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Nunes BZ, Ribeiro VV, Leal CG, Motti CA, Castro ÍB. Microplastic contamination in no-take Marine Protected Areas of Brazil: Bivalves as sentinels. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2025; 273:121231. [PMID: 40015428 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2025.121231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2024] [Revised: 02/24/2025] [Accepted: 02/24/2025] [Indexed: 03/01/2025]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are pervasive environmental contaminants even in remote and pristine locations. Despite extensive literature documenting their widespread presence in marine environments, there is limited understanding of MP contamination in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), particularly in developing countries. This study assessed MP contamination using multiple filter-feeding bivalve species as sentinels. Samplings were performed during 2022, in ten selected no-take MPAs under different management categories according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. MPs size, shape, color, and polymeric composition were analyzed using established protocols, including Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. MPs concentrations (0.42 ± 0.34 [0.17-2.00] particles.g-1 ww) peaked at natural monuments, while strict nature reserves and parks were less affected. Based on scientific literature comparison, no-take MPAs were less contaminated by MPs than multiple-use MPAs and unprotected areas in Brazil. However, the observed levels remain concerning, given the potential ecological risks, including trophic transfer, physiological disruptions, and habitat degradation. Around 59% of MPs were organic polymers and alkyd (28%), while polyethylene terephthalate (14%) was the main anthropogenic polymer. MPs were predominantly black, white, or transparent fragments measuring <1000 μm, not differing among MPAs individually or grouped protection category, therefore displaying the consistent qualitative patterns along the Brazilian coast. This study underscores the ecological risks posed by MPs in MPAs, emphasizing the need for long-term monitoring programs and targeted mitigation strategies, contributing to global efforts assessing and managing MP contamination, aligning with the 11th Aichi Target to reduce pressures on biodiversity and promote marine ecosystems sustainable use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Zachello Nunes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Oceanologia (PPGO), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (IO-FURG), Rio Grande, Brazil; AIMS@JCU, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Clara Galacho Leal
- Instituto do Mar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (IMAR-UNIFESP), Santos, Brazil
| | - Cherie Ann Motti
- AIMS@JCU, Townsville, QLD, Australia; Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Ítalo Braga Castro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Oceanologia (PPGO), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (IO-FURG), Rio Grande, Brazil; Instituto do Mar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (IMAR-UNIFESP), Santos, Brazil.
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2
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Costello MJ. Fully protected Marine Protected Areas do not displace fisheries. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2412543121. [PMID: 39162725 PMCID: PMC11348145 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2412543121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/21/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mark John Costello
- Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University, Bodø8049, Norway
- College of Life Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao266005, China
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3
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Nunes BZ, Ribeiro VV, Garcia Y, Lourenço RA, Castro ÍB. Chemical contamination affecting filter-feeding bivalves in no-take marine protected areas from Brazil. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 360:121102. [PMID: 38759561 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are zones geographically delimited under pre-defined management goals, seeking to reduce anthropogenic threats to biodiversity. Despite this, in recent years reports of MPAs affected by chemical contamination has grown. Therefore, this study addresses this critical issue assessing legacy and current chemical contamination in filter-feeder bivalves obtained in very restrictive no-take MPAs from Brazil. The detected pollutants encompass polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), linear alkylbenzenes (LABs), and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) like dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDTs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Despite protective measures, bivalves from nine MPAs exhibited high LABs (13.2-1139.0 ng g-1) and DDTs levels (0.1-62.3 ng g-1). PAHs were present in low concentrations (3.1-29.03 ng g-1), as PCBs (0.7-6.4 ng g-1), hexachlorobenzene (0.1-0.2 ng g-1), and Mirex (0.1-0.3 ng g-1). Regardless of the sentinel species, MPAs and management categories, similar accumulation patterns were observed for LABs, DDTs, PAHs, and PCBs. Based on the limits proposed by Oslo Paris Commission, the measured levels of PAHs, PCBs and were below the environmental assessment criteria. Such findings indicate the no biological effects are expected to occur. However, they are higher considering background conditions typically measured in remote or pristine areas and potential simultaneous exposure. Such findings indicate an influence of anthropogenic sources, emphasizing the urgency for monitoring programs guiding strategic management efforts to safeguard these areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Zachello Nunes
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Oceanologia (PPGO), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (IO-FURG), Rio Grande, Brazil
| | | | - Yonara Garcia
- Instituto do Mar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (IMAR-UNIFESP), Santos, Brazil
| | | | - Ítalo Braga Castro
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Oceanologia (PPGO), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (IO-FURG), Rio Grande, Brazil; Instituto do Mar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (IMAR-UNIFESP), Santos, Brazil.
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4
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Filbee-Dexter K, Starko S, Pessarrodona A, Wood G, Norderhaug KM, Piñeiro-Corbeira C, Wernberg T. Marine protected areas can be useful but are not a silver bullet for kelp conservation. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2024; 60:203-213. [PMID: 38546039 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Kelp forests are among the most valuable ecosystems on Earth, but they are increasingly being degraded and lost due to a range of human-related stressors, leading to recent calls for their improved management and conservation. One of the primary tools to conserve marine species and biodiversity is the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs). International commitments to protect 30% of the world's ecosystems are gaining momentum, offering a promising avenue to secure kelp forests into the Anthropocene. However, a clear understanding of the efficacy of MPAs for conserving kelp forests in a changing ocean is lacking. In this perspective, we question whether strengthened global protection will create meaningful conservation outcomes for kelp forests. We explore the benefits of MPAs for kelp conservation under a suite of different stressors, focusing on empirical evidence from protected kelp forests. We show that MPAs can be effective against some drivers of kelp loss (e.g., overgrazing, kelp harvesting), particularly when they are maintained in the long-term and enforced as no-take areas. There is also some evidence that MPAs can reduce impacts of climate change through building resilience in multi-stressor situations. However, MPAs also often fail to provide protection against ocean warming, marine heatwaves, coastal darkening, and pollution, which have emerged as dominant drivers of kelp forest loss globally. Although well-enforced MPAs should remain an important tool to protect kelp forests, successful kelp conservation will require implementing an additional suite of management solutions that target these accelerating threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Filbee-Dexter
- School of Biological Sciences and Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Institute of Marine Research, His, Norway
| | - Samuel Starko
- School of Biological Sciences and Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Albert Pessarrodona
- School of Biological Sciences and Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Georgina Wood
- School of Biological Sciences and Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | | | - Cristina Piñeiro-Corbeira
- BioCost Research Group, Facultad de Ciencias, and CICA - Centro Interdisciplinar de Química e Bioloxía, Universidad de A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Thomas Wernberg
- School of Biological Sciences and Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Institute of Marine Research, His, Norway
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5
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Lin L, Liu Y, Yan Y, Kang B. Optimizing efficiency and resilience of no-take marine protected areas for fish conservation under climate change along the coastlines of China Seas. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024; 38:e14174. [PMID: 37650435 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is one of the major threats to coastal fish biodiversity, and optimization of no-take marine protected areas (MPAs) is imminent. We predicted fish redistribution under climate change in coastal China Seas with joint species distribution modeling and prioritized areas for conservation with Zonation, for which we used core area zonation (CAZ) and additive benefit function (ABF). Based on our results, we devised an expansion plan of no-take MPAs. Under climate change, fish were redistributed northward along the coast. These redistributions were segmented by the Yangtze River estuary and its adjacent waters, indicating a possible biogeographical barrier. Under CAZ and ABF, significantly more fish habitat was conserved than under random prioritization (p < 0.001, Cohen's d = -0.36 and -0.62, respectively). The ABF better represented areas with higher species richness, whereas CAZ better represented core habitats for species with narrow distributions. Without accounting for species redistribution, the expanded MPAs were mainly distributed in the northwest of the South China Sea, the East China Sea, the north of the Yellow Sea, and the west of the Bohai Sea. When accounting for species redistribution, the proposed MPAs were mainly distributed in the north of the Bohai Sea and southwest of the Yellow Sea, corresponding to the northern species redistributions. These MPAs conserved less habitat for fishes at present but protected more and better quality habitat for fishes in 2050 and 2100 than those MPAs that did not account for species redistribution, indicating improved fish conservation under climate change. Incorporating species redistribution and trade-offs between areas with high species richness and areas that contain habitats for rare species are suggested to address coastal fish conservation under climate change. This work provides valuable information for fish conservation and is a precursor to systematic conservation planning along the coastlines of China Seas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Lin
