1
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González-Trujillo JD, Alagador D, González-Del-Pliego P, Araújo MB. Exposure of protected areas in Central America to extreme weather events. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024; 38:e14251. [PMID: 38462849 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14251] [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: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Central America and the Caribbean are regularly battered by megadroughts, heavy rainfall, heat waves, and tropical cyclones. Although 21st-century climate change is expected to increase the frequency, intensity, and duration of these extreme weather events (EWEs), their incidence in regional protected areas (PAs) remains poorly explored. We examined historical and projected EWEs across the region based on 32 metrics that describe distinct dimensions (i.e., intensity, duration, and frequency) of heat waves, cyclones, droughts, and rainfall and compared trends in PAs with trends in unprotected lands. From the early 21st century onward, exposure to EWEs increased across the region, and PAs were predicted to be more exposed to climate extremes than unprotected areas (as shown by autoregressive model coefficients at p < 0.05 significance level). This was particularly true for heat waves, which were projected to have a significantly higher average (tested by Wilcoxon tests at p < 0.01) intensity and duration, and tropical cyclones, which affected PAs more severely in carbon-intensive scenarios. PAs were also predicted to be significantly less exposed to droughts and heavy rainfall than unprotected areas (tested by Wilcoxon tests at p < 0.01). However, droughts that could threaten connectivity between PAs are increasingly common in this region. We estimated that approximately 65% of the study area will experience at least one drought episode that is more intense and longer lasting than previous droughts. Collectively, our results highlight that new conservation strategies adapted to threats associated with EWEs need to be tailored and implemented promptly. Unless urgent action is taken, significant damage may be inflicted on the unique biodiversity of the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan David González-Trujillo
- Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Diogo Alagador
- Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal
| | - Pamela González-Del-Pliego
- Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal
| | - Miguel B Araújo
- Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
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2
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Waller MJ, Humphries NE, Womersley FC, Loveridge A, Jeffries AL, Watanabe Y, Payne N, Semmens J, Queiroz N, Southall EJ, Sims DW. The vulnerability of sharks, skates, and rays to ocean deoxygenation: Physiological mechanisms, behavioral responses, and ecological impacts. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 38852616 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Levels of dissolved oxygen in open ocean and coastal waters are decreasing (ocean deoxygenation), with poorly understood effects on marine megafauna. All of the more than 1000 species of elasmobranchs (sharks, skates, and rays) are obligate water breathers, with a variety of life-history strategies and oxygen requirements. This review demonstrates that although many elasmobranchs typically avoid hypoxic water, they also appear capable of withstanding mild to moderate hypoxia with changes in activity, ventilatory responses, alterations to circulatory and hematological parameters, and morphological alterations to gill structures. However, such strategies may be insufficient to withstand severe, progressive, or prolonged hypoxia or anoxia where anaerobic metabolic pathways may be used for limited periods. As water temperatures increase with climate warming, ectothermic elasmobranchs will exhibit elevated metabolic rates and are likely to be less able to tolerate the effects of even mild hypoxia associated with deoxygenation. As a result, sustained hypoxic conditions in warmer coastal or surface-pelagic waters are likely to lead to shifts in elasmobranch distributions. Mass mortalities of elasmobranchs linked directly to deoxygenation have only rarely been observed but are likely underreported. One key concern is how reductions in habitat volume as a result of expanding hypoxia resulting from deoxygenation will influence interactions between elasmobranchs and industrial fisheries. Catch per unit of effort of threatened pelagic sharks by longline fisheries, for instance, has been shown to be higher above oxygen minimum zones compared to adjacent, normoxic regions, and attributed to vertical habitat compression of sharks overlapping with increased fishing effort. How a compound stressor such as marine heatwaves alters vulnerability to deoxygenation remains an open question. With over a third of elasmobranch species listed as endangered, a priority for conservation and management now lies in understanding and mitigating ocean deoxygenation effects in addition to population declines already occurring from overfishing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt J Waller
- Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Plymouth, UK
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | | | | | | | - Amy L Jeffries
- Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Plymouth, UK
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Yuuki Watanabe
- Research Center for Integrative Evolutionary Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Nicholas Payne
- Department of Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Jayson Semmens
- Institue for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - Nuno Queiroz
- CIBIO/InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS, Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Vairão, Portugal
| | | | - David W Sims
- Marine Biological Association, The Laboratory, Plymouth, UK
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
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3
