了遗传连通性。进一步分析发现黄东海群体间的遗传连通性与空间距离呈显著的负相关,而与浮游幼体期呈正相关。因此,根据本研究结果,建议未来保护区网络建设应针对黄、东海生态区分别构建网络,在网络设计时应考虑保护对象的扩散能力及保护区间的空间距离。本研究不仅为构建涵盖黄东海的海洋保护区网络提供理论基础,...  相似文献   

The role of international environmental instruments in enhancing transboundary marine protected areas: An approach in East Africa     

José Guerreiro  Aldo Chircop  David Dzidzornu  Catarina Grilo  Raquel Ribeiro  Rudy van der Elst  Ana Viras 《Marine Policy》2011

The increasing degradation of marine ecosystems has led to multiple calls for greater protection through the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs). If created at the ecosystem or ecoregion level, MPAs will likely straddle maritime boundaries and therefore necessitate international cooperation. International environmental law and international law of the sea may facilitate cooperation between States in creating transboundary MPAs. The extent to which this body of law is actually or potentially useful for the establishment of transboundary MPAs is examined in the context of the East African Marine Ecoregion, focusing on Mozambique, South Africa, and Tanzania. A general survey and assessment of the applicable global, regional, and bilateral instruments in relation to the three States is conducted. Although some global instruments are relevant in the East African context, regional and bilateral instruments are more conducive to the establishment of transboundary MPAs. The article concludes that although a trilateral agreement between Mozambique, South Africa, and Tanzania would be an ideal vehicle for the establishment of a transboundary network of MPAs addressing both national and ecoregional conservation interests, a separate solution at each border will be the first step towards this goal.  相似文献   

Developing a framework for displaced fishing effort programs in marine protected areas     

Sevaly Sen 《Marine Policy》2010

As marine protected areas (MPAs) continue to be established, measures to address displaced effort are likely to become increasingly relevant. Recent experiences of displaced fishing effort programs for MPAs and recreational fishing reserves in Australia, together with two examples from the United States, are described. A practical framework for addressing displaced fishing effort is developed, which explores the likely displaced-effort scenarios and options when planning spatial commercial fishing closures for an MPA.  相似文献   

High seas marine protected areas: Benthic environmental conservation priorities from a GIS analysis of global ocean biophysical data     

Peter T. Harris  Tanya Whiteway 《Ocean & Coastal Management》2009,52(1):22-38

Designing a representative network of high seas marine protected areas (MPAs) requires an acceptable scheme to classify the benthic (as well as the pelagic) bioregions of the oceans. Given the lack of sufficient biological information to accomplish this task, we used a multivariate statistical method with 6 biophysical variables (depth, seabed slope, sediment thickness, primary production, bottom water dissolved oxygen and bottom temperature) to objectively classify the ocean floor into 53,713 separate polygons comprising 11 different categories, that we have termed “seascapes”. A cross-check of the seascape classification was carried out by comparing the seascapes with existing maps of seafloor geomorphology and seabed sediment type and by GIS analysis of the number of separate polygons, polygon area and perimeter/area ratio. We conclude that seascapes, derived using a multivariate statistical approach, are biophysically meaningful subdivisions of the ocean floor and can be expected to contain different biological associations, in as much as different geomorphological units do the same. Less than 20% of some seascapes occur in the high seas while other seascapes are largely confined to the high seas, indicating specific types of environment whose protection and conservation will require international cooperation. Our study illustrates how the identification of potential sites for high seas marine protected areas can be accomplished by a simple GIS analysis of seafloor geomorphic and seascape classification maps. Using this approach, maps of seascape and geomorphic heterogeneity were generated in which heterogeneity hotspots identify themselves as MPA candidates. The use of computer-aided mapping tools removes subjectivity in the MPA design process and provides greater confidence to stakeholders that an unbiased result has been achieved.  相似文献   