- College of Fisheries, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture (Ocean University of China), Ministry of Education, Qingdao, China
| | - Yang Liu
- College of Fisheries, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture (Ocean University of China), Ministry of Education, Qingdao, China
| | - Yang Yan
- College of Fisheries, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture (Ocean University of China), Ministry of Education, Qingdao, China
| | - Bin Kang
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture (Ocean University of China), Ministry of Education, Qingdao, China
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6
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Navarro-Martínez ZM, Armenteros M, Espinosa L, González-Díaz P, Apprill A. Coral reef fish assemblages exhibit signs of depletion in two protected areas from the eastern of Los Canarreos archipelago (Cuba, Caribbean Sea). PeerJ 2022; 10:e14229. [PMID: 36262415 PMCID: PMC9575676 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the impact of marine protected areas on the distribution and composition of fishes is key to the protection and management of coral reef ecosystems, and especially for fish-based activities such as SCUBA diving and recreational fishing. The aim of this research is to compare the ichthyofauna structure in three areas in the eastern part of Los Canarreos archipelago in Cuba with different management schemes: Cayo Campos-Cayo Rosario Fauna Refuge (CCCR), Cayo Largo Ecological Reserve (CL) and non-protected area (nMPA), and considering habitat differences and depth variation. A total of 131 video transects were conducted using diver operated stereo-video (stereo-DOV) in November, 2015 in backreef and forereef along the CCCR, CL and the adjacent nMPA. We recorded 84 species and 27 functional groups suggesting high complementarity of functions. Several multispecies schools were observed along surveys, which explain the biomass peaks in some sites, mainly for Lutjanidae, Haemulidae and Carangidae. A concerning issue was the bare representation of critical functional groups and threatened species. The effect of sites nested within habitats was significant and the most important driver structuring fish assemblages, while MPA condition was not evident. Favorable habitat features (habitat heterogeneity and surrounding coastal ecosystems) are likely enhancing fish assemblages and counteracting the effects of pouching derived from insufficient management. We recommend immediate actions within a strategy of precautionary management including, but not limited to, the appointment of staff for the administration of CL, frequent monitoring and effective enforcement.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maickel Armenteros
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Leonardo Espinosa
- Empresa Nacional para la Protección de la Flora y la Fauna, La Habana, Cuba
| | | | - Amy Apprill
- Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
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7
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Dalongeville A, Boulanger E, Marques V, Charbonnel E, Hartmann V, Santoni MC, Deter J, Valentini A, Lenfant P, Boissery P, Dejean T, Velez L, Pichot F, Sanchez L, Arnal V, Bockel T, Delaruelle G, Holon F, Milhau T, Romant L, Manel S, Mouillot D. Benchmarking eleven biodiversity indicators based on environmental
DNA
surveys: more diverse functional traits and evolutionary lineages inside marine reserves. J Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Emilie Boulanger
- Aix‐Marseille Université Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), UM 110 Marseille France
| | - Virginie Marques
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE‐PSL University, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3 Montpellier France
| | - Eric Charbonnel
- Parc Marin de la Côte Bleue, Observatoire, plage du Rouet. 31 Av. J. Bart. BP 42. 13820 Carry‐le‐Rouet France
| | - Virginie Hartmann
- Reserve Naturelle Marine de Cerbère‐Banyuls, Département des Pyrénées‐Orientales, 5 rue Roger David 66650 Banyuls‐sur‐mer France
| | | | - Julie Deter
- MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD Montpellier France
- Andromède Océanologie, 7 place Cassan – Carnon plage, 34130 Mauguio France
| | - Alice Valentini
- SPYGEN, 17 rue du Lac Saint‐André, 73370 Le Bourget‐du‐Lac France
| | - Philippe Lenfant
- Université Perpignan Via Domitia Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditerranéens, UMR 5110, 58 Avenue Paul Alduy Perpignan France
| | - Pierre Boissery
- Agence de l’Eau Rhône‐Méditerranée‐Corse, Délégation de Marseille, 2 rue Barbusse, CS 90464, 13207 Marseille Cedex France
| | - Tony Dejean
- SPYGEN, 17 rue du Lac Saint‐André, 73370 Le Bourget‐du‐Lac France
| | - Laure Velez
- MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD Montpellier France
| | - Franck Pichot
- MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD Montpellier France
| | - Loic Sanchez
- MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD Montpellier France
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE‐PSL University, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3 Montpellier France
| | - Veronique Arnal
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE‐PSL University, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3 Montpellier France
| | - Thomas Bockel
- Andromède Océanologie, 7 place Cassan – Carnon plage, 34130 Mauguio France
| | | | - Florian Holon
- Andromède Océanologie, 7 place Cassan – Carnon plage, 34130 Mauguio France
| | - Tristan Milhau
- SPYGEN, 17 rue du Lac Saint‐André, 73370 Le Bourget‐du‐Lac France
| | - Lola Romant
- MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD Montpellier France
| | - Stéphanie Manel
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE‐PSL University, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3 Montpellier France
| | - David Mouillot
- MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD Montpellier France
- Institut Universitaire de France Paris France
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8
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Gilmour M, Adams J, Block B, Caselle J, Friedlander A, Game E, Hazen E, Holmes N, Lafferty K, Maxwell S, McCauley D, Oleson E, Pollock K, Shaffer S, Wolff N, Wegmann A. Evaluation of MPA designs that protect highly mobile megafauna now and under climate change scenarios. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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9
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A meta-analysis reveals edge effects within marine protected areas. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:1301-1308. [PMID: 34226700 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01502-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Marine protected areas (MPAs) play a leading role in conserving and restoring marine environments. MPAs can benefit both marine populations within their boundaries and external populations owing to a net export of organisms (spillover). However, little is known about variation in performance within MPAs. For example, edge effects may degrade populations within MPAs close to their boundaries. Here we synthesize empirical estimates of 72 taxa of fish and invertebrates to explore spatial patterns across the borders of 27 no-take MPAs. We show that there is a prominent and consistent edge effect that extends approximately 1 km within the MPA, in which population sizes on the border are 60% smaller than those in the core area. Our analysis of cross-boundary population trends suggests that, globally, the smallest 64% of no-take MPAs (those of less than 10 km2 in area) may hold only about half (45-56%) of the population size that is implied by their area. MPAs with buffer zones did not display edge effects, suggesting that extending no-take areas beyond the target habitats and managing fishing activities around MPA borders are critical for boosting MPA performance.
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10
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Goetze JS, Wilson S, Radford B, Fisher R, Langlois TJ, Monk J, Knott NA, Malcolm H, Currey‐Randall LM, Ierodiaconou D, Harasti D, Barrett N, Babcock RC, Bosch NE, Brock D, Claudet J, Clough J, Fairclough DV, Heupel MR, Holmes TH, Huveneers C, Jordan AR, McLean D, Meekan M, Miller D, Newman SJ, Rees MJ, Roberts KE, Saunders BJ, Speed CW, Travers MJ, Treml E, Whitmarsh SK, Wakefield CB, Harvey ES. Increased connectivity and depth improve the effectiveness of marine reserves. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:3432-3447. [PMID: 34015863 PMCID: PMC8360116 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Marine reserves are a key tool for the conservation of marine biodiversity, yet only ~2.5% of the world's oceans are protected. The integration of marine reserves into connected networks representing all habitats has been encouraged by international agreements, yet the benefits of this design has not been tested empirically. Australia has one of the largest systems of marine reserves, providing a rare opportunity to assess how connectivity influences conservation success. An Australia-wide dataset was collected using baited remote underwater video systems deployed across a depth range from 0 to 100 m to assess the effectiveness of marine reserves for protecting teleosts subject to commercial and recreational fishing. A meta-analytical comparison of 73 fished species within 91 marine reserves found that, on average, marine reserves had 28% greater abundance and 53% greater biomass of fished species compared to adjacent areas open to fishing. However, benefits of protection were not observed across all reserves (heterogeneity), so full subsets generalized additive modelling was used to consider factors that influence marine reserve effectiveness, including distance-based and ecological metrics of connectivity among reserves. Our results suggest that increased connectivity and depth improve the aforementioned marine reserve benefits and that these factors should be considered to optimize such benefits over time. We provide important guidance on factors to consider when implementing marine reserves for the purpose of increasing the abundance and size of fished species, given the expected increase in coverage globally. We show that marine reserves that are highly protected (no-take) and designed to optimize connectivity, size and depth range can provide an effective conservation strategy for fished species in temperate and tropical waters within an overarching marine biodiversity conservation framework.