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Srednick G, Swearer SE. Effects of protection and temperature variation on temporal stability in a marine reserve network. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024; 38:e14220. [PMID: 37937466 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14220] [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: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the drivers of ecosystem stability has been a key focus of modern ecology as the impacts of the Anthropocene become more prevalent and extreme. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are tools used globally to promote biodiversity and mediate anthropogenic impacts. However, assessing the stability of natural ecosystems and responses to management actions is inherently challenging due to the complex dynamics of communities with many interdependent taxa. Using a 12-year time series of subtidal community structure in an MPA network in the Channel Islands (United States), we estimated species interaction strength (competition and predation), prey species synchrony, and temporal stability in trophic networks, as well as temporal variation in sea surface temperature to explore the causal drivers of temporal stability at community and metacommunity scales. At the community scale, only trophic networks in MPAs at Santa Rosa Island showed greater temporal stability than reference sites, likely driven by reduced prey synchrony. Across islands, competition was sometimes greater and predation always greater in MPAs compared with reference sites. Increases in interaction strength resulted in lower temporal stability of trophic networks. Although MPAs reduced prey synchrony at the metacommunity scale, reductions were insufficient to stabilize trophic networks. In contrast, temporal variation in sea surface temperature had strong positive direct effects on stability at the regional scale and indirect effects at the local scale through reductions in species interaction strength. Although MPAs can be effective management strategies for protecting certain species or locations, our findings for this MPA network suggest that temperature variation has a stronger influence on metacommunity temporal stability by mediating species interactions and promoting a mosaic of spatiotemporal variation in community structure of trophic networks. By capturing the full spectrum of environmental variation in network planning, MPAs will have the greatest capacity to promote ecosystem stability in response to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Griffin Srednick
- National Centre for Coasts and Climate, School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Stephen E Swearer
- National Centre for Coasts and Climate, School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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4
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Fredston AL, Cheung WWL, Frölicher TL, Kitchel ZJ, Maureaud AA, Thorson JT, Auber A, Mérigot B, Palacios-Abrantes J, Palomares MLD, Pecuchet L, Shackell NL, Pinsky ML. Marine heatwaves are not a dominant driver of change in demersal fishes. Nature 2023; 621:324-329. [PMID: 37648851 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06449-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Marine heatwaves have been linked to negative ecological effects in recent decades1,2. If marine heatwaves regularly induce community reorganization and biomass collapses in fishes, the consequences could be catastrophic for ecosystems, fisheries and human communities3,4. However, the extent to which marine heatwaves have negative impacts on fish biomass or community composition, or even whether their effects can be distinguished from natural and sampling variability, remains unclear. We investigated the effects of 248 sea-bottom heatwaves from 1993 to 2019 on marine fishes by analysing 82,322 hauls (samples) from long-term scientific surveys of continental shelf ecosystems in North America and Europe spanning the subtropics to the Arctic. Here we show that the effects of marine heatwaves on fish biomass were often minimal and could not be distinguished from natural and sampling variability. Furthermore, marine heatwaves were not consistently associated with tropicalization (gain of warm-affiliated species) or deborealization (loss of cold-affiliated species) in these ecosystems. Although steep declines in biomass occasionally occurred after marine heatwaves, these were the exception, not the rule. Against the highly variable backdrop of ocean ecosystems, marine heatwaves have not driven biomass change or community turnover in fish communities that support many of the world's largest and most productive fisheries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexa L Fredston
- Department of Ocean Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
| | - William W L Cheung
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Thomas L Frölicher
- Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Zoë J Kitchel
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Aurore A Maureaud
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - James T Thorson
- Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Arnaud Auber
- Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la MER (Ifremer), Unité Halieutique Manche Mer du Nord, Laboratoire Ressources Halieutiques, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
| | | | - Juliano Palacios-Abrantes
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Maria Lourdes D Palomares
- Sea Around Us, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Nancy L Shackell
- Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Malin L Pinsky
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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5
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Brandl SJ, Weigt LA, Pitassy DE, Coker DJ, Patrick CJ, Luchese MH, Berumen ML, Buskey EJ, Casey JM, Di Domenico M, Soeth M, Topor ZM, Duffy JE, Baldwin CC, Hagedorn M, Parenti LR. Using standardized fish‐specific autonomous reef monitoring structures (
FARMS
) to quantify cryptobenthic fish communities. Methods Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.14085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Simon J. Brandl
- Department of Marine Science The University of Texas at Austin, Marine Science Institute Port Aransas Texas USA
- Laboratories of Analytical Biology, National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution Washington District of Columbia USA
| | - Lee A. Weigt
- Laboratories of Analytical Biology, National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution Washington District of Columbia USA
| | - Diane E. Pitassy
