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Plön S, Andra K, Auditore L, Gegout C, Hale PJ, Hampe O, Ramilo-Henry M, Burkhardt-Holm P, Jaigirdar AM, Klein L, Maewashe MK, Müssig J, Ramsarup N, Roussouw N, Sabin R, Shongwe TC, Tuddenham P. Marine mammals as indicators of Anthropocene Ocean Health. NPJ BIODIVERSITY 2024; 3:24. [PMID: 39256530 DOI: 10.1038/s44185-024-00055-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024]
Abstract
The current state of marine mammal populations reflects increasing anthropogenic impacts on the global Ocean. Adopting a holistic approach towards marine mammal health, incorporating healthy individuals and healthy populations, these taxa present indicators of the health of the overall Ocean system. Their present deterioration at the animal, population and ecosystem level has implications for human health and the global system. In the Anthropocene, multiple planetary boundaries have already been exceeded, and quiet tipping points in the Ocean may present further uncertainties. Long and short-term monitoring of marine mammal health in the holistic sense is urgently required to assist in evaluating and reversing the impact on Ocean Health and aid in climate change mitigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Plön
- Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS), Stellenbosch, South Africa.
- Forschungsinstitut für Philosophie Hannover (FIPH), Hannover, Germany.
- Hanse Wissenschaftskolleg (HWK), Delmenhorst, Germany.
| | - K Andra
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - L Auditore
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - C Gegout
- School of Politics and International Relations, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - P J Hale
- Department for the History of Science, Technology & Medicine, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
- Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg, Institute for Advanced Study, Delmenhorst, Germany
| | - O Hampe
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Berlin, Germany, Invalidenstraße 43
- Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Fachrichtung Paläontologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany, Malteserstr. 74-100
| | - M Ramilo-Henry
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - P Burkhardt-Holm
- Department of Environmental Sciences, MGU, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - A M Jaigirdar
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - L Klein
- European School of Governance (EUSG), Berlin, Germany
- International Federation for Systems Research, Vienna, Austria
| | - M K Maewashe
- Department of Oceanography, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - J Müssig
- The Biological Materials Group, Department of Biomimetics, HSB - City University of Applied Sciences, Bremen, Germany
| | - N Ramsarup
- Department of Oceanography, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - N Roussouw
- Bayworld Centre for Research and Education (BCRE), Gqeberha, South Africa
| | - R Sabin
- Natural History Museum (NHM), London, UK
| | - T C Shongwe
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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2
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Reamer MB. Communicating ocean and human health connections: An agenda for research and practice. Front Public Health 2022; 10:1033905. [PMID: 36530715 PMCID: PMC9755358 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1033905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of ocean and human health (OHH) science as a distinct scholarly discipline has led to increased research outputs from experts in both the natural and social sciences. Formal research on communication strategies, messaging, and campaigns related to OHH science remains limited despite its importance as part of the social processes that can make knowledge actionable. When utilized to communicate visible, local issues for targeting audiences, OHH themes hold the potential to motivate action in pursuit of solutions to environmental challenges, supplementing efforts to address large-scale, abstract, or politicized issues such as ocean acidification or climate change. Probing peer-reviewed literature from relevant areas of study, this review article outlines and reveals associations between society and the quality of coastal and marine ecosystems, as well as key themes, concepts, and findings in OHH science and environmental communication. Recommendations for future work concerning effective ocean and human health science communication are provided, creating a platform for innovative scholarship, evidence-based practice, and novel collaboration across disciplines.