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11
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Turnbull JW, Johnston EL, Clark GF. Evaluating the social and ecological effectiveness of partially protected marine areas. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:921-932. [PMID: 33448038 PMCID: PMC8248084 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a primary tool for the stewardship, conservation, and restoration of marine ecosystems, yet 69% of global MPAs are only partially protected (i.e., are open to some form of fishing). Although fully protected areas have well-documented outcomes, including increased fish diversity and biomass, the effectiveness of partially protected areas is contested. Partially protected areas may provide benefits in some contexts and may be warranted for social reasons, yet social outcomes often depend on MPAs achieving their ecological goals to distinguish them from open areas and justify the cost of protection. We assessed the social perceptions and ecological effectiveness of 18 partially protected areas and 19 fully protected areas compared with 19 open areas along 7000 km of coast of southern Australia. We used mixed methods, gathering data via semistructured interviews, site surveys, and Reef Life (underwater visual census) surveys. We analyzed qualitative data in accordance with grounded theory and quantitative data with multivariate and univariate linear mixed-effects models. We found no social or ecological benefits for partially protected areas relative to open areas in our study. Partially protected areas had no more fish, invertebrates, or algae than open areas; were poorly understood by coastal users; were not more attractive than open areas; and were not perceived to have better marine life than open areas. These findings provide an important counterpoint to some large-scale meta-analyses that conclude partially protected areas can be ecologically effective but that draw this conclusion based on narrower measures. We argue that partially protected areas act as red herrings in marine conservation because they create an illusion of protection and consume scarce conservation resources yet provide little or no social or ecological gain over open areas. Fully protected areas, by contrast, have more fish species and biomass and are well understood, supported, and valued by the public. They are perceived to have better marine life and be improving over time in keeping with actual ecological results. Conservation outcomes can be improved by upgrading partially protected areas to higher levels of protection including conversion to fully protected areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- John W. Turnbull
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South WalesKensington CampusSydneyNSW2052Australia
- Evolution and Ecology Research CenterUniversity of New South WalesBEESSydneyNSW2052Australia
| | - Emma L. Johnston
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South WalesKensington CampusSydneyNSW2052Australia
- Evolution and Ecology Research CenterUniversity of New South WalesBEESSydneyNSW2052Australia
| | - Graeme F. Clark
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South WalesKensington CampusSydneyNSW2052Australia
- Evolution and Ecology Research CenterUniversity of New South WalesBEESSydneyNSW2052Australia
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12
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Boulanger E, Loiseau N, Valentini A, Arnal V, Boissery P, Dejean T, Deter J, Guellati N, Holon F, Juhel JB, Lenfant P, Manel S, Mouillot D. Environmental DNA metabarcoding reveals and unpacks a biodiversity conservation paradox in Mediterranean marine reserves. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210112. [PMID: 33906403 PMCID: PMC8080007 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Although we are currently experiencing worldwide biodiversity loss, local species richness does not always decline under anthropogenic pressure. This conservation paradox may also apply in protected areas but has not yet received conclusive evidence in marine ecosystems. Here, we survey fish assemblages in six Mediterranean no-take reserves and their adjacent fishing grounds using environmental DNA (eDNA) while controlling for environmental conditions. We detect less fish species in marine reserves than in nearby fished areas. The paradoxical gradient in species richness is accompanied by a marked change in fish species composition under different managements. This dissimilarity is mainly driven by species that are often overlooked by classical visual surveys but detected with eDNA: cryptobenthic, pelagic, and rare fishes. These results do not negate the importance of reserves in protecting biodiversity but shed new light on how under-represented species groups can positively react to fishing pressure and how conservation efforts can shape regional biodiversity patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Boulanger
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE-PSL University, IRD, Montpellier, France
- MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Nicolas Loiseau
- MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Véronique Arnal
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE-PSL University, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Pierre Boissery
- Agence de l'Eau Rhône-Méditerranée-Corse, Délégation de Marseille, Marseille, France
| | | | | | - Nacim Guellati
- MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | | | | | | | - Stéphanie Manel
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE-PSL University, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - David Mouillot
- MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Montpellier, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
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13
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Looby A, Ginsburg DW. Nearshore Species Biodiversity of a Marine Protected Area Off Santa Catalina Island, California. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2021. [DOI: 10.3398/064.081.0110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Looby
- Environmental Studies Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0156
| | - David W. Ginsburg
- Environmental Studies Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0156
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14
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Maxwell SL, Cazalis V, Dudley N, Hoffmann M, Rodrigues ASL, Stolton S, Visconti P, Woodley S, Kingston N, Lewis E, Maron M, Strassburg BBN, Wenger A, Jonas HD, Venter O, Watson JEM. Area-based conservation in the twenty-first century. Nature 2020; 586:217-227. [PMID: 33028996 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2773-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 234] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Humanity will soon define a new era for nature-one that seeks to transform decades of underwhelming responses to the global biodiversity crisis. Area-based conservation efforts, which include both protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, are likely to extend and diversify. However, persistent shortfalls in ecological representation and management effectiveness diminish the potential role of area-based conservation in stemming biodiversity loss. Here we show how the expansion of protected areas by national governments since 2010 has had limited success in increasing the coverage across different elements of biodiversity (ecoregions, 12,056 threatened species, 'Key Biodiversity Areas' and wilderness areas) and ecosystem services (productive fisheries, and carbon services on land and sea). To be more successful after 2020, area-based conservation must contribute more effectively to meeting global biodiversity goals-ranging from preventing extinctions to retaining the most-intact ecosystems-and must better collaborate with the many Indigenous peoples, community groups and private initiatives that are central to the successful conservation of biodiversity. The long-term success of area-based conservation requires parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity to secure adequate financing, plan for climate change and make biodiversity conservation a far stronger part of land, water and sea management policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean L Maxwell
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Victor Cazalis
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Nigel Dudley
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.,Equilibrium Research, Bristol, UK
| | - Michael Hoffmann
- Conservation and Policy, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
| | - Ana S L Rodrigues
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Piero Visconti
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK.,Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, University College London, London, UK.,International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Stephen Woodley
- World Commission on Protected Areas, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Gland, Switzerland
| | - Naomi Kingston
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), Cambridge, UK
| | - Edward Lewis
- UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), Cambridge, UK
| | - Martine Maron
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Bernardo B N Strassburg
- Rio Conservation and Sustainability Science Centre, Department of Geography and the Environment, Pontifícia Universidade Católica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,International Institute for Sustainability, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Programa de Pós Graduacão em Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Amelia Wenger
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.,Global Marine Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, New York, NY, USA
| | - Harry D Jonas
- World Commission on Protected Areas, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Gland, Switzerland.,Future Law, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - Oscar Venter
- Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
| | - James E M Watson
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.,Global Conservation Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, New York, NY, USA
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15
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Smallhorn‐West PF, Stone K, Ceccarelli DM, Malimali S, Halafihi T, Bridge TCL, Pressey RL, Jones GP. Community management yields positive impacts for coastal fisheries resources and biodiversity conservation. Conserv Lett 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick F. Smallhorn‐West
- Marine Biology and Aquaculture, College of Science and Engineering James Cook University Townsville QLD Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville QLD Australia
- WorldFish Jalan Batu Maung Bayan Lepas Penang Malaysia
| | - Karen Stone
- Vava'u Environmental Protection Association Neiafu Vava'u Tonga
| | - Daniela M. Ceccarelli
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville QLD Australia
| | | | | | - Tom C. L. Bridge
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville QLD Australia
- Biodiversity and Geosciences Program, Museum of Tropical Queensland Queensland Museum Network Townsville QLD Australia
| | - Robert L. Pressey
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville QLD Australia
| | - Geoffrey P. Jones
- Marine Biology and Aquaculture, College of Science and Engineering James Cook University Townsville QLD Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville QLD Australia
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16
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17
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Grip K, Blomqvist S. Marine nature conservation and conflicts with fisheries. AMBIO 2020; 49:1328-1340. [PMID: 31749103 PMCID: PMC7190601 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-019-01279-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2019] [Revised: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Globally, conflicts between marine nature conservation and fishery interests are common and increasing, and there is often a glaring lack of dialogue between stakeholders representing these two interests. There is a need for a stronger and enforced coordination between fishing and conservation authorities when establishing marine protected areas for conservation purposes. We propose that an appropriate instrument for such coordination is a broad ecosystem-based marine spatial planning procedure, representing neither nature conservation nor fishery. Strategic environmental assessment for plans and programmes and environmental impact assessment for projects are commonly used tools for assessing the environmental impacts of different human activities, but are seldom used for evaluating the environmental effects of capture fisheries. The diversity of fisheries and the drastic effects of some fisheries on the environment are strong arguments for introducing these procedures as valuable supplements to existing fisheries assessment and management tools and able to provide relevant environmental information for an overall marine spatial planning process. Marine protected areas for nature conservation and for protection of fisheries have different objectives. Therefore, the legal procedure when establishing marine protected areas should depend on whether they are established for nature conservation purposes or as a fisheries resource management tool. Fishing in a marine protected area for conservation purpose should be regulated according to conservation law. Also, we argue that marine protected areas for conservation purposes, in the highest protection category, should primarily be established as fully protected marine national parks and marine reserves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kjell Grip
