1
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Jouffray JB, Wedding LM, Norström AV, Donovan MK, Williams GJ, Crowder LB, Erickson AL, Friedlander AM, Graham NAJ, Gove JM, Kappel CV, Kittinger JN, Lecky J, Oleson KLL, Selkoe KA, White C, Williams ID, Nyström M. Parsing human and biophysical drivers of coral reef regimes. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 286:20182544. [PMID: 30963937 PMCID: PMC6408596 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs worldwide face unprecedented cumulative anthropogenic effects of interacting local human pressures, global climate change and distal social processes. Reefs are also bound by the natural biophysical environment within which they exist. In this context, a key challenge for effective management is understanding how anthropogenic and biophysical conditions interact to drive distinct coral reef configurations. Here, we use machine learning to conduct explanatory predictions on reef ecosystems defined by both fish and benthic communities. Drawing on the most spatially extensive dataset available across the Hawaiian archipelago—20 anthropogenic and biophysical predictors over 620 survey sites—we model the occurrence of four distinct reef regimes and provide a novel approach to quantify the relative influence of human and environmental variables in shaping reef ecosystems. Our findings highlight the nuances of what underpins different coral reef regimes, the overwhelming importance of biophysical predictors and how a reef's natural setting may either expand or narrow the opportunity space for management interventions. The methods developed through this study can help inform reef practitioners and hold promises for replication across a broad range of ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Baptiste Jouffray
- 1 Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University , Stockholm , Sweden.,2 Global Economic Dynamics and the Biosphere Academy Programme, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences , Stockholm , Sweden
| | - Lisa M Wedding
- 3 Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University , Stanford, CA 94305 , USA
| | - Albert V Norström
- 1 Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University , Stockholm , Sweden
| | - Mary K Donovan
- 4 Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa , Kaneohe, HI 96744 , USA
| | - Gareth J Williams
- 5 School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University , Anglesey LL59 5AB , UK
| | - Larry B Crowder
- 6 Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University , Pacific Grove, CA 9395 , USA
| | - Ashley L Erickson
- 3 Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University , Stanford, CA 94305 , USA
| | - Alan M Friedlander
- 7 Pristine Seas, National Geographic Society , Washington, DC 20036 , USA
| | - Nicholas A J Graham
- 8 Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University , Lancaster LA1 4YQ , UK
| | - Jamison M Gove
- 9 Ecosystem Science Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration , Honolulu, HI, 96818 , USA
| | - Carrie V Kappel
- 10 National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California Santa Barbara , Santa Barbara, CA 93101 , USA
| | - John N Kittinger
- 11 Center for Oceans, Conservation International , Honolulu, HI 96825 , USA.,12 Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability, Arizona State University , Tempe, AZ 85281 , USA
| | - Joey Lecky
- 13 Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa , Honolulu, HI 96822 , USA
| | - Kirsten L L Oleson
- 13 Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa , Honolulu, HI 96822 , USA
| | - Kimberly A Selkoe
- 10 National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California Santa Barbara , Santa Barbara, CA 93101 , USA
| | - Crow White
- 14 Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University , San Luis Obispo, CA 93407 , USA
| | - Ivor D Williams
- 9 Ecosystem Science Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration , Honolulu, HI, 96818 , USA
| | - Magnus Nyström
- 1 Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University , Stockholm , Sweden
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2
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Friedman WR, Halpern BS, McLeod E, Beck MW, Duarte CM, Kappel CV, Levine A, Sluka RD, Adler S, O’Hara CC, Sterling EJ, Tapia-Lewin S, Losada IJ, McClanahan TR, Pendleton L, Spring M, Toomey JP, Weiss KR, Possingham HP, Montambault JR. Research Priorities for Achieving Healthy Marine Ecosystems and Human Communities in a Changing Climate. Front Mar Sci 2020; 7. [PMID: 0 DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2020.00005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
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3
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Donovan MK, Friedlander AM, Lecky J, Jouffray JB, Williams GJ, Wedding LM, Crowder LB, Erickson AL, Graham NAJ, Gove JM, Kappel CV, Karr K, Kittinger JN, Norström AV, Nyström M, Oleson KLL, Stamoulis KA, White C, Williams ID, Selkoe KA. Combining fish and benthic communities into multiple regimes reveals complex reef dynamics. Sci Rep 2018; 8:16943. [PMID: 30446687 PMCID: PMC6240066 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35057-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs worldwide face an uncertain future with many reefs reported to transition from being dominated by corals to macroalgae. However, given the complexity and diversity of the ecosystem, research on how regimes vary spatially and temporally is needed. Reef regimes are most often characterised by their benthic components; however, complex dynamics are associated with losses and gains in both fish and benthic assemblages. To capture this complexity, we synthesised 3,345 surveys from Hawai'i to define reef regimes in terms of both fish and benthic assemblages. Model-based clustering revealed five distinct regimes that varied ecologically, and were spatially heterogeneous by island, depth and exposure. We identified a regime characteristic of a degraded state with low coral cover and fish biomass, one that had low coral but high fish biomass, as well as three other regimes that varied significantly in their ecology but were previously considered a single coral dominated regime. Analyses of time series data reflected complex system dynamics, with multiple transitions among regimes that were a function of both local and global stressors. Coupling fish and benthic communities into reef regimes to capture complex dynamics holds promise for monitoring reef change and guiding ecosystem-based management of coral reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary K Donovan
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kaneohe, HI, 96744, USA.