- Laboratories of Analytical Biology, National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution Washington District of Columbia USA
| | - Darren J. Coker
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Christopher J. Patrick
- Department of Biological Sciences Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary Gloucester Point Virginia USA
| | - Matheus H. Luchese
- Center for Marine Studies Federal University of Paraná Paraná Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Coastal and Oceanic Systems Federal University of Paraná Paraná Brazil
| | - Michael L. Berumen
- Red Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Thuwal Saudi Arabia
| | - Edward J. Buskey
- Department of Marine Science The University of Texas at Austin, Marine Science Institute Port Aransas Texas USA
| | - Jordan M. Casey
- Department of Marine Science The University of Texas at Austin, Marine Science Institute Port Aransas Texas USA
| | | | - Marcelo Soeth
- Postgraduate Program in Coastal and Oceanic Systems Federal University of Paraná Paraná Brazil
- Marine Fish Ecology Laboratory North University Center of Espírito Santo, Federal University of Espírito Santo São Mateus Brazil
| | | | - J. Emmett Duffy
- Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network and MarineGEO Program Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Edgewater Maryland USA
| | - Carole C. Baldwin
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution Washington District of Columbia USA
| | - Mary Hagedorn
- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute Smithsonian Institution Front Royal Virginia USA
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Kāne'ohe Hawai'i USA
| | - Lynne R. Parenti
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution Washington District of Columbia USA
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6
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Ziegler SL, Johnson JM, Brooks RO, Johnston EM, Mohay JL, Ruttenberg BI, Starr RM, Waltz GT, Wendt DE, Hamilton SL. Marine protected areas, marine heatwaves, and the resilience of nearshore fish communities. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1405. [PMID: 36697490 PMCID: PMC9876911 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28507-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic stressors from climate change can affect individual species, community structure, and ecosystem function. Marine heatwaves (MHWs) are intense thermal anomalies where water temperature is significantly elevated for five or more days. Climate projections suggest an increase in the frequency and severity of MHWs in the coming decades. While there is evidence that marine protected areas (MPAs) may be able to buffer individual species from climate impacts, there is not sufficient evidence to support the idea that MPAs can mitigate large-scale changes in marine communities in response to MHWs. California experienced an intense MHW and subsequent El Niño Southern Oscillation event from 2014 to 2016. We sought to examine changes in rocky reef fish communities at four MPAs and associated reference sites in relation to the MHW. We observed a decline in taxonomic diversity and a profound shift in trophic diversity inside and outside MPAs following the MHW. However, MPAs seemed to dampen the loss of trophic diversity and in the four years following the MHW, taxonomic diversity recovered 75% faster in the MPAs compared to reference sites. Our results suggest that MPAs may contribute to long-term resilience of nearshore fish communities through both resistance to change and recovery from warming events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelby L Ziegler
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, San Jose State University, Moss Landing, CA, 95039, USA. .,Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
| | - Jasmin M Johnson
- Department of Marine Science, California State University Monterey Bay, Seaside, CA, 93955, USA
| | - Rachel O Brooks
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, San Jose State University, Moss Landing, CA, 95039, USA
| | - Erin M Johnston
- Center for Coastal Marine Sciences, Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407, USA
| | - Jacklyn L Mohay
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, San Jose State University, Moss Landing, CA, 95039, USA
| | - Benjamin I Ruttenberg
- Center for Coastal Marine Sciences, Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407, USA
| | - Richard M Starr
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, San Jose State University, Moss Landing, CA, 95039, USA
| | - Grant T Waltz
- Center for Coastal Marine Sciences, Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407, USA
| | - Dean E Wendt
- Center for Coastal Marine Sciences, Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407, USA
| | - Scott L Hamilton
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, San Jose State University, Moss Landing, CA, 95039, USA
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7
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Spurgeon E, Anderson JM, Liu Y, Barajas VL, Lowe CG. Quantifying thermal cues that initiate mass emigrations in juvenile white sharks. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19874. [PMID: 36400943 PMCID: PMC9674695 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24377-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
While the function of migration varies among species, environmental temperature is known to be one of the most important abiotic variables that drive animal migration; however, quantifying the thresholds and timing of the cues that influence a mass emigration is difficult, often due to lack of monitoring resolution, particularly for large, highly mobile species. We used acoustic telemetry tracking and high-resolution water temperature data over a relatively large spatial scale (5.5 km2) to identify and quantify a thermal threshold for mass emigration of juvenile white sharks. Sixteen tagged sharks were observed to initiate a search for warmer water within 10-12 hours of an upwelling event where water temperatures dropped below 14 °C. Eleven sharks traveled ~ 35 km away where they experienced similar cold temperatures before returning to the aggregation site within 24 hours. Five days following the upwelling event, most sharks emigrated from the site for the season. Quantifying movement patterns across different spatial and temporal scales is necessary to understand cues and thresholds influencing animal migration, which may be greatly affected by climate anomalies and climate change, resulting in potential impacts on the dynamics of local prey species, management, and conservation policy and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Spurgeon