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3
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Xu W, He M, Meng W, Zhang Y, Yun H, Lu Y, Huang Z, Mo X, Hu B, Liu B, Li H. Temporal-spatial change of China's coastal ecosystems health and driving factors analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 845:157319. [PMID: 35839892 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the spatial distribution pattern change and driving factors behind ecosystem health is essential to ecosystem management and restoration. However, in the research of regional ecosystem health, there is little research on ecosystem health in coastal regions, and there is little exploration of its temporal and spatial pattern change and its driving factors. In this study, we use the Vigor-Organization-Resilience-Services (VORS) model and marine ecosystem health index to diagnose the ecosystem health of the whole coastal area of China over the last 20 years, and find the main contributing factors affecting ecosystem health with the help of geographic detectors and geographic weighted regression analysis. Our results show that: (1) the ecosystem health level in the south of the coastal region is higher than that in the north, mainly with 30° north latitude as the main dividing line. (2) The regions with high change rate are mainly concentrated in Bohai Bay, the Yangtze River Estuary, Hangzhou Bay and the Pearl River Estuary, and the change is mainly negative. (3) Both natural and human factors have an impact on ecosystem health, and the influencing factors are different on different scales. The interaction between different factors is greater than the impact of a single factor on ecosystem health. The study puts forward a new evaluation framework for the study of ecosystem health in coastal areas, which can be applied to other coastal areas with similar conditions, and can help the sustainable and healthy development of coastal areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbin Xu
- School of Geographic and Environmental Science, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Mengxuan He
- School of Geographic and Environmental Science, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China.
| | - Weiqing Meng
- School of Geographic and Environmental Science, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- School of Geographic and Environmental Science, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Haofan Yun
- School of Geographic and Environmental Science, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Yalan Lu
- School of Geographic and Environmental Science, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Zhimei Huang
- School of Geographic and Environmental Science, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Xunqiang Mo
- School of Geographic and Environmental Science, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Beibei Hu
- School of Geographic and Environmental Science, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Baiqiao Liu
- School of Geographic and Environmental Science, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Hongyuan Li
- College of Environment Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
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4
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Castro-Cadenas MD, Loiseau C, Reimer JM, Claudet J. Tracking changes in social-ecological systems along environmental disturbances with the ocean health index. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 841:156423. [PMID: 35660614 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156423] [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: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The well-being of coastal communities is intimately tied to a healthy ocean, but coastal social-ecological systems are among the most vulnerable to global change. Improving the resilience of coastal communities requires an understanding of how local social-ecological systems respond to shocks to better inform decision-making and adapt local management interventions. However, assessments of social-ecological changes throughout a disturbance regime are scarce at the local level, although critical for efficient natural resource management and sustainable use of ocean ecosystem services. Here, we apply the Ocean Health Index (OHI) to assess the status of the marine social-ecological system of a tropical island (Moorea, French Polynesia), and track changes of the system before, during and after a disturbance regime. Our results show that while there are signs of social-ecological recovery, coastal protection was most affected along the disturbance, and that there is room for improvement toward biodiversity conservation. In addition, our study highlights some context-specific challenges associated with local OHI assessments, particularly those driven by limited fisheries data and appropriate reference point selection for coastal protection. Our results demonstrate the value of localized, regular OHI assessments through time to track changes in marine social-ecological systems, while uncovering important data gaps, to inform management at appropriate scales for decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- María D Castro-Cadenas
- National Center for Scientific Research, PSL Université Paris, CRIOBE, USR 3278 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Maison de l'Océan, 195 rue Saint-Jacques, 75005 Paris, France.