| | | | - Joey Lecky
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA.,Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, Honolulu, HI, 96818, USA
| | - Jean-Baptiste Jouffray
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.,Global Economic Dynamics and the Biosphere Academy Programme, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Lisa M Wedding
- Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Larry B Crowder
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Monterey, CA, 93950, USA
| | - Ashley L Erickson
- Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Nick A J Graham
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Jamison M Gove
- Ecosystem Sciences Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, Honolulu, HI, 96818, USA
| | - Carrie V Kappel
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, USA
| | - Kendra Karr
- Oceans Program, Environmental Defense Fund, San Francisco, CA, 94105, USA
| | - John N Kittinger
- Center for Oceans, Conservation International, Honolulu, HI, 96825, USA.,Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA
| | - Albert V Norström
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Magnus Nyström
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kirsten L L Oleson
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Kostantinos A Stamoulis
- Department of Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA.,Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia
| | - Crow White
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407, USA
| | - Ivor D Williams
- Ecosystem Sciences Division, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, Honolulu, HI, 96818, USA
| | - Kimberly A Selkoe
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, USA
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4
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Gaines SD, Costello C, Owashi B, Mangin T, Bone J, Molinos JG, Burden M, Dennis H, Halpern BS, Kappel CV, Kleisner KM, Ovando D. Improved fisheries management could offset many negative effects of climate change. Sci Adv 2018; 4:eaao1378. [PMID: 30167455 PMCID: PMC6114984 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aao1378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2017] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The world's oceans supply food and livelihood to billions of people, yet species' shifting geographic ranges and changes in productivity arising from climate change are expected to profoundly affect these benefits. We ask how improvements in fishery management can offset the negative consequences of climate change; we find that the answer hinges on the current status of stocks. The poor current status of many stocks combined with potentially maladaptive responses to range shifts could reduce future global fisheries yields and profits even more severely than previous estimates have suggested. However, reforming fisheries in ways that jointly fix current inefficiencies, adapt to fisheries productivity changes, and proactively create effective transboundary institutions could lead to a future with higher profits and yields compared to what is produced today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven D. Gaines
- Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Corresponding author.
| | - Christopher Costello
- Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Brandon Owashi
- Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Tracey Mangin
- Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Jennifer Bone
- Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Jorge García Molinos
- Arctic Research Center, Hokkaido University, N21 W11, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001-0021, Japan
- Global Station for Arctic Research, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001-0021, Japan
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, N10W5 Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
| | | | - Heather Dennis
- San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, 455 Golden Gate Avenue, Suite 10600, San Francisco, CA 94102, USA
| | - Benjamin S. Halpern
- Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
- Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London, Buckhurst Road, Ascot SL57PY, UK
| | - Carrie V. Kappel
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
| | | | - Daniel Ovando
- Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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5
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Lester SE, Stevens JM, Gentry RR, Kappel CV, Bell TW, Costello CJ, Gaines SD, Kiefer DA, Maue CC, Rensel JE, Simons RD, Washburn L, White C. Marine spatial planning makes room for offshore aquaculture in crowded coastal waters. Nat Commun 2018; 9:945. [PMID: 29507321 PMCID: PMC5838171 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03249-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine spatial planning (MSP) seeks to reduce conflicts and environmental impacts, and promote sustainable use of marine ecosystems. Existing MSP approaches have successfully determined how to achieve target levels of ocean area for particular uses while minimizing costs and impacts, but they do not provide a framework that derives analytical solutions in order to co-ordinate siting of multiple uses while balancing the effects of planning on each sector in the system. We develop such a framework for guiding offshore aquaculture (bivalve, finfish, and kelp farming) development in relation to existing sectors and environmental concerns (wild-capture fisheries, viewshed quality, benthic pollution, and disease spread) in California, USA. We identify > 250,000 MSP solutions that generate significant seafood supply and billions of dollars in revenue with minimal impacts (often < 1%) on existing sectors and the environment. We filter solutions to identify candidate locations for high-value, low-impact aquaculture development. Finally, we confirm the expectation of substantial value of our framework over conventional planning focused on maximizing individual objectives. Marine spatial planning is used to co-ordinate multiple ocean uses, and is frequently informed by tradeoffs and composite metrics. Here, Lester et al. introduce an approach that plans for multiple uses simultaneously whilst balancing individual objectives, using a case study of aquaculture development in California.