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- Present Address: Mandelblomsgatan 11, 745 36 Enköping, Sweden
| | - Sven Blomqvist
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
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18
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Stevenson SL, Woolley SNC, Barnett J, Dunstan P. Testing the presence of marine protected areas against their ability to reduce pressures on biodiversity. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2020; 34:622-631. [PMID: 31667866 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are the preferred tool for preventing marine biodiversity loss, as reflected in international protected area targets. Although the area covered by MPAs is expanding, there is a concern that opposition from resource users is driving them into already low-use locations, whereas high-pressure areas remain unprotected, which has serious implications for biodiversity conservation. We tested the spatial relationships between different human-induced pressures on marine biodiversity and global MPAs. We used global, modeled pressure data and the World Database on Protected Areas to calculate the levels of 15 different human-induced pressures inside and outside the world's MPAs. We fitted binomial generalized linear models to the data to determine whether each pressure had a positive or negative effect on the likelihood of an area being protected and whether this effect changed with different categories of protection. Pelagic and artisanal fishing, shipping, and introductions of invasive species by ships had a negative relationship with protection, and this relationship persisted under even the least restrictive categories of protection (e.g., protected areas classified as category VI under the International Union for Conservation of Nature, a category that permits sustainable use). In contrast, pressures from dispersed, diffusive sources (e.g., pollution and ocean acidification) had positive relationships with protection. Our results showed that MPAs are systematically established in areas where there is low political opposition, limiting the capacity of existing MPAs to manage key drivers of biodiversity loss. We suggest that conservation efforts focus on biodiversity outcomes and effective reduction of pressures rather than prescribing area-based targets, and that alternative approaches to conservation are needed in areas where protection is not feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone L Stevenson
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia
- School of Geography, University of Melbourne, 221 Bouverie Street, Carlton, VIC, 3053, Australia
| | - Skipton N C Woolley
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, 3-4 Castray Esplanade, Battery Point, Hobart, TAS, 7004, Australia
| | - Jon Barnett
- School of Geography, University of Melbourne, 221 Bouverie Street, Carlton, VIC, 3053, Australia
| | - Piers Dunstan
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, 3-4 Castray Esplanade, Battery Point, Hobart, TAS, 7004, Australia
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19
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Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Mediterranean Shallow Coastal Fish Communities along a Gradient of Marine Protection. WATER 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/w12061537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The importance of habitat factors in designing marine reserves and evaluating their performance over time has been regularly documented. Over three biennial sampling periods, we examined the effects of vegetated coverage and habitat diversity (i.e., patchiness) on fish density, community composition, and species-specific patterns along a gradient of protection from harvest in the shallow Spanish southern Mediterranean, including portions of the Tabarca marine reserve. With the exception of two herbivores (Sarpa salpa and Symphodus tinca), vegetated cover did not significantly affect fish densities, while habitat diversity was an influential factor across all three sampling periods. Overall, fish density was more positively associated with more continuous vegetated or unvegetated habitats, and was greatest in areas of highest protection (Tabarca II – Isla Nao site). These patterns were usually observed for four abundant fish species (Boops boops, Chromis chromis, Oblada melanura, and S. salpa). Fish community composition was distinct in the most protected portion of the Tabarca reserve, where it was also most stable. Our findings align with previous investigations of the Tabarca reserve and its surrounding areas, and demonstrate its continued effectiveness in conserving fish biomass and habitat. Together with effective management, marine reserves can facilitate greater species abundance, more stable biological communities, and resilient ecosystems.
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20
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Kerley GIH, Beest M, Cromsigt JPGM, Pauly D, Shultz S. The Protected Area Paradox and refugee species: The giant panda and baselines shifted towards conserving species in marginal habitats. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Graham I. H. Kerley
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology Nelson Mandela University Port Elizabeth South Africa
| | - Mariska Beest
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology Nelson Mandela University Port Elizabeth South Africa
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development Utrecht University Utrecht The Netherlands
| | - Joris P. G. M. Cromsigt
- Centre for African Conservation Ecology Nelson Mandela University Port Elizabeth South Africa
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development Utrecht University Utrecht The Netherlands
- Department of Wildlife, Fish & Environmental Studies Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Umeå Sweden
| | - Daniel Pauly
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries The University of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
| | - Susanne Shultz
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Manchester Manchester UK
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21
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Claudet J, Loiseau C, Sostres M, Zupan M. Underprotected Marine Protected Areas in a Global Biodiversity Hotspot. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.oneear.2020.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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22
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Duarte CM, Agusti S, Barbier E, Britten GL, Castilla JC, Gattuso JP, Fulweiler RW, Hughes TP, Knowlton N, Lovelock CE, Lotze HK, Predragovic M, Poloczanska E, Roberts C, Worm B. Rebuilding marine life. Nature 2020; 580:39-51. [DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2146-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 228] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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23
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Esgro MW, Lindholm J, Nickols KJ, Bredvik J. Early conservation benefits of a de facto marine protected area at San Clemente Island, California. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0224060. [PMID: 31945056 PMCID: PMC6964903 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
De facto marine protected areas (DFMPAs) are regions of the ocean where human activity is restricted for reasons other than conservation. Although DFMPAs are widespread globally, their potential role in the protection of marine habitats, species, and ecosystems has not been well studied. In 2012 and 2013, we conducted remotely operated vehicle (ROV) surveys of marine communities at a military DFMPA closed to all civilian access since 2010 and an adjacent fished reference site at San Clemente Island, the southernmost of California’s Channel Islands. We used data extracted from ROV imagery to compare density and biomass of focal species, as well as biodiversity and community composition, between the two sites. Generalized linear modeling indicated that both density and biomass of California sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher) were significantly higher inside the DFMPA. Biomass of ocean whitefish (Caulolatilus princeps) was also significantly higher inside the DFMPA. However, species richness and Shannon-Weaver diversity were not significantly higher inside the DFMPA, and overall fish community composition did not differ significantly between sites. Demonstrable differences between the DFMPA and fished site for two highly sought-after species hint at early potential benefits of protection, though the lack of differences in the broader community suggests that a longer trajectory of recovery may be required for other species. A more comprehensive understanding of the potential conservation benefits of DFMPAs is important in the context of marine spatial planning and global marine conservation objectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W. Esgro
- Institute for Applied Marine Ecology, California State University Monterey Bay, Seaside, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - James Lindholm
- Institute for Applied Marine Ecology, California State University Monterey Bay, Seaside, CA, United States of America
| | - Kerry J. Nickols
- California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA, United States of America
| | - Jessica Bredvik
- Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, CA, United States of America
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24
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Saeedi H, Reimer JD, Brandt MI, Dumais PO, Jażdżewska AM, Jeffery NW, Thielen PM, Costello MJ. Global marine biodiversity in the context of achieving the Aichi Targets: ways forward and addressing data gaps. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7221. [PMID: 31681508 PMCID: PMC6824330 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
In 2010, the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity agreed on the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. As this plan approaches its end, we discussed whether marine biodiversity and prediction studies were nearing the Aichi Targets during the 4th World Conference on Marine Biodiversity held in Montreal, Canada in June 2018. This article summarises the outcome of a five-day group discussion on how global marine biodiversity studies should be focused further to better understand the patterns of biodiversity. We discussed and reviewed seven fundamental biodiversity priorities related to nine Aichi Targets focusing on global biodiversity discovery and predictions to improve and enhance biodiversity data standards (quantity and quality), tools and techniques, spatial and temporal scale framing, and stewardship and dissemination. We discuss how identifying biodiversity knowledge gaps and promoting efforts have and will reduce such gaps, including via the use of new databases, tools and technology, and how these resources could be improved in the future. The group recognised significant progress toward Target 19 in relation to scientific knowledge, but negligible progress with regard to Targets 6 to 13 which aimed to safeguard and reduce human impacts on biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanieh Saeedi
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,FB 15 Biological Sciences Institute for Ecology, Diversity and Evolution Biologicum, Goethe University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, OBIS Data Manager, Deep-sea Node, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - James Davis Reimer
- Marine Invertebrate Systematics & Ecology Laboratory, Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa, Japan
| | | | | | - Anna Maria Jażdżewska
- Laboratory of Polar Biology and Oceanobiology, Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Nicholas W Jeffery
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Peter M Thielen
- Research and Exploratory Development Department, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, United States of America
| | - Mark John Costello
- Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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25
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European spiny lobster recovery from overfishing enhanced through active restocking in Fully Protected Areas. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13025. [PMID: 31506533 PMCID: PMC6737030 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49553-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2018] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Fully protected areas (FPAs) help preserving biodiversity and reversing the global decline of fishery resources. Stocks of the European spiny lobster Palinurus elephas (Fabr. 1787), among the most precious gourmet seafood worldwide, are currently facing a dramatic decline. Previous attempts of recovery based on fishery restrictions or active post-larval restocking in marine reserves provided unsuccessful outcomes. Here we present results of a 5-year restocking program carried through a Collaborative Fishery Research (CFR) project, in three ad-hoc established FPAs replenished using below-legal size wild juveniles. Results showed that Catch per Unit Effort (CPUE) in terms of both density and biomass burst (by ca. 300–700%) just 2 years since FPAs establishment, regardless of location. We also report tangible spillover effects (ca. 30–50% increase in density and biomass CPUE outside the FPAs) by the end of the program. Data from a 15-years lasting monitoring of a pilot FPA established in 1998, where the restocking protocol was conducted and protection kept in force once restocking ceased, demonstrated the persistence in time of restocking’ benefits. We foster that creation of FPAs assisted with local restocking under oriented CFR programs can represent an option for the recovery of European spiny lobster stocks from overfishing.