| | - Charles Loiseau
- National Center for Scientific Research, PSL Université Paris, CRIOBE, USR 3278 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Maison de l'Océan, 195 rue Saint-Jacques, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Julie M Reimer
- Department of Geography, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Newfoundland, Canada
| | - Joachim Claudet
- National Center for Scientific Research, PSL Université Paris, CRIOBE, USR 3278 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Maison de l'Océan, 195 rue Saint-Jacques, 75005 Paris, France; Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, Moorea, French Polynesia
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5
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Fajardo P, Beauchesne D, Carbajal-López A, Daigle RM, Fierro-Arcos LD, Goldsmit J, Zajderman S, Valdez-Hernández JI, Terán Maigua MY, Christofoletti RA. Aichi Target 18 beyond 2020: mainstreaming Traditional Biodiversity Knowledge in the conservation and sustainable use of marine and coastal ecosystems. PeerJ 2021; 9:e9616. [PMID: 33585077 PMCID: PMC7852408 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) have inhabited coastal areas, the seas, and remote islands for millennia, and developed place-based traditional ancestral knowledge and diversified livelihoods associated with the biocultural use of marine and coastal ecosystems. Through their cultural traditions, customary wise practices, and holistic approaches to observe, monitor, understand, and appreciate the Natural World, IPLCs have been preserving, managing, and sustainably using seascapes and coastal landscapes, which has been essential for biodiversity conservation. The international community has more than ever recognized the central role of IPLCs in the conservation of biodiversity-rich ecosystems, in particular, for the achievement of the Global Biodiversity Targets determined by the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity to tackle biodiversity loss. However, much remains to be done to fully recognize and protect at national levels IPLCs' Traditional Biodiversity Knowledge (TBK), ways of life, and their internationally recognized rights to inhabit, own, manage and govern traditional lands, territories, and waters, which are increasingly threatened. At the 2018 4th World Conference on Marine Biodiversity held in Montréal, Canada, eight themed working groups critically discussed progress to date and barriers that have prevented the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets agreed for the period 2011-2020, and priority actions for the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. Discussions in the "Application of Biodiversity Knowledge" working group focused on Targets 11 and 18 and the equal valuation of diverse Biodiversity Knowledge Systems (BKS). This Perspective Paper summarizes the 10 Priority Actions identified for a holistic biodiversity conservation, gender equality and human rights-based approach that strengthens the role of IPLCs as biodiversity conservation decision-makers and managers at national and international levels. Furthermore, the Perspective proposes a measurable Target 18 post-2020 and discusses actions to advance the recognition of community-based alternative conservation schemes and TBK to ensure the long-lasting conservation, customary biocultural use, and sustainable multi-functional management of nature around the globe.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David Beauchesne
- Institut des sciences de la mer, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, QC, Canada
- Québec Océan, Département de biologie, Université Laval, Québec city, QC, Canada
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada - Canadian Healthy Oceans Network, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada
| | | | - Rémi M. Daigle
- Québec Océan, Département de biologie, Université Laval, Québec city, QC, Canada
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada - Canadian Healthy Oceans Network, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada
| | - L. Denisse Fierro-Arcos
- Charles Darwin Research Station, Charles Darwin Foundation, Puerto Ayora, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
| | - Jesica Goldsmit
- Québec Océan, Département de biologie, Université Laval, Québec city, QC, Canada
- Institut Maurice Lamontagne, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Mont-Joli, QC, Canada
| | - Sabine Zajderman
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Law, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
- Deep-Ocean Stewardship Initiative, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire, UK
| | | | - María Yolanda Terán Maigua
- Native American Studies Department, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque City, NM, USA
- Indigenous Women Network on Biodiversity from Latin America and the Caribbean (RMIB-LAC), Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá
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6
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Biodiversity and Habitat Assessment of Coastal Benthic Communities in a Sub-Arctic Industrial Harbor Area. WATER 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/w12092424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Coastal ecosystems face increasing anthropogenic pressures worldwide and their management requires a solid assessment and understanding of the cumulative impacts from human activities. This study evaluates the spatial variation of benthic macrofaunal communities, sediments, and heavy metals in the sub-Arctic coastal ecosystems around Sept-Îles (Québec, Canada)—a major port area in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Physical sediment properties varied in the studied area, with a general sandy-silty profile except for specific locations in Baie des Sept Îles where higher organic matter and heavy metal concentrations were detected. Macrofaunal assemblages were evaluated for two taxa size classes (organisms > 0.5 mm and > 1 mm) and linked to habitat parameters using regression models. Communities of smaller organisms showed signs of perturbation for one assemblage close to industrial activities at Baie des Sept Îles, with an increased number of tolerant and opportunistic species, contrasting to neighboring regions whose compositions were similar to other ecosystems in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. This study enhances the understanding of sub-Arctic benthic communities and will contribute to monitoring programs for industrial harbor ecosystems.