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Affiliation(s)
- S E Lester
- Department of Geography, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-2190, USA.
| | - J M Stevens
- Center for Coastal Marine Sciences, 1 Grand Avenue, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407, USA
| | - R R Gentry
- Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, 2400 Bren Hall, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - C V Kappel
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Suite 300, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, USA
| | - T W Bell
- Earth Research Institute, 5843 Ellison Hall, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - C J Costello
- Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, 2400 Bren Hall, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - S D Gaines
- Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, 2400 Bren Hall, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - D A Kiefer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - C C Maue
- School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 93405, USA
| | - J E Rensel
- Rensel Associates Aquatic Sciences, 4209 234th Street NE, Arlington, WA, 98223, USA
| | - R D Simons
- Earth Research Institute, 5843 Ellison Hall, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - L Washburn
- Marine Science Institute & Department of Geography, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-6150, USA
| | - C White
- Center for Coastal Marine Sciences, 1 Grand Avenue, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407, USA
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6
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Wedding LM, Lecky J, Gove JM, Walecka HR, Donovan MK, Williams GJ, Jouffray JB, Crowder LB, Erickson A, Falinski K, Friedlander AM, Kappel CV, Kittinger JN, McCoy K, Norström A, Nyström M, Oleson KLL, Stamoulis KA, White C, Selkoe KA. Advancing the integration of spatial data to map human and natural drivers on coral reefs. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0189792. [PMID: 29494613 PMCID: PMC5832214 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0189792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 12/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A major challenge for coral reef conservation and management is understanding how a wide range of interacting human and natural drivers cumulatively impact and shape these ecosystems. Despite the importance of understanding these interactions, a methodological framework to synthesize spatially explicit data of such drivers is lacking. To fill this gap, we established a transferable data synthesis methodology to integrate spatial data on environmental and anthropogenic drivers of coral reefs, and applied this methodology to a case study location-the Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI). Environmental drivers were derived from time series (2002-2013) of climatological ranges and anomalies of remotely sensed sea surface temperature, chlorophyll-a, irradiance, and wave power. Anthropogenic drivers were characterized using empirically derived and modeled datasets of spatial fisheries catch, sedimentation, nutrient input, new development, habitat modification, and invasive species. Within our case study system, resulting driver maps showed high spatial heterogeneity across the MHI, with anthropogenic drivers generally greatest and most widespread on O'ahu, where 70% of the state's population resides, while sedimentation and nutrients were dominant in less populated islands. Together, the spatial integration of environmental and anthropogenic driver data described here provides a first-ever synthetic approach to visualize how the drivers of coral reef state vary in space and demonstrates a methodological framework for implementation of this approach in other regions of the world. By quantifying and synthesizing spatial drivers of change on coral reefs, we provide an avenue for further research to understand how drivers determine reef diversity and resilience, which can ultimately inform policies to protect coral reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M. Wedding
- Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, United States of America
| | - Joey Lecky
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States of America
- Ecosystem Sciences Division, NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States of America
| | - Jamison M. Gove
- Ecosystem Sciences Division, NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States of America
| | - Hilary R. Walecka
- Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, United States of America
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Mary K. Donovan
- Fisheries Ecology Research Lab, Department of Biology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States of America
| | | | | | - Larry B. Crowder
- Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, United States of America
| | - Ashley Erickson
- Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, United States of America
| | - Kim Falinski
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States of America
| | - Alan M. Friedlander
- Fisheries Ecology Research Lab, Department of Biology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States of America
- Pristine Seas, National Geographic Society, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Carrie V. Kappel
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - John N. Kittinger
- Conservation International, Center for Oceans, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States of America
- Arizona State University, Center for Biodiversity Outcomes, Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Kaylyn McCoy
- Fisheries Ecology Research Lab, Department of Biology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States of America
| | - Albert Norström
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Global Economic Dynamics and the Biosphere Academy Programme, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Magnus Nyström