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26
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A Synthesis of Opportunities for Applying the Telecoupling Framework to Marine Protected Areas. SUSTAINABILITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/su11164450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The world’s oceans face unprecedented anthropogenic threats in the globalized era that originate from all over the world, including climate change, global trade and transportation, and pollution. Marine protected areas (MPAs) serve important roles in conservation of marine biodiversity and ecosystem resilience, but their success is increasingly challenged in the face of such large-scale threats. Here, we illustrate the utility of adopting the interdisciplinary telecoupling framework to better understand effects that originate from distant places and cross MPA boundaries (e.g., polluted water circulation, anthropogenic noise transport, human and animal migration). We review evidence of distal processes affecting MPAs and the cutting-edge approaches currently used to investigate these processes. We then introduce the umbrella framework of telecoupling and explain how it can help address knowledge gaps that exist due to limitations of past approaches that are centered within individual disciplines. We then synthesize five examples from the recent telecoupling literature to explore how the telecoupling framework can be used for MPA research. These examples include the spatial subsidies approach, adapted social network analysis, telecoupled qualitative analysis, telecoupled supply chain analysis, and decision support tools for telecoupling. Our work highlights the potential for the telecoupling framework to better understand and address the mounting and interconnected socioeconomic and environmental sustainability challenges faced by the growing number of MPAs around the world.
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27
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Sanabria-Fernandez JA, Alday JG, Lazzari N, Riera R, Becerro MA. Marine protected areas are more effective but less reliable in protecting fish biomass than fish diversity. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2019; 143:24-32. [PMID: 31789159 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Revised: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Marine protected areas (MPAs) provide multiple conservation benefits, thus raising the question of how good and consistent they are at their roles. Here, we quantified three components, namely, diversity, biomass, and other relevant variables, in numerous protected and unprotected areas across four marine ecoregions in south-western Europe. We created a "global conservation status index" (CSIglobal) as the sum of CSIdiversity, CSIbiomass, and CSIrelevant. We then tested whether CSI and its three components varied as a function of protection and marine ecoregion. MPA efficiency, defined as the effect size of protection on CSIglobal, was unreliable and varied with geography. CSIbiomass and CSIrelevant contributed to the unreliability of MPA efficiency, while CSIdiversity was reliable. CSIbiomass showed the major efficiency in protected areas (60%). Biomass of threatened species was the single largest variable that contributed to MPA efficiency. Our easy-to-use approach can identify high- and low-efficient MPAs and help to clarify their actual roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose A Sanabria-Fernandez
- The BITES Lab, Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Acc Cala S Francesc 14, 17300 Blanes, Gerona, Spain; Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Cádiz , INMAR, Avd. Republica Árabe Saharaui, s/n, 11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
| | - Josu G Alday
- Departament de Producció Vegetal i Ciència Forestal, Universitat de Lleida-AGROTECNIO, Av. Rovira Roure, 191, E-25198 Lleida, Spain.
| | - Natali Lazzari
- The BITES Lab, Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Acc Cala S Francesc 14, 17300 Blanes, Gerona, Spain; Univ Cadiz, Dept Biol, Fac Environm & Marine Sci, Marine Campus Int Excellence CEIMAR, E-11510 Puerto Real, Spain.
| | - Rodrigo Riera
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Casilla 297, Concepción, Chile.
| | - Mikel A Becerro
- The BITES Lab, Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Acc Cala S Francesc 14, 17300 Blanes, Gerona, Spain.
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28
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Costello MJ, Connor DW. Connectivity Is Generally Not Important for Marine Reserve Planning. Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:686-688. [PMID: 31160083 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mark J Costello
- Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
| | - David W Connor
- European Commission, DG Environment, 1049 Brussels, Belgium
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29
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Isolation and no-entry marine reserves mitigate anthropogenic impacts on grey reef shark behavior. Sci Rep 2019; 9:2897. [PMID: 30814640 PMCID: PMC6393451 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37145-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Reef sharks are vulnerable predators experiencing severe population declines mainly due to overexploitation. However, beyond direct exploitation, human activities can produce indirect or sub-lethal effects such as behavioral alterations. Such alterations are well known for terrestrial fauna but poorly documented for marine species. Using an extensive sampling of 367 stereo baited underwater videos systems, we show modifications in grey reef shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) occurrence and feeding behavior along a marked gradient of isolation from humans across the New Caledonian archipelago (South-Western Pacific). The probability of occurrence decreased by 68.9% between wilderness areas (more than 25 hours travel time from the capital city) and impacted areas while the few individuals occurring in impacted areas exhibited cautious behavior. We also show that only large no-entry reserves (above 150 km²) can protect the behavior of grey reef sharks found in the wilderness. Influencing the fitness, human linked behavioral alterations should be taken into account for management strategies to ensure the persistence of populations.
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30
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Long-Distance Benefits of Marine Reserves: Myth or Reality? Trends Ecol Evol 2019; 34:342-354. [PMID: 30777295 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2018] [Revised: 01/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Long-distance (>40-km) dispersal from marine reserves is poorly documented; yet, it can provide essential benefits such as seeding fished areas or connecting marine reserves into networks. From a meta-analysis, we suggest that the spatial scale of marine connectivity is underestimated due to the limited geographic extent of sampling designs. We also found that the largest marine reserves (>1000km2) are the most isolated. These findings have important implications for the assessment of evolutionary, ecological, and socio-economic long-distance benefits of marine reserves. We conclude that existing methods to infer dispersal should consider the up-to-date genomic advances and also expand the spatial scale of sampling designs. Incorporating long-distance connectivity in conservation planning will contribute to increase the benefits of marine reserve networks.
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31
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Xuereb A, D’Aloia CC, Daigle RM, Andrello M, Dalongeville A, Manel S, Mouillot D, Guichard F, Côté IM, Curtis JMR, Bernatchez L, Fortin MJ. Marine Conservation and Marine Protected Areas. POPULATION GENOMICS 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/13836_2018_63] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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32
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Clements CS, Hay ME. Overlooked coral predators suppress foundation species as reefs degrade. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2018; 28:1673-1682. [PMID: 30048025 PMCID: PMC6167153 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Revised: 05/20/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Loss of larger consumers from stressed ecosystems can lead to trophic release of mid-level consumers that then impact foundation species, suppressing ecosystem function and resilience. For example, in coral reef ecosystems, outbreaks of coral predators like crown-of-thorns sea stars have been associated with fishing pressure and can dramatically impact the composition and persistence of corals. However, the ecological impacts, and consequences for management, of smaller, less obvious corallivores remain inadequately understood. We investigated whether reef state (coral vs. seaweed domination) influenced densities and size frequencies of the corallivorous gastropod Coralliophila violacea on its common host, the coral Porites cylindrica, within three pairs of small Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and adjacent fished areas in Fiji. C. violacea densities were 5-35 times greater, and their size frequencies more broadly distributed, within seaweed-dominated fished areas than in adjacent MPAs dominated by corals. Tethering snails (4-9 mm in shell height) in place on their coral hosts indicated that suppression of snails in MPAs was due to predation, apparently by fishes. When tethered on the benthos (where they rarely occur), rather than on their host, mortality of larger snails (15.0-25.0 mm in shell height) was high in all areas, primarily due to hermit crabs killing them and occupying their shells. Because C. violacea is a sessile gastropod that feeds affixed to the base of corals and produces minimal visible damage, it has been considered a "prudent feeder" that minimally impacts its host coral. We assessed this over a 24-d feeding period in the field. Feeding by individual C. violacea reduced P. cylindrica growth by ~18-43% depending on snail size. Our findings highlight the considerable, but underappreciated, negative impacts of this common corallivore on degraded reefs. As reefs degrade and corals are lost, remaining corals (often species of Porites) may gain the full attention of elevated densities of coral consumers. This will further damage the remaining foundation species, suppressing the resilience of corals and enhancing the resilience of degraded, seaweed-dominated reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody S Clements
- School of Biological Sciences and Aquatic Chemical Ecology Center, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332-0230, USA
| | - Mark E Hay
- School of Biological Sciences and Aquatic Chemical Ecology Center, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332-0230, USA
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33
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O'Leary BC, Roberts CM. Ecological connectivity across ocean depths: Implications for protected area design. Glob Ecol Conserv 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2018.e00431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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34
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Lea JSE, Humphries NE, von Brandis RG, Clarke CR, Sims DW. Acoustic telemetry and network analysis reveal the space use of multiple reef predators and enhance marine protected area design. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.0717. [PMID: 27412274 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are commonly employed to protect ecosystems from threats like overfishing. Ideally, MPA design should incorporate movement data from multiple target species to ensure sufficient habitat is protected. We used long-term acoustic telemetry and network analysis to determine the fine-scale space use of five shark and one turtle species at a remote atoll in the Seychelles, Indian Ocean, and evaluate the efficacy of a proposed MPA. Results revealed strong, species-specific habitat use in both sharks and turtles, with corresponding variation in MPA use. Defining the MPA's boundary from the edge of the reef flat at low tide instead of the beach at high tide (the current best in Seychelles) significantly increased the MPA's coverage of predator movements by an average of 34%. Informed by these results, the larger MPA was adopted by the Seychelles government, demonstrating how telemetry data can improve shark spatial conservation by affecting policy directly.
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Affiliation(s)
- James S E Lea
- Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK Marine Research Facility, PO Box 10646, Jeddah 21443, Saudi Arabia Save Our Seas Foundation-D'Arros Research Centre (SOSF-DRC), Rue Philippe Plantamour 20, 1201 Genève, Switzerland School of Marine Science and Engineering, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Nicolas E Humphries
- Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK
| | - Rainer G von Brandis
- Save Our Seas Foundation-D'Arros Research Centre (SOSF-DRC), Rue Philippe Plantamour 20, 1201 Genève, Switzerland
| | - Christopher R Clarke
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA, UK
| | - David W Sims
- Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK Centre for Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Building 85, Highfield Campus, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
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35
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Lopes PFM, Mendes L, Fonseca V, Villasante S. Tourism as a driver of conflicts and changes in fisheries value chains in Marine Protected Areas. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2017; 200:123-134. [PMID: 28575780 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.05.080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Revised: 05/17/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Although critical tools for protecting ocean habitats, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are sometimes challenged for social impacts and conflicts they may generate. Some conflicts have an economic base, which, once understood, can be used to resolve associated socioenvironmental problems. We addressed how the fish trade in an MPA that combines no-take zones and tourist or resident zones creates incentives for increased fisheries. We performed a value chain analysis following the fish supply and trade through interviews that assessed consumer demand and preference. The results showed a simple and closed value chain driven by tourism (70% of the consumption). Both tourists and local consumers preferred high trophic level species (predators), but the former preferred large pelagics (tuna and dolphinfish) and the latter preferred reef species (barracuda and snapper). Pelagic predators are caught with fresh sardines, which are sometimes located only in the no-take zone. Pelagic species are mainly served as fillet, and the leftover fish parts end up as waste, an issue that, if properly addressed, can help reduce fishing pressure. Whereas some of the target species may be sustainable (e.g., dolphinfish), others are more vulnerable (e.g., wahoo) and should not be intensively fished. We advise setting stricter limits to the number of tourists visiting MPAs, according to their own capacity and peculiarities, in order to avoid conflicts with conservations goals through incentives for increased resource use.
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Affiliation(s)
- P F M Lopes
- Department of Ecology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil; Fisheries and Food Institute, Santos, SP, Brazil; Fishing Ecology, Management and Economics (FEME), Natal, Brazil.
| | - L Mendes
- Department of Ecology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - V Fonseca
- Graduate Program in Ecology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - S Villasante
- Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain
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36
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Neumann B, Ott K, Kenchington R. Strong sustainability in coastal areas: a conceptual interpretation of SDG 14. SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE 2017; 12:1019-1035. [PMID: 30147766 PMCID: PMC6086248 DOI: 10.1007/s11625-017-0472-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2016] [Accepted: 08/11/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Humans derive many tangible and intangible benefits from coastal areas, providing essential components for social and economic development especially of less developed coastal states and island states. At the same time, growing human and environmental pressures in coastal areas have significant impacts on coastal systems, requiring urgent attention in many coastal areas globally. Sustainable development goal (SDG) 14 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (henceforth the 2030 Agenda) aims for conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas, and marine resources, explicitly considering coastal areas in two of its targets (14.2 and 14.5). These promote, as we argue in this article, a strong sustainability concept by addressing protection, conservation, and management of coastal ecosystems and resources. The 2030 Agenda adopts the so-called "three-pillar-model" but does not specify how to balance the economic, social, and environmental dimensions in cases of trade-offs or conflicts. By analysing SDG 14 for the underlying sustainability concept, we derive decisive arguments for a strong sustainability concept and for the integration of constraint functions to avoid depletion of natural capital of coastal areas beyond safe minimum standards. In potential negotiations, targets 14.2 and 14.5 ought to serve as constraints to such depletion. However, such a rule-based framework has challenges and pitfalls which need to be addressed in the implementation and policy process. We discuss these for coastal areas in the context of SDG 14 and provide recommendations for coastal governance and for the process ahead.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Konrad Ott
- Philosophical Seminar, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Richard Kenchington
- Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
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37
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Giakoumi S, Scianna C, Plass-Johnson J, Micheli F, Grorud-Colvert K, Thiriet P, Claudet J, Di Carlo G, Di Franco A, Gaines SD, García-Charton JA, Lubchenco J, Reimer J, Sala E, Guidetti P. Ecological effects of full and partial protection in the crowded Mediterranean Sea: a regional meta-analysis. Sci Rep 2017; 7:8940. [PMID: 28827603 PMCID: PMC5566470 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-08850-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a cornerstone of marine conservation. Globally, the number and coverage of MPAs are increasing, but MPA implementation lags in many human-dominated regions. In areas with intense competition for space and resources, evaluation of the effects of MPAs is crucial to inform decisions. In the human-dominated Mediterranean Sea, fully protected areas occupy only 0.04% of its surface. We evaluated the impacts of full and partial protection on biomass and density of fish assemblages, some commercially important fishes, and sea urchins in 24 Mediterranean MPAs. We explored the relationships between the level of protection and MPA size, age, and enforcement. Results revealed significant positive effects of protection for fisheries target species and negative effects for urchins as their predators benefited from protection. Full protection provided stronger effects than partial protection. Benefits of full protection for fish biomass were only correlated with the level of MPA enforcement; fish density was higher in older, better enforced, and —interestingly— smaller MPAs. Our finding that even small, well-enforced, fully protected areas can have significant ecological effects is encouraging for “crowded” marine environments. However, more data are needed to evaluate sufficient MPA sizes for protecting populations of species with varying mobility levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvaine Giakoumi
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, FRE 3729 ECOMERS, Parc Valrose, 28 Avenue Valrose, 06108, Nice, France. .,ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Claudia Scianna
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, FRE 3729 ECOMERS, Parc Valrose, 28 Avenue Valrose, 06108, Nice, France
| | - Jeremiah Plass-Johnson
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, FRE 3729 ECOMERS, Parc Valrose, 28 Avenue Valrose, 06108, Nice, France.,Centre for Ocean Life, National Institute of Aquatic Resources (DTU-Aqua), Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Fiorenza Micheli
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA, 93950, USA
| | | | - Pierre Thiriet
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, UMR 7208 BOREA, Station Marine de Dinard - CRESCO, 38 Rue du Port Blanc, 35800, Dinard, France.,Research Unit Biology of Aquatic Organisms and Ecosystems (UMR 7208 BOREA) Sorbonne Universités, MNHN, UPMC, UCN, UA, CNRS, IRD - 43 Rue Cuvier, CP26, 75005, Paris, France.,UMS 2006 Patrimoine Naturel - Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CRESCO, 38 Rue du Port Blanc, 35800, Dinard, France
| | - Joachim Claudet
- National Center for Scientific Research, PSL Research University, CRIOBE, USR 3278 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Perpignan, France.,Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, Moorea, French Polynesia
| | | | - Antonio Di Franco
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, FRE 3729 ECOMERS, Parc Valrose, 28 Avenue Valrose, 06108, Nice, France
| | - Steven D Gaines
- Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93117, USA
| | - José A García-Charton
- Departamento de Ecología e Hidrología, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - Jane Lubchenco
- Oregon State University, 3029 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Jessica Reimer
- Oregon State University, 3029 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Enric Sala
- National Geographic Society, Washington, DC, 20036, USA
| | - Paolo Guidetti
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, FRE 3729 ECOMERS, Parc Valrose, 28 Avenue Valrose, 06108, Nice, France.,CoNISMa (Interuniversitary Consortium of Marine Sciences), Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Rome, Italy
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38
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Andrello M, Guilhaumon F, Albouy C, Parravicini V, Scholtens J, Verley P, Barange M, Sumaila UR, Manel S, Mouillot D. Global mismatch between fishing dependency and larval supply from marine reserves. Nat Commun 2017; 8:16039. [PMID: 28691710 PMCID: PMC5508853 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms16039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine reserves are viewed as flagship tools to protect exploited species and to contribute to the effective management of coastal fisheries. Yet, the extent to which marine reserves are globally interconnected and able to effectively seed areas, where fisheries are most critical for food and livelihood security is largely unknown. Using a hydrodynamic model of larval dispersal, we predict that most marine reserves are not interconnected by currents and that their potential benefits to fishing areas are presently limited, since countries with high dependency on coastal fisheries receive very little larval supply from marine reserves. This global mismatch could be reversed, however, by placing new marine reserves in areas sufficiently remote to minimize social and economic costs but sufficiently connected through sea currents to seed the most exploited fisheries and endangered ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Andrello
- EPHE, PSL Research University, CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier, Biogéographie et Ecologie des Vertébrés, 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France
| | - François Guilhaumon
- UMR 9190 MARBEC, IRD-CNRS-IFREMER-UM, Université de Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Camille Albouy
- Landscape Ecology, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland.,Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland.,IFREMER, Unité Ecologie et Modèles pour l'Halieutique, 44300 Nantes Cedex 3, France
| | - Valeriano Parravicini
- CRIOBE, USR 3278 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Labex 'Corail', University of Perpignan, 66860 Perpignan, France
| | - Joeri Scholtens
- MARE Centre for Maritime Research, Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research, University of Amsterdam, Plantage Muidergracht 14, 1018 Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Philippe Verley
- IRD, UMR AMAP, TA A51/PS2, Montpellier, 05 34398 Cedex, France
| | - Manuel Barange
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, PL1 3DH Plymouth, UK.,Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy
| | - U Rashid Sumaila
- Fisheries Economics Research Unit, Institute for Oceans and Fisheries &Liu Institute for Global Studies, the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada V6T 1Z
| | - Stéphanie Manel
- EPHE, PSL Research University, CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier, Biogéographie et Ecologie des Vertébrés, 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France
| | - David Mouillot
- UMR 9190 MARBEC, IRD-CNRS-IFREMER-UM, Université de Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier, France.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811 Queens Land, Australia
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39
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Gestoso I, Ramalhosa P, Oliveira P, Canning-Clode J. Marine protected communities against biological invasions: A case study from an offshore island. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2017; 119:72-80. [PMID: 28341293 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2016] [Revised: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/09/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Biological invasions are a major threat to the world's biota and are considered a major cause of biodiversity loss. Therefore, world marine policy has recognized the need for more marine protected areas (MPAs) as a major tool for biodiversity conservation. The present work experimentally evaluated how protected communities from an offshore island can face the settlement and/or expansion of nonindigenous species (NIS). First, NIS colonization success in marine protected and marina communities was compared by deploying PVC settling plates at the Garajau MPA and Funchal marina (SW Madeira Island). Then, the settling plates from the MPA were transferred to Funchal marina to test their resistance to NIS invasion under high levels of NIS pressure. Results indicated that the structure and composition of fouling communities from the MPA differed from those collected in the marina. Interestingly, communities from the protected area showed lower NIS colonization success, suggesting some degree of biotic resistance against NIS invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Gestoso
- MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Quinta do Lorde Marina, Sítio da Piedade, 9200-044 Caniçal, Madeira Island, Portugal.
| | - P Ramalhosa
- MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Quinta do Lorde Marina, Sítio da Piedade, 9200-044 Caniçal, Madeira Island, Portugal
| | - P Oliveira
- Parque Natural da Madeira, Quinta Bom Sucesso, Caminho do Meio, 9050 Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
| | - J Canning-Clode
- MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Quinta do Lorde Marina, Sítio da Piedade, 9200-044 Caniçal, Madeira Island, Portugal; Centre of IMAR of the University of the Azores, Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, Rua Prof. Dr. Frederico Machado, 4, PT-9901-862 Horta, Azores, Portugal; Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, MD 21037, USA
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40
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Costello MJ, Chaudhary C. Marine Biodiversity, Biogeography, Deep-Sea Gradients, and Conservation. Curr Biol 2017; 27:R511-R527. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.04.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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41
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Clements CS, Hay ME. Size matters: Predator outbreaks threaten foundation species in small Marine Protected Areas. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0171569. [PMID: 28166257 PMCID: PMC5293237 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0171569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2016] [Accepted: 01/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The unanticipated impacts of consumers in fragmented habitats are frequently a challenge for ecosystem management. On Indo-Pacific coral reefs, crown-of-thorns sea stars (Acanthaster spp.) are coral predators whose outbreaks cause precipitous coral decline. Across large spatial scales, Acanthaster densities are lower in large no-take Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and reefs subject to limited human exploitation. However, using a combination of observational and manipulative experiments, we found that Acanthaster densities within a network of small, no-take MPAs on reef flats in Fiji were ~2–3.4 times greater inside MPAs than in adjacent fished areas and ~2–2.5 times greater than the upper threshold density indicative of an outbreak. This appeared to result from selective Acanthaster migration to the coral-rich MPAs from fished areas that are coral-poor and dominated by macroalgae. Small MPAs can dramatically increase the cover of foundation species like corals, but may selectively attract coral predators like Acanthaster due to greater food densities within MPAs or because the MPAs are too small to support Acanthaster enemies. As coral cover increases, their chemical and visual cues may concentrate Acanthaster to outbreak densities that cause coral demise, compromising the value of small MPAs. An understanding of predator dynamics as a function of habitat type, size, and fragmentation needs to be incorporated into MPA design and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody S. Clements
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, United States of America
| | - Mark E. Hay
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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42
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Small Marine Protected Areas in Fiji Provide Refuge for Reef Fish Assemblages, Feeding Groups, and Corals. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0170638. [PMID: 28122006 PMCID: PMC5266309 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2015] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The establishment of no-take marine protected areas (MPAs) on coral reefs is a common management strategy for conserving the diversity, abundance, and biomass of reef organisms. Generally, well-managed and enforced MPAs can increase or maintain the diversity and function of the enclosed coral reef, with some of the benefits extending to adjacent non-protected reefs. A fundamental question in coral reef conservation is whether these benefits arise within small MPAs (<1 km2), because larval input of reef organisms is largely decoupled from local adult reproduction. We examined the structure of fish assemblages, composition of fish feeding groups, benthic cover, and key ecosystem processes (grazing, macroalgal browsing, and coral replenishment) in three small (0.5–0.8 km2) no-take MPAs and adjacent areas where fisheries are allowed (non-MPAs) on coral reefs in Fiji. The MPAs exhibited greater species richness, density, and biomass of fishes than non-MPAs. Furthermore, MPAs contained a greater abundance and biomass of grazing herbivores and piscivores as well as a greater abundance of cleaners than fished areas. We also found differences in fish associations when foraging, with feeding groups being generally more diverse and having greater biomass within MPAs than adjacent non-MPAs. Grazing by parrotfishes was 3–6 times greater, and macroalgal browsing was 3–5 times greater in MPAs than in non-MPAs. On average, MPAs had 260–280% as much coral cover and only 5–25% as much macroalgal cover as their paired non-MPA sites. Finally, two of the three MPAs had three-fold more coral recruits than adjacent non-MPAs. The results of this study indicate that small MPAs benefit not only populations of reef fishes, but also enhance ecosystem processes that are critical to reef resilience within the MPAs.