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7
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O’Hara CC, Scarborough C, Hunter KL, Afflerbach JC, Bodtker K, Frazier M, Stewart Lowndes JS, Perry RI, Halpern BS. Changes in ocean health in British Columbia from 2001 to 2016. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0227502. [PMID: 31999705 PMCID: PMC6992189 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Effective management of marine systems requires quantitative tools that can assess the state of the marine social-ecological system and are responsive to management actions and pressures. We applied the Ocean Health Index (OHI) framework to retrospectively assess ocean health in British Columbia annually from 2001 to 2016 for eight goals that represent the values of British Columbia's coastal communities. We found overall ocean health improved over the study period, from 75 (out of 100) in 2001 to 83 in 2016, with scores for inhabited regions ranging from 68 (North Coast, 2002) to 87 (West Vancouver Island, 2011). Highest-scoring goals were Tourism & Recreation (average 94 over the period) and Habitat Services (100); lowest-scoring goals were Sense of Place (61) and Food Provision (64). Significant increases in scores over the time period occurred for Food Provision (+1.7 per year), Sense of Place (+1.4 per year), and Coastal Livelihoods (+0.6 per year), while Habitat Services (-0.01 per year) and Biodiversity (-0.09 per year) showed modest but statistically significant declines. From the results of our time-series analysis, we used the OHI framework to evaluate impacts of a range of management actions. Despite challenges in data availability, we found evidence for the ability of management to reduce pressures on several goals, suggesting the potential of OHI as a tool for assessing the effectiveness of marine resource management to improve ocean health. Our OHI assessment provides an important comprehensive evaluation of ocean health in British Columbia, and our open and transparent process highlights opportunities for improving accessibility of social and ecological data to inform future assessment and management of ocean health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey C. O’Hara
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Courtney Scarborough
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Karen L. Hunter
- Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jamie C. Afflerbach
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Karin Bodtker
- MapSea Consulting, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Melanie Frazier
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Julia S. Stewart Lowndes
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - R. Ian Perry
- Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Benjamin S. Halpern
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
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8
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Okada T, Mito Y, Iseri E, Takahashi T, Sugano T, Akiyama YB, Watanabe K, Tanaya T, Sugino H, Tokunaga K, Kubo T, Kuwae T. Method for the quantitative evaluation of ecosystem services in coastal regions. PeerJ 2019; 6:e6234. [PMID: 30671289 PMCID: PMC6336092 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Wetlands, tidal flats, seaweed beds, and coral reefs are valuable not only as habitats for many species, but also as places where people interact with the sea. Unfortunately, these areas have declined in recent years, so environmental improvement projects to conserve and restore them are being carried out across the world. In this study, we propose a method for quantifying ecosystem services, that is, useful for the proper maintenance and management of artificial tidal flats, a type of environmental improvement project. With this method, a conceptual model of the relationship between each service and related environmental factors in natural and social systems was created, and the relationships between services and environmental factors were clarified. The state of the environmental factors affecting each service was quantified, and the state of those factors was reflected in the evaluation value of the service. As a result, the method can identify which environmental factors need to be improved and if the goal is to increase the value of the targeted tidal flat. The method demonstrates an effective approach in environmental conservation for the restoration and preservation of coastal areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomonari Okada
- Marine Environment Division/Coastal, Marine and Disaster Prevention Department, National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management, Yokosuka, Japan
| | | | - Erina Iseri
- Marine Environment Division/Coastal, Marine and Disaster Prevention Department, National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management, Yokosuka, Japan
| | | | | | - Yoshihiro B Akiyama
- Marine Environment Division/Coastal, Marine and Disaster Prevention Department, National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management, Yokosuka, Japan
| | - Kenta Watanabe
- Coastal and Estuarine Environment Research Group, Port and Airport Research Institute, Yokosuka, Japan
| | - Toko Tanaya
- Coastal and Estuarine Environment Research Group, Port and Airport Research Institute, Yokosuka, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Sugino
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Takahiro Kubo
- Center for Environmental Biology and Ecosystem Studies, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Kuwae
- Coastal and Estuarine Environment Research Group, Port and Airport Research Institute, Yokosuka, Japan
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9