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Global Economic Dynamics and the Biosphere Academy Programme, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kirsten L. L. Oleson
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States of America
| | - Kostantinos A. Stamoulis
- Fisheries Ecology Research Lab, Department of Biology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States of America
- Curtin University, Department of Environment and Agriculture, Perth, Australia
| | - Crow White
- Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California, United States of America
| | - Kimberly A. Selkoe
- 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
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Kāne‘ohe, Hawai‘i, United States of America
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7
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Oleson KLL, Falinski KA, Lecky J, Rowe C, Kappel CV, Selkoe KA, White C. Upstream solutions to coral reef conservation: The payoffs of smart and cooperative decision-making. J Environ Manage 2017; 191:8-18. [PMID: 28082251 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.12.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2016] [Revised: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/27/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Land-based source pollutants (LBSP) actively threaten coral reef ecosystems globally. To achieve the greatest conservation outcome at the lowest cost, managers could benefit from appropriate tools that evaluate the benefits (in terms of LBSP reduction) and costs of implementing alternative land management strategies. Here we use a spatially explicit predictive model (InVEST-SDR) that quantifies change in sediment reaching the coast for evaluating the costs and benefits of alternative threat-abatement scenarios. We specifically use the model to examine trade-offs among possible agricultural road repair management actions (water bars to divert runoff and gravel to protect the road surface) across the landscape in West Maui, Hawaii, USA. We investigated changes in sediment delivery to coasts and costs incurred from management decision-making that is (1) cooperative or independent among landowners, and focused on (2) minimizing costs, reducing sediment, or both. The results illuminate which management scenarios most effectively minimize sediment while also minimizing the cost of mitigation efforts. We find targeting specific "hotspots" within all individual parcels is more cost-effective than targeting all road segments. The best outcomes are achieved when landowners cooperate and target cost-effective road repairs, however, a cooperative strategy can be counter-productive in some instances when cost-effectiveness is ignored. Simple models, such as the one developed here, have the potential to help managers make better choices about how to use limited resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten L L Oleson
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawai'i, 1910 East West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
| | - Kim A Falinski
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawai'i, 1910 East West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
| | - Joey Lecky
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawai'i, 1910 East West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
| | - Clara Rowe
- Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, 195 Prospect St., New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
| | - Carrie V Kappel
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA.
| | - Kimberly A Selkoe
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA; Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i, Kāne'ohe, HI 97644, USA.
| | - Crow White
- Biological Sciences Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA.
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8
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Gentry RR, Lester SE, Kappel CV, White C, Bell TW, Stevens J, Gaines SD. Offshore aquaculture: Spatial planning principles for sustainable development. Ecol Evol 2016; 7:733-743. [PMID: 28116067 PMCID: PMC5243789 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 10/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine aquaculture is expanding into deeper offshore environments in response to growing consumer demand for seafood, improved technology, and limited potential to increase wild fisheries catches. Sustainable development of aquaculture will require quantification and minimization of its impacts on other ocean-based activities and the environment through scientifically informed spatial planning. However, the scientific literature currently provides limited direct guidance for such planning. Here, we employ an ecological lens and synthesize a broad multidisciplinary literature to provide insight into the interactions between offshore aquaculture and the surrounding environment across a spectrum of spatial scales. While important information gaps remain, we find that there is sufficient research for informed decisions about the effects of aquaculture siting to achieve a sustainable offshore aquaculture industry that complements other uses of the marine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca R Gentry
- Bren School of Environmental Science & Management University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Sarah E Lester
- Department of Geography Florida State University Tallahassee FL USA
| | - Carrie V Kappel
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Crow White
- Center for Coastal Marine Sciences California Polytechnic Institute San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo CA USA
| | - Tom W Bell
- Earth Research Institute University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Joel Stevens
- Center for Coastal Marine Sciences California Polytechnic Institute San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo CA USA
| | - Steven D Gaines
- Bren School of Environmental Science & Management University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara CA USA
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9
