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Zhang X, Carroll EL, Constantine R, Andrews-Goff V, Childerhouse S, Cole R, Goetz KT, Meyer C, Ogle M, Harcourt R, Stuck E, Zerbini AN, Riekkola L. Effectiveness of marine protected areas in safeguarding important migratory megafauna habitat. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 368:122116. [PMID: 39116808 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 08/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a commonly used management tool to safeguard marine life from anthropogenic impacts, yet their efficacy often remains untested. Evaluating how highly dynamic marine species use static MPAs is challenging but becoming more feasible with the advancement of telemetry data. Here, we focus on southern right whales (Eubalaena australis, SRWs) in the waters off Aotearoa/New Zealand, which declined from 30,000 whales to fewer than 40 mature females due to whaling. Now numbering in the low thousands, the key socializing and nursery areas for this population in the remote subantarctic islands are under the protection of different types of MPAs. However, the effectiveness of these MPAs in encompassing important whale habitat and protecting the whales from vessel traffic has not been investigated. To address this, we analyzed telemetry data from 29 SRWs tagged at the Auckland Islands between 2009 and 2022. We identified two previously unknown and currently unprotected areas that were used by the whales for important behaviors such as foraging, socializing, or resting. Additionally, by combining whale locations and vessel tracking data (2020-2022) during peak breeding period (June to October), we found high spatiotemporal overlap between whales and vessels within several MPAs, suggesting the whales could still be vulnerable to multiple anthropogenic stressors even when within areas designated for protection. Our results identify areas to be prioritized for future monitoring and investigation to support the ongoing recovery of this SRW population, as well as highlight the overarching importance of assessing MPA effectiveness post-implementation, especially in a changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuelei Zhang
- Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland/Waipapa Taumata Rau, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Emma L Carroll
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland/Waipapa Taumata Rau, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Rochelle Constantine
- Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland/Waipapa Taumata Rau, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand; School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland/Waipapa Taumata Rau, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Virginia Andrews-Goff
- Australian Antarctic Division, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, 203 Channel Highway, Kingston, Tasmania, 7050, Australia
| | - Simon Childerhouse
- Environmental Law Initiative, 75 Taranaki St, Te Aro, Wellington, 6011, New Zealand
| | - Rosalind Cole
- Department of Conservation - Te Papa Atawhai, Invercargill Office, PO Box 743, Invercargill, 9840, New Zealand
| | - Kimberly T Goetz
- Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA, 98115, United States
| | - Catherine Meyer
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland/Waipapa Taumata Rau, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Mike Ogle
- Department of Conservation - Te Papa Atawhai, Takaka Office, 62 Commercial Street, Takaka, 7110, New Zealand
| | - Robert Harcourt
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, 18 Wally's Walk, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Esther Stuck
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland/Waipapa Taumata Rau, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Alexandre N Zerbini
- Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA, 98115, United States; Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, & Ecosystem Studies, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98105, United States; Marine Ecology and Telemetry Research, Seabeck, WA, 98380, United States
| | - Leena Riekkola
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland/Waipapa Taumata Rau, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.
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