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Okey TA. Indicators of marine ecosystem integrity for Canada's Pacific: An expert-based hierarchical approach. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 645:1114-1125. [PMID: 30248836 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.07.184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2018] [Revised: 07/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/14/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
There is great interest and rapid progress around the world in developing sets of indicators of marine ecosystem integrity for assessment and management. However, the complexity of coastal marine ecosystems can challenge such efforts. To address this challenge, an expert-based, hierarchical, and adaptive approach was developed with the objectives of healthy marine ecosystems and community partnerships in monitoring and management. Small sets of the top-ranked indicators of ecosystem integrity and associated human pressures were derived from expert-rankings of lists of identified candidate indicators of the status of, and pressures on, each of 17 ecosystem features, organized within 8 elements in turn within 3 overlapping aspects of ecosystem health. Over 200 experts played a role in rating the relative value of 1035 candidate indicators. A panel of topic experts was assigned to each of the 17 ecosystem features to apply 21 weighted indicator selection criteria. Selection criteria and candidate indicators were identified through literature reviews, expert panels, and surveys, and they were evaluated in terms of the experts' judgements of importance to the health of Canada's Pacific marine ecosystems. This produced a flexible, robust, and adaptable approach to identifying representative sets of indicators for any scale and for any management unit within Canada's Pacific. At the broadest scale, it produced a top 20 list of ecosystem state and pressure indicators. These top indicators, or other sets selected for smaller regions, can then guide the development of both regional and nested local monitoring programs in a way that maximizes continuity while including locally unique values. This hierarchical expert-based approach was designed to address challenges of complexity and scale and to enable efficient selection of useful and representative sets of indicators of ecosystem integrity while also enabling the participation of broad government and stakeholder communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A Okey
- Ocean Integrity Research, 200-825 Broughton Street, Victoria, BC V8W 1E5, Canada; University of Victoria, School of Environmental Studies, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada.
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10
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Daigle RM, Archambault P, Halpern BS, Stewart Lowndes JS, Côté IM. Incorporating public priorities in the Ocean Health Index: Canada as a case study. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0178044. [PMID: 28542394 PMCID: PMC5443542 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0178044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 05/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The Ocean Health Index (OHI) is a framework to assess ocean health by considering many benefits (called 'goals') provided by the ocean provides to humans, such as food provision, tourism opportunities, and coastal protection. The OHI framework can be used to assess marine areas at global or regional scales, but how various OHI goals should be weighted to reflect priorities at those scales remains unclear. In this study, we adapted the framework in two ways for application to Canada as a case study. First, we customized the OHI goals to create a national Canadian Ocean Health Index (COHI). In particular, we altered the list of iconic species assessed, added methane clathrates and subsea permafrost as carbon storage habitats, and developed a new goal, 'Aboriginal Needs', to measure access of Aboriginal people to traditional marine hunting and fishing grounds. Second, we evaluated various goal weighting schemes based on preferences elicited from the general public in online surveys. We quantified these public preferences in three ways: using Likert scores, simple ranks from a best-worst choice experiment, and model coefficients from the analysis of elicited choice experiment. The latter provided the clearest statistical discrimination among goals, and we recommend their use because they can more accurately reflect both public opinion and the trade-offs faced by policy-makers. This initial iteration of the COHI can be used as a baseline against which future COHI scores can be compared, and could potentially be used as a management tool to prioritise actions on a national scale and predict public support for these actions given that the goal weights are based on public priorities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rémi M. Daigle
- Institut des Sciences de la Mer, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Québec, Canada
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- Département de Biologie, Laval University, Québec, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Philippe Archambault
- Institut des Sciences de la Mer, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Québec, Canada
- Département de Biologie, Laval University, Québec, Canada
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Benjamin S. Halpern
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
- Silwood Park, Imperial College London, Ascot, United Kingdom
- Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Julia S. Stewart Lowndes
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Isabelle M. Côté
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
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