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Stier AC, Samhouri JF, Gray S, Martone RG, Mach ME, Halpern BS, Kappel CV, Scarborough C, Levin PS. Integrating Expert Perceptions into Food Web Conservation and Management. Conserv Lett 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Adrian C. Stier
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis; 735 State Street Santa Barbara CA 93101 USA
| | - Jameal F. Samhouri
- Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Seattle WA 98112 USA
| | - Steven Gray
- Michigan State University; Department of Community Sustainability; East Lansing MI 48824 USA
| | - Rebecca G. Martone
- Center for Ocean Solutions; 99 Pacific Street, Suite 555E Monterey CA 93940
| | - Megan E. Mach
- Center for Ocean Solutions; 99 Pacific Street, Suite 555E Monterey CA 93940
| | - Benjamin S. Halpern
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis; 735 State Street Santa Barbara CA 93101 USA
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management 2400 Bren Hall; University of California; Santa Barbara CA 93106-5131
- Imperial College London; Silwood Park Campus; Ascot SL57PY UK
| | - Carrie V. Kappel
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis; 735 State Street Santa Barbara CA 93101 USA
| | - Courtney Scarborough
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis; 735 State Street Santa Barbara CA 93101 USA
| | - Phillip S. Levin
- Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Seattle WA 98112 USA
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10
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Hunsicker ME, Kappel CV, Selkoe KA, Halpern BS, Scarborough C, Mease L, Amrhein A. Characterizing driver-response relationships in marine pelagic ecosystems for improved ocean management. Ecol Appl 2016; 26:651-63. [PMID: 27411240 DOI: 10.1890/14-2200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Scientists and resource managers often use methods and tools that assume ecosystem components respond linearly to environmental drivers and human stressors. However, a growing body of literature demonstrates that many relationships are-non-linear, where small changes in a driver prompt a disproportionately large ecological response. We aim to provide a comprehensive assessment of the relationships between drivers and ecosystem components to identify where and when non-linearities are likely to occur. We focused our analyses on one of the best-studied marine systems, pelagic ecosystems, which allowed us to apply robust statistical techniques on a large pool of previously published studies. In this synthesis, we (1) conduct a wide literature review on single driver-response relationships in pelagic systems, (2) use statistical models to identify the degree of non-linearity in these relationships, and (3) assess whether general patterns exist in the strengths and shapes of non-linear relationships across drivers. Overall we found that non-linearities are common in pelagic ecosystems, comprising at least 52% of all driver-response relation- ships. This is likely an underestimate, as papers with higher quality data and analytical approaches reported non-linear relationships at a higher frequency (on average 11% more). Consequently, in the absence of evidence for a linear relationship, it is safer to assume a relationship is non-linear. Strong non-linearities can lead to greater ecological and socioeconomic consequences if they are unknown (and/or unanticipated), but if known they may provide clear thresholds to inform management targets. In pelagic systems, strongly non-linear relationships are often driven by climate and trophodynamic variables but are also associated with local stressors, such as overfishing and pollution, that can be more easily controlled by managers. Even when marine resource managers cannot influence ecosystem change, they can use information about threshold responses to guide how other stressors are managed and to adapt to new ocean conditions. As methods to detect and reduce uncertainty around threshold values improve, managers will be able to better understand and account for ubiquitous non-linear relationships.
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Karr KA, Fujita R, Halpern BS, Kappel CV, Crowder L, Selkoe KA, Alcolado PM, Rader D. Thresholds in Caribbean coral reefs: implications for ecosystem-based fishery management. J Appl Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kendra A. Karr
- Oceans Program; Environmental Defense Fund; 123 Mission Street 28th Floor San Francisco CA 94105 USA
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; 100 Shaffer Road, University of California Santa Cruz; Santa Cruz CA 95064 USA
| | - Rod Fujita
- Oceans Program; Environmental Defense Fund; 123 Mission Street 28th Floor San Francisco CA 94105 USA
- Center for Ocean Solutions; Woods Institute for the Environment; Stanford University; 99 Pacific St. Suite 555E Monterey CA 93940 USA
| | - Benjamin S. Halpern
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis; 735 State St. Suite 300 Santa Barbara CA 93101 USA
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management; University of California; Santa Barbara CA 93016 USA
- Imperial College London; Silwood Park Campus Buckhurst Road Ascot SL5 7PY UK
| | - Carrie V. Kappel
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis; 735 State St. Suite 300 Santa Barbara CA 93101 USA
| | - Larry Crowder
- Center for Ocean Solutions; Woods Institute for the Environment; Stanford University; 99 Pacific St. Suite 555E Monterey CA 93940 USA
| | - Kimberly A. Selkoe
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis; 735 State St. Suite 300 Santa Barbara CA 93101 USA
- Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology; University of Hawai'i; Kane'ohe HI 97644 USA
| | - Pedro M. Alcolado
- Instituto de Oceanologia; Calle 1ra. E No. 18406 Playa Ciudad Habana Cuba
| | - Doug Rader
- Oceans Program; Environmental Defense Fund; 4000 Westchase Blvd. Suite 510 Raleigh NC 27607 USA