Towards the 2012 marine protected area targets in Eastern Africa     

《Ocean & Coastal Management》2007,50(1-2):67-83

The 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity has set ambitious targets for the establishment and management of protected areas. For the oceans, the overall aim is to establish, by 2012, an effectively managed, representative, global system of marine protected areas (MPAs) covering 10% of all marine ecological regions, comprising both multiple use areas and strictly protected areas. An analysis of data for three countries in Eastern Africa, where considerable efforts to promote MPAs by many agencies have been made over the past decade, shows that rapid progress has been made towards achieving this target. Since the first MPAs were established in the 1960s and 1970s, 8.7% of the continental shelf in Kenya, 8.1% in Tanzania and 4.0% in Mozambique has been designated, with the size of recently protected sites markedly larger than earlier sites. Commitments to expand the MPA networks in these countries would, if implemented, largely achieve the 10% coverage target. The location of existing marine protected areas shows good correlation with known sites of high species diversity; and coral reefs and Important Bird Areas are well represented. Management effectiveness of MPAs is also improving. However, there are major constraints to meeting the MPA target in these countries. Many habitats and species are not yet fully represented, the area closed to fishing is less than the recommended 20–30%, and capacity building is needed to improve many aspects of management. Furthermore, despite considerable investment in monitoring of coral reefs and other coastal habitats, the data available do not show clearly whether biodiversity and socio-economic objectives are being met. Although East African countries need to be congratulated for their vision, the results thus far indicate the urgency of both improving monitoring systems for measuring progress towards the targets, and also taking further steps to expand and improve management of existing MPAs.  相似文献   

“Lessons for marine conservation planning: A comparison of three marine protected area planning processes”     

Michael Osmond  Satie Airame  Margaret Caldwell  Jon Day 《Ocean & Coastal Management》2010,53(2):41-51

Various approaches have been used to establish marine protected areas (MPAs) in different countries. In this paper we compare and review three processes to establish MPAs within the United States and Australia. These two countries share many similarities in their cultures, but their approaches to managing marine resources differ considerably. Each of these efforts to establish or review MPAs was motivated by concern about declines of targeted marine species or habitats. However, the government actions varied because of differences in governance, planning process including public input, and the role of science. Comparing these processes highlights effective approaches for protecting marine ecosystems and gaining public support.  相似文献   

The effect of contrasting threat mitigation objectives on spatial conservation priorities     

《Marine Policy》2016

The primary role of marine protected areas (MPAs) is marine conservation, however policy and practice around MPAs have not reflected this. The focus on cost-effectiveness by spatial conservation prioritization has led to a bias towards placing MPAs in areas that are least threatened. This study investigates how conservation priorities differ between two management strategies of either targeting or avoiding high threat areas for protection, using the case of the Sulu Sulawesi Seas in the Coral Triangle. For both strategies, the target of protecting 20% of habitat could not be achieved solely by protecting low threat areas. A high proportion of the region had large differences in conservation outcomes between the two strategies; majority of these areas were highly prioritized in the threat avoidance strategy but had low or zero importance in the threat selection strategy. Selecting for highly threatened areas required less habitat area to be protected to achieve the same conservation target and resulted in a more equitable distribution of priority sites per country and sub-region. This demonstrates the importance of deciding on the objectives of conservation and management policies up-front. The results suggest that, contrary to the common practice of avoiding threats in spatial planning, a threat selection strategy should be part of the management toolbox, particularly in transboundary planning for regions with high overall threat levels, where it may be important to achieve shared conservation targets equitably.  相似文献   

Marine protected areas in Puerto Rico: Historical and current perspectives   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Alfonso Aguilar-Perera  Michelle Schrer  Manuel Valds-Pizzini 《Ocean & Coastal Management》2006,49(12):961-975

In Puerto Rico, the environmental legislation for establishing marine protected areas (MPAs) is complex due to its current political position with the United States (US) as not only local but also federal US laws affect designations. Historically, during the Spanish rule, mangrove forests were protected for extractive reasons (i.e., charcoal) and the first protected area was established by 1918 as an Insular Forest. Currently, of the 37 MPAs recognized and investigated in this work, the vast majority (73%) are Natural Reserves, followed by Commonwealth Forests (13.5%). Most MPAs in Puerto Rico were implemented using a top-down approach (i.e., government) which follows US federal guidelines for protecting endangered species, critical habitats, and natural and cultural resources. The development of management plans for MPAs on the island is increasingly adopting a public participatory process. However, this latter process is new for the government of Puerto Rico that has not incorporated a policy based on an Integrated Coastal Management.  相似文献   

Mind the gap: Addressing the shortcomings of marine protected areas through large scale marine spatial planning   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Tundi Agardy  Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara  Patrick Christie 《Marine Policy》2011

A blind faith in the ability of MPAs to counteract loss of biodiversity is fraught with risk, especially when MPAs are poorly planned and when the consequences of establishing MPAs are not adequately thought out. MPA shortcomings are categorized as one of five main types: (1) MPAs that by virtue of their small size or poor design are ecologically insufficient; (2) inappropriately planned or managed MPAs; (3) MPAs that fail due to the degradation of the unprotected surrounding ecosystems; (4) MPAs that do more harm than good due to displacement and unintended consequences of management; and (5) MPAs that create a dangerous illusion of protection when in fact no protection is occurring. A strategic alternative, which fully utilizes the strengths of the MPA tool while avoiding the pitfalls, can overcome these shortcomings: integrating marine protected area planning in broader marine spatial planning and ocean zoning efforts.  相似文献   