- grid.213902.b0000 0000 9093 6830Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90840 USA
| | - James M. Anderson
- grid.213902.b0000 0000 9093 6830Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90840 USA
| | - Yi Liu
- grid.263817.90000 0004 1773 1790School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Vianey Leos Barajas
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Statistical Science and School of the Environment, University of Toronto, 27 King’s College Cir, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1 Canada
| | - Christopher G. Lowe
- grid.213902.b0000 0000 9093 6830Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90840 USA
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8
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Spector M, Clevenstine AJ, Cajandig M, Caldow C, Duncan EA, Peavey Reeves LE, Freedman RM. Network analysis reveals aggregation behaviour for an endangered predator at an offshore island. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2022; 101:1366-1370. [PMID: 35920367 PMCID: PMC9826185 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Site fidelity and aggregation behaviour were assessed for giant sea bass Stereolepis gigas (GSB) at Santa Barbara Island, California, USA, from 2018 to 2020. Results indicate seasonal variation in GSB presence, and network analyses revealed a preferred location in a spatially constrained pattern, indicative of aggregation behaviour. Results show GSB aggregated annually during spawning months in the same location, confirming the first known aggregation of GSB at Santa Barbara Island. Identifying and monitoring aggregation sites is vital to ensuring proper protection and ultimate recovery for this protected species in a changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Spector
- NOAA Olympic Coast National Marine SanctuaryPort AngelesWashingtonUSA
| | | | | | - Chris Caldow
- NOAA Channel Islands National Marine SanctuarySanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
| | | | | | - Ryan M. Freedman
- NOAA Channel Islands National Marine SanctuarySanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
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9
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Climate benefits from establishing marine protected areas targeted at blue carbon solutions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2121705119. [PMID: 35653565 PMCID: PMC9191663 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2121705119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
SignificanceMarine conservation and the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) have gained attention as ways to protect and restore ecosystems and rebuild fish populations. They may also play an important role in sequestering carbon and reducing emissions from sources such as habitat degradation. Implementing six strategies for enhancing blue carbon sinks, including establishing MPAs to protect and restore coastal wetlands, macroalgae forests, and seafloor sediments and expand seaweed farming can not only remove significant amounts of carbon and avoid emissions but also bring many more environmental and human-related benefits.
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10
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Ovando D, Caselle JE, Costello C, Deschenes O, Gaines SD, Hilborn R, Liu O. Assessing the population-level conservation effects of marine protected areas. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2021; 35:1861-1870. [PMID: 34190357 PMCID: PMC9290450 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Marine protected areas (MPAs) cover 3-7% of the world's ocean, and international organizations call for 30% coverage by 2030. Although numerous studies show that MPAs produce conservation benefits inside their borders, many MPAs are also justified on the grounds that they confer conservation benefits to the connected populations that span beyond their borders. A network of MPAs covering roughly 20% of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary was established in 2003, with a goal of providing regional conservation and fishery benefits. We used a spatially explicit bioeconomic simulation model and a Bayesian difference-in-difference regression to examine the conditions under which MPAs can provide population-level conservation benefits inside and outside their borders and to assess evidence of those benefits in the Channel Islands. As of 2017, we estimated that biomass densities of targeted fin-fish had a median value 81% higher (90% credible interval: 23-148) inside the Channel Island MPAs than outside. However, we found no clear effect of these MPAs on mean total biomass densities at the population level: estimated median effect was -7% (90% credible interval: -31 to 23) from 2015 to 2017. Our simulation model showed that effect sizes of MPAs of <30% were likely to be difficult to detect (even when they were present); smaller effect sizes (which are likely to be common) were even harder to detect. Clearly, communicating expectations and uncertainties around MPAs is critical to ensuring that MPAs are effective. We provide a novel assessment of the population-level effects of a large MPA network across many different species of targeted fin-fish, and our results offer guidance for communities charged with monitoring and adapting MPAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ovando
- School of Aquatic and Fishery SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Jennifer E. Caselle
- Marine Science InstituteUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
| | - Christopher Costello
- Environmental Market Solutions LabUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
- Bren School of Environmental Science and ManagementUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
| | - Olivier Deschenes
- Environmental Market Solutions LabUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
- Department of EconomicsUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
| | - Steven D. Gaines
- Environmental Market Solutions LabUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
- Bren School of Environmental Science and ManagementUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