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Kurle CM, Kappel CV, Hope DD, Lam A. Invasion Status of Terrestrial Mammals on Uninhabited Islands within the San Juan Archipelago, Washington. Northwest Science 2013. [DOI: 10.3955/046.087.0211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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13
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Richardson AJ, Brown CJ, Brander K, Bruno JF, Buckley L, Burrows MT, Duarte CM, Halpern BS, Hoegh-Guldberg O, Holding J, Kappel CV, Kiessling W, Moore PJ, O'Connor MI, Pandolfi JM, Parmesan C, Schoeman DS, Schwing F, Sydeman WJ, Poloczanska ES. Climate change and marine life. Biol Lett 2012; 8:907-9. [PMID: 22791706 PMCID: PMC3497116 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2012.0530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A Marine Climate Impacts Workshop was held from 29 April to 3 May 2012 at the US National Center of Ecological Analysis and Synthesis in Santa Barbara. This workshop was the culmination of a series of six meetings over the past three years, which had brought together 25 experts in climate change ecology, analysis of large datasets, palaeontology, marine ecology and physical oceanography. Aims of these workshops were to produce a global synthesis of climate impacts on marine biota, to identify sensitive habitats and taxa, to inform the current Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) process, and to strengthen research into ecological impacts of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony J Richardson
- Climate Adaptation Flagship, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Ecosciences Precinct, GPO Box 2583, Brisbane, Queensland 4102, Australia.
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Burrows MT, Schoeman DS, Duarte CM, O'Connor MI, Buckley LB, Kappel CV, Parmesan C, Halpern BS, Brown C, Brander KM, Bruno JF, Pandolfi JM, Sydeman WJ, Moore P, Kiessling W, Richardson AJ, Poloczanska ES. Invasive Species Unchecked by Climate—Response. Science 2012. [DOI: 10.1126/science.335.6068.538-a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael T. Burrows
- Department of Ecology, Scottish Association for Marine Science, Scottish Marine Institute, Oban, Argyll, PA37 1QA, Scotland, UK
| | - David S. Schoeman
- Environmental Science Research Institute, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Ulster, Coleraine, BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland
- Department of Zoology, P.O. Box 77000, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, 6031, South Africa
| | - Carlos M. Duarte
- The UWA Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- Department of Global Change Research, IMEDEA (UIB-CSIC), Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados, Esporles, 07190, Spain
| | - Mary I. O'Connor
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4
| | - Lauren B. Buckley
- Department of Biology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
| | - Carrie V. Kappel
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California Santa Barbara, 735 State Street, Suite 300, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
| | - Camille Parmesan
- 1 University Station C0930, Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Benjamin S. Halpern
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California Santa Barbara, 735 State Street, Suite 300, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
| | - Chris Brown
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Keith M. Brander
- National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, Charlottenlund Slot, Jægersborg Allé 1, Charlottenlund, Denmark
| | - John F. Bruno
- Department of Biology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280, USA
| | - John M. Pandolfi
- School of Biological Sciences, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - William J. Sydeman
- Farallon Institute for Advanced Ecosystem Research, P.O. Box 750756, Petaluma, CA 94975, USA
| | - Pippa Moore
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, SY23 3DA, UK
- Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research, Edith Cowan University, Perth, 6027, Australia
| | | | - Anthony J. Richardson
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
- Climate Adaptation Flagship, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Ecosciences Precinct, GPO Box 2583, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia
- Centre for Applications in Natural Resource Mathematics (CARM), School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Elvira S. Poloczanska
- Climate Adaptation Flagship, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Ecosciences Precinct, GPO Box 2583, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia
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Teck SJ, Halpern BS, Kappel CV, Micheli F, Selkoe KA, Crain CM, Martone R, Shearer C, Arvai J, Fischhoff B, Murray G, Neslo R, Cooke R. Using expert judgment to estimate marine ecosystem vulnerability in the California Current. Ecol Appl 2010; 20:1402-1416. [PMID: 20666257 DOI: 10.1890/09-1173.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
As resource management and conservation efforts move toward multi-sector, ecosystem-based approaches, we need methods for comparing the varying responses of ecosystems to the impacts of human activities in order to prioritize management efforts, allocate limited resources, and understand cumulative effects. Given the number and variety of human activities affecting ecosystems, relatively few empirical studies are adequately comprehensive to inform these decisions. Consequently, management often turns to expert judgment for information. Drawing on methods from decision science, we offer a method for eliciting expert judgment to (1) quantitatively estimate the relative vulnerability of ecosystems to stressors, (2) help prioritize the management of stressors across multiple ecosystems, (3) evaluate how experts give weight to different criteria to characterize vulnerability of ecosystems to anthropogenic stressors, and (4) identify key knowledge gaps. We applied this method to the California Current region in order to evaluate the relative vulnerability of 19 marine ecosystems to 53 stressors associated with human activities, based on surveys from 107 experts. When judging the relative vulnerability of ecosystems to stressors, we found that experts primarily considered two criteria: the ecosystem's resistance to the stressor and the number of species or trophic levels affected. Four intertidal ecosystems (mudflat, beach, salt marsh, and rocky intertidal) were judged most vulnerable to the suite of human activities evaluated here. The highest vulnerability rankings for coastal ecosystems were invasive species, ocean acidification, sea temperature change, sea level rise, and habitat alteration from coastal engineering, while offshore ecosystems were assessed to be most vulnerable to ocean acidification, demersal destructive fishing, and shipwrecks. These results provide a quantitative, transparent, and repeatable assessment of relative vulnerability across ecosystems to any ongoing or emerging human activity. Combining these results with data on the spatial distribution and intensity of human activities provides a systematic foundation for ecosystem-based management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Teck
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA
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Granek EF, Polasky S, Kappel CV, Reed DJ, Stoms DM, Koch EW, Kennedy CJ, Cramer LA, Hacker SD, Barbier EB, Aswani S, Ruckelshaus M, Perillo GME, Silliman BR, Muthiga N, Bael D, Wolanski E. Ecosystem services as a common language for coastal ecosystem-based management. Conserv Biol 2010; 24:207-16. [PMID: 19906066 DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01355.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Ecosystem-based management is logistically and politically challenging because ecosystems are inherently complex and management decisions affect a multitude of groups. Coastal ecosystems, which lie at the interface between marine and terrestrial ecosystems and provide an array of ecosystem services to different groups, aptly illustrate these challenges. Successful ecosystem-based management of coastal ecosystems requires incorporating scientific information and the knowledge and views of interested parties into the decision-making process. Estimating the provision of ecosystem services under alternative management schemes offers a systematic way to incorporate biogeophysical and socioeconomic information and the views of individuals and groups in the policy and management process. Employing ecosystem services as a common language to improve the process of ecosystem-based management presents both benefits and difficulties. Benefits include a transparent method for assessing trade-offs associated with management alternatives, a common set of facts and common currency on which to base negotiations, and improved communication among groups with competing interests or differing worldviews. Yet challenges to this approach remain, including predicting how human interventions will affect ecosystems, how such changes will affect the provision of ecosystem services, and how changes in service provision will affect the welfare of different groups in society. In a case study from Puget Sound, Washington, we illustrate the potential of applying ecosystem services as a common language for ecosystem-based management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise F Granek
- Environmental Science & Management, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97207, USA.
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Halpern BS, Ebert CM, Kappel CV, Madin EM, Micheli F, Perry M, Selkoe KA, Walbridge S. Global priority areas for incorporating land-sea connections in marine conservation. Conserv Lett 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-263x.2009.00060.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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Halpern BS, Kappel CV, Selkoe KA, Micheli F, Ebert CM, Kontgis C, Crain CM, Martone RG, Shearer C, Teck SJ. Mapping cumulative human impacts to California Current marine ecosystems. Conserv Lett 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-263x.2009.00058.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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Abstract
Coastal marine habitats at the interface of land and sea are subject to threats from human activities in both realms. Researchers have attempted to quantify how these various threats impact different coastal ecosystems, and more recently have focused on understanding the cumulative impact from multiple threats. Here, the top threats to coastal marine ecosystems and recent efforts to understand their relative importance, ecosystem-level impacts, cumulative effects, and how they can best be managed and mitigated, are briefly reviewed. Results of threat analysis and rankings will differ depending on the conservation target (e.g., vulnerable species, pristine ecosystems, mitigatable threats), scale of interest (local, regional, or global), whether externalities are considered, and the types of management tools available (e.g., marine-protected areas versus ecosystem-based management). Considering the cumulative effect of multiple threats has only just begun and depends on spatial analysis to predict overlapping threats and a better understanding of multiple-stressor effects and interactions. Emerging conservation practices that hold substantial promise for protecting coastal marine systems include multisector approaches, such as ecosystem-based management (EBM), that account for ecosystem service valuation; comprehensive spatial management, such as ocean zoning; and regulatory mechanisms that encourage or require cross-sector goal setting and evaluation. In all cases, these efforts require a combination of public and private initiatives for success. The state of our ecological understanding, public awareness, and policy initiatives make the time ripe for advancing coastal marine management and improving our stewardship of coastal and marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin M Crain
- University of California, Santa Cruz Center for Ocean Health, Santa Cruz, California 93940, USA.
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20
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Harborne AR, Mumby PJ, Kappel CV, Dahlgren CP, Micheli F, Holmes KE, Brumbaugh DR. Tropical coastal habitats as surrogates of fish community structure, grazing, and fisheries value. Ecol Appl 2008; 18:1689-1701. [PMID: 18839764 DOI: 10.1890/07-0454.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Habitat maps are frequently invoked as surrogates of biodiversity to aid the design of networks of marine reserves. Maps are used to maximize habitat heterogeneity in reserves because this is likely to maximize the number of species protected. However, the technique's efficacy is limited by intra-habitat variability in the species present and their abundances. Although communities are expected to vary among patches of the same habitat, this variability is poorly documented and rarely incorporated into reserve planning. To examine intra-habitat variability in coral-reef fishes, we generated a data set from eight tropical coastal habitats and six islands in the Bahamian archipelago using underwater visual censuses. Firstly, we provide further support for habitat heterogeneity as a surrogate of biodiversity as each predefined habitat type supported a distinct assemblage of fishes. Intra-habitat variability in fish community structure at scales of hundreds of kilometers (among islands) was significant in at least 75% of the habitats studied, depending on whether presence/absence, density, or biomass data were used. Intra-habitat variability was positively correlated with the mean number of species in that habitat when density and biomass data were used. Such relationships provide a proxy for the assessment of intra-habitat variability when detailed quantitative data are scarce. Intra-habitat variability was examined in more detail for one habitat (forereefs visually dominated by Montastraea corals). Variability in community structure among islands was driven by small, demersal families (e.g., territorial pomacentrid and labrid fishes). Finally, we examined the ecological and economic significance of intra-habitat variability in fish assemblages on Montastraea reefs by identifying how this variability affects the composition and abundances of fishes in different functional groups, the key ecosystem process of parrotfish grazing, and the ecosystem service of value of commercially important finfish. There were significant differences in a range of functional groups and grazing, but not fisheries value. Variability at the scale of tens of kilometers (among reefs around an island) was less than that among islands. Caribbean marine reserves should be replicated at scales of hundreds of kilometers, particularly for species-rich habitats, to capture important intra-habitat variability in community structure, function, and an ecosystem process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alastair R Harborne
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Biosciences, Hatherly Laboratory, University of Exeter, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter EX4 4PS, United Kingdom.
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Selkoe KA, Kappel CV, Halpern BS, Micheli F, D'Agrosa C, Bruno J, Casey KS, Ebert C, Fox HE, Fujita R, Heinemann D, Lenihan HS, Madin EMP, Perry M, Selig ER, Spalding M, Steneck R, Walbridge S, Watson R. Response to Comment on "A Global Map of Human Impact on Marine Ecosystems". Science 2008. [DOI: 10.1126/science.1158007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly A. Selkoe
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
- Hawai′i Institute of Marine Biology, Post Office Box 1346, Kane′ohe, HI 96744, USA
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Oceanview Boulevard, Pacific Grove, CA 93950–3094, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, USA
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599–3300, USA
| | - Carrie V. Kappel
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
- Hawai′i Institute of Marine Biology, Post Office Box 1346, Kane′ohe, HI 96744, USA
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Oceanview Boulevard, Pacific Grove, CA 93950–3094, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, USA
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599–3300, USA
| | - Benjamin S. Halpern
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
- Hawai′i Institute of Marine Biology, Post Office Box 1346, Kane′ohe, HI 96744, USA
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Oceanview Boulevard, Pacific Grove, CA 93950–3094, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, USA
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599–3300, USA
| | - Fiorenza Micheli
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
- Hawai′i Institute of Marine Biology, Post Office Box 1346, Kane′ohe, HI 96744, USA
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Oceanview Boulevard, Pacific Grove, CA 93950–3094, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, USA
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599–3300, USA
| | - Caterina D'Agrosa
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
- Hawai′i Institute of Marine Biology, Post Office Box 1346, Kane′ohe, HI 96744, USA
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Oceanview Boulevard, Pacific Grove, CA 93950–3094, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, USA
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599–3300, USA
| | - John Bruno
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