‘Doing the right thing’: How social science can help foster pro-environmental behaviour change in marine protected areas     

《Marine Policy》2017

Managers of marine protected areas (MPAs) are constantly challenged to encourage positive user behaviour to minimise impacts on marine ecosystems while allowing recreational use. Yet, some marine users continue to act in ways that diminish conservation values of the area. Drawing on social psychological theories, this paper presents a case for informed behaviour change strategies to reduce problem behaviours in MPAs and contribute to conservation efforts. Social psychological drivers of behaviour are explained and applied to an MPA context to demonstrate how they can inform strategies for predicting and changing behaviour using persuasive communication. As behavioural and persuasive communication theories are seldom invoked and almost never rigorously applied to MPAs, the review offers new theoretical and practical insights into how they can assist MPA management to target and shift specific behaviours that ultimately support marine park values.  相似文献   

User fees as sustainable financing mechanisms for marine protected areas: An application to the Bonaire National Marine Park     

Steven M. Thur 《Marine Policy》2010

Marine protected areas (MPAs) have proliferated globally in the past three decades. However, inadequate funding often prevents these management regimes from fulfilling their missions. Managers have become increasingly aware that successful protection of marine ecosystems is dependent not only upon an understanding of their biological and physical processes, but also their associated social and economic aspects. Unfortunately, economic values associated with MPAs and the natural resources they protect are rarely considered in decision-making and policy development. This study addresses this information gap by examining scuba divers’ willingness to pay for access to quality recreational sites in the Bonaire National Marine Park, Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles. The findings indicate that the US$10 annual diver user fee in effect at the time of the study could be increased substantially without a significant adverse effect on island tourism. Depending on question format, mean willingness to pay for annual access ranged from US$61 to US$134 (2002$). All model specifications support the conclusion that doubling the US$10 user fee would have virtually no impact on visitation rates. The increased revenue generated from this sustainable financing mechanism is more than sufficient to fund both current and enhanced marine park operations.  相似文献   

Management priorities for seawater desalination plants in a marine protected area: A multi-criteria analysis     

《Marine Policy》2017

The development of seawater desalination plants to increase water reliability in coastal areas poses a threat to the health of near shore marine ecosystems and may affect the effectiveness of marine protected areas (MPAs) that have been established to meet international conservation targets. This paper applies a multi-criteria analysis approach to quantify stakeholder groups’ priorities for seawater desalination plants that have been proposed in communities adjacent to a National Marine Sanctuary. All groups placed the highest importance on minimizing environmental impacts on protected areas and endangered species that could be affected by water intake and brine discharge emphasizing the need for integrated land and sea conservation. Minimizing socio-economic impacts on coastal communities was much less important. Stakeholders also weighted reducing pressure on water levels in rivers, streams, and aquifers as more important than increasing water for residential consumption, which may foster coastal growth rather than replacing water taken from other sources. The study further revealed differences in the importance of multiple management objectives among stakeholder groups, which highlights the need to elicit distinct priorities of all groups to understand concerns and potential conflicts of desalination with existing marine users. The analysis of consistency ratios revealed that around half of all surveyed stakeholders had high inconsistencies in their responses, which suggests either a lack of understanding of desalination, or reflects the complexity of establishing desalination plants in coastal areas adjacent to a marine protected area.  相似文献   

Systematic marine conservation planning in data-poor regions: Socioeconomic data is essential   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Natalie C. Ban  Gretchen J.A. Hansen  Michael Jones  Amanda C.J. Vincent   《Marine Policy》2009,33(5):794-800

Systematic planning for conservation is highly regarded but relies on spatially explicit data that are lacking in many areas of conservation concern. The decision support tool Marxan is applied to a reef system in the central Philippines where 30 marine protected areas (MPAs) have been established in communities without much use of biophysical data. The intent was to explore how Marxan might assist with the legally required expansion to protect 15% of marine waters, and how existing MPAs might affect that process. Results show that biophysical information alone did not provide much guidance in identifying patterns of conservation importance in areas where the data are poor. Socioeconomic data were needed to distinguish among possible areas for protection; but here, as elsewhere in marine environments, the availability of such data was very limited. In the final analysis, local knowledge and integrated understanding of socioeconomic realities may offer the best spatially explicit information. The 30 existing MPAs, which encompassed a small proportion of the reef system, did not limit future options in developing a suite of MPAs on a broader scale. Rather, they appeared to generate the support for MPAs that is obligatory for any larger zoning effort. In summary, establishing MPAs based on community-driven criteria has biological and social value, but efforts should be made to collect ecological and socioeconomic data to guide the continued creation of MPAs.  相似文献