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43
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Global marine protected areas to prevent extinctions. Nat Ecol Evol 2017; 1:40. [PMID: 28812606 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-016-0040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
One goal of global marine protected areas (MPAs) is to ensure they represent a breadth of taxonomic biodiversity. Ensuring representation of species in MPAs, however, would require protecting vast areas of the global oceans and does not explicitly prioritize species of conservation concern. When threatened species are considered, a recent study found that only a small fraction of their geographic ranges are within the global MPA network. Which global marine areas, and what conservation actions beyond MPAs could be prioritized to prevent marine extinctions (Convention on Biological Diversity Aichi Target 12), remains unknown. Here, we use systematic conservation planning approaches to prioritize conservation actions for sharks, rays and chimaeras (class Chondrichthyes). We use chondrichthyans as they have the highest proportion of threatened species of any marine class. We find that expanding the MPA network by 3% in 70 nations would cover half of the geographic range of 99 imperilled endemic chondrichthyans. Our hotspot analysis reveals that just 12 nations harbour more than half (53) of the imperilled endemics. Four of these hotspot nations are within the top ten chondrichthyan fishing nations in the world, but are yet to implement basic chondrichthyan fisheries management. Given their geopolitical realities, conservation action for some countries will require relief and reorganization to enable sustainable fisheries and species protection.
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44
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45
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D'agata S, Mouillot D, Wantiez L, Friedlander AM, Kulbicki M, Vigliola L. Marine reserves lag behind wilderness in the conservation of key functional roles. Nat Commun 2016; 7:12000. [PMID: 27354026 PMCID: PMC4931279 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 05/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Although marine reserves represent one of the most effective management responses to human impacts, their capacity to sustain the same diversity of species, functional roles and biomass of reef fishes as wilderness areas remains questionable, in particular in regions with deep and long-lasting human footprints. Here we show that fish functional diversity and biomass of top predators are significantly higher on coral reefs located at more than 20 h travel time from the main market compared with even the oldest (38 years old), largest (17,500 ha) and most restrictive (no entry) marine reserve in New Caledonia (South-Western Pacific). We further demonstrate that wilderness areas support unique ecological values with no equivalency as one gets closer to humans, even in large and well-managed marine reserves. Wilderness areas may therefore serve as benchmarks for management effectiveness and act as the last refuges for the most vulnerable functional roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphanie D'agata
- MARBEC, UMR IRD-CNRS-UM-IFREMER 9190, Université Montpellier, Languedoc-Roussillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex, France.,ENTROPIE, UMR IRD-UR-CNRS 9220, Laboratoire d'Excellence LABEX CORAIL, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, BP A5, 98848 Nouméa Cedex, New Caledonia.,Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Marine Program, Bronx, New York 10460 USA
| | - David Mouillot
- MARBEC, UMR IRD-CNRS-UM-IFREMER 9190, Université Montpellier, Languedoc-Roussillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex, France
| | - Laurent Wantiez
- Université de Nouvelle Calédonie-EA4243 Laboratoire « LIVE » - BP R4, 98851 Nouméa-Nouvelle Calédonie
| | - Alan M Friedlander
- Fisheries Ecology Research Lab, University of Hawaii, 2538 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA.,Pristine Seas-National Geographic Society, Washington, DC 20036, USA
| | - Michel Kulbicki
- ENTROPIE, UMR IRD-UR-CNRS 9220, Laboratoire d'Excellence LABEX CORAIL, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Université de Perpignan, 66860 Perpignan Cedex 9, France
| | - Laurent Vigliola
- ENTROPIE, UMR IRD-UR-CNRS 9220, Laboratoire d'Excellence LABEX CORAIL, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, BP A5, 98848 Nouméa Cedex, New Caledonia
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McClenachan L, Cooper AB, Dulvy NK. Rethinking Trade-Driven Extinction Risk in Marine and Terrestrial Megafauna. Curr Biol 2016; 26:1640-1646. [PMID: 27291051 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Revised: 05/06/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Large animals hunted for the high value of their parts (e.g., elephant ivory and shark fins) are at risk of extinction due to both intensive international trade pressure and intrinsic biological sensitivity. However, the relative role of trade, particularly in non-perishable products, and biological factors in driving extinction risk is not well understood [1-4]. Here we identify a taxonomically diverse group of >100 marine and terrestrial megafauna targeted for international luxury markets; estimate their value across three points of sale; test relationships among extinction risk, high value, and body size; and quantify the effects of two mitigating factors: poaching fines and geographic range size. We find that body size is the principal driver of risk for lower value species, but that this biological pattern is eliminated above a value threshold, meaning that the most valuable species face a high extinction risk regardless of size. For example, once mean product values exceed US$12,557 kg(-1), body size no longer drives risk. Total value scales with size for marine animals more strongly than for terrestrial animals, incentivizing the hunting of large marine individuals and species. Poaching fines currently have little effect on extinction risk; fines would need to be increased 10- to 100-fold to be effective. Large geographic ranges reduce risk for terrestrial, but not marine, species, whose ranges are ten times greater. Our results underscore both the evolutionary and ecosystem consequences of targeting large marine animals and the need to geographically scale up and prioritize conservation of high-value marine species to avoid extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loren McClenachan
- Environmental Studies Program, Colby College, Waterville, ME 04901 USA.
| | - Andrew B Cooper
- School of Resource and Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Nicholas K Dulvy
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
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Marra S, Coppa S, Camedda A, Mazzoldi C, Wrachien F, Massaro G, de Lucia GA. Recovery Trends of Commercial Fish: The Case of an Underperforming Mediterranean Marine Protected Area. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0146391. [PMID: 26741959 PMCID: PMC4704826 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2015] [Accepted: 12/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Temporal trends in the recovery of exploited species in marine protected areas (MPAs) are useful for a proper assessment of the efficacy of protection measures. The effects of protection on the fish assemblages of the sublittoral rocky reefs in the “Penisola del Sinis-Isola di Mal di Ventre” MPA (W. Sardinia, Italy) were evaluated using a multi-year series of data. Four surveys, conducted 7, 10, 13 and 15 years after the area was designated as an MPA and carried out in the period spanning June and July, were used to estimate the abundance and biomass of commercial species. The surveys were carried out in zones with decreasing levels of fishing restrictions within the MPA (zones A, B, C) and in unprotected zones (OUT1 and OUT2), and underwater video visual census techniques were used. Protected zones only occasionally showed higher levels of abundance or biomass, and the trajectories of those metrics were not consistent across the years. In addition, the zone with the highest level of protection (zone A) never presented levels of abundance and biomass higher than those in zones B and C. This study shows that even 15 years after designation, protection has had no appreciable effect in the MPA studied. It is argued that this is emblematic of several shortcomings in the planning, regulation and enforcement frameworks of the MPA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Marra
- Institute for Coastal Marine Environment-National Research Council (IAMC-CNR), Oristano, Italy
- Department of Ecology and Biology, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Stefania Coppa
- Institute for Coastal Marine Environment-National Research Council (IAMC-CNR), Oristano, Italy
| | - Andrea Camedda
- Institute for Coastal Marine Environment-National Research Council (IAMC-CNR), Oristano, Italy
| | | | - Francesco Wrachien
- Marine Protected Area “Penisola del Sinis-Isola di Mal di Ventre”, Cabras, Italy
| | - Giorgio Massaro
- Marine Protected Area “Penisola del Sinis-Isola di Mal di Ventre”, Cabras, Italy
| | - G. Andrea de Lucia
- Institute for Coastal Marine Environment-National Research Council (IAMC-CNR), Oristano, Italy
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