| | - Ray Hilborn
- School of Aquatic and Fishery SciencesUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Owen Liu
- Bren School of Environmental Science and ManagementUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
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11
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Smith KE, Burrows MT, Hobday AJ, Sen Gupta A, Moore PJ, Thomsen M, Wernberg T, Smale DA. Socioeconomic impacts of marine heatwaves: Global issues and opportunities. Science 2021; 374:eabj3593. [PMID: 34672757 DOI: 10.1126/science.abj3593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
[Figure: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn E Smith
- Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK
| | | | | | - Alex Sen Gupta
- Climate Change Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Pippa J Moore
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Mads Thomsen
- The Marine Ecology Research Group, Centre of Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, 8041 Christchurch, New Zealand.,Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Thomas Wernberg
- University of Western Australia, Oceans Institute and School of Biological Sciences, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia.,Institute of Marine Research, Floedevigen, 4817 His, Norway
| | - Dan A Smale
- Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK
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12
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Alabia ID, García Molinos J, Hirata T, Mueter FJ, Hirawake T, Saitoh SI. Marine biodiversity refugia in a climate-sensitive subarctic shelf. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:3299-3311. [PMID: 33899298 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The subarctic shelf of the Eastern Bering Sea (EBS) is one of the world's most productive marine environments, exposed to drastic climate changes characterized by extreme fluctuations in temperature, sea ice concentration, timing, and duration. These climatic changes elicit profound responses in species distribution, abundance, and community composition. Here, we examined the patterns of alpha and temporal beta diversity of 159 marine taxa (66 vertebrates and 93 invertebrate species) from 29 years (1990-2018) of species observations from the NOAA bottom trawl surveys in the EBS. Based on these data, we identified geographically distinct refugial zones in the northern and southern regions of the middle shelf, defined by high species richness and similarity in community species composition over time. These refugial zones harbor higher frequencies of occurrence for representative taxa relative to the regions outside of refugia. We also explored the primary environmental factors structuring marine biodiversity distributions, which underpinned the importance of the winter sea ice concentration to alpha and temporal beta diversity. The spatial biodiversity distributions between high and low winter sea ice regimes highlighted contrasting signals. In particular, the latter showed elevated species richness compared to the former. Further, the temporal beta diversity between the high and low winter sea ice periods underpinned an overall increase in the compositional similarity of marine communities in the EBS. Despite these spatiotemporal differences in biodiversity distributions, the identified refugia represent safe havens of marine biodiversity in the EBS. Distinguishing these areas can help facilitate conservation and management efforts under accelerated and ongoing climatic changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene D Alabia
- Arctic Research Center, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Jorge García Molinos
- Arctic Research Center, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Global Station for Arctic Research, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Takafumi Hirata
- Arctic Research Center, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Franz J Mueter
- College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Juneau, AK, USA
| | - Toru Hirawake
- Faculty of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Japan
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Freedman R, Brown JA, Caldow C, Caselle JE. Species-specific thermal classification schemes can improve climate related marine resource decisions. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0250792. [PMID: 33909693 PMCID: PMC8081253 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Global climate change increasingly contributes to large changes in ecosystem structure. Timely management of rapidly changing marine ecosystems must be matched with methods to rapidly quantify and assess climate driven impacts to ecological communities. Here we create a species-specific, classification system for fish thermal affinities, using three quantifiable datasets and expert opinion. Multiple sources of information limit potential data bias and avoid misclassification. Using a temperate kelp forest fish community in California, USA as a test case for this new methodology, we found the majority of species had high classification agreement across all four data sources (n = 78) but also a number of low agreement species (2 sources disagree from the others, n = 47). For species with low agreement, use of just one dataset to classify species, as is commonly done, would lead to high risk of misclassification. Differences in species classification between individual datasets and our composite classification were apparent. Applying different thermal classifications, lead to different conclusions when quantifying 'warm' and 'cool' species density responses to a marine heatwave. Managers can use this classification approach as a tool to generate accurate, timely and simple information for resource management.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Freedman
- NOAA Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America
- Ecology Evolution and Marine Biology Department, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America
| | - J. A. Brown
- NOAA Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America
- ECOS Consulting, LLC, Lafayette, CA, United States of America
| | - C. Caldow
- NOAA Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America
| | - J. E. Caselle
- Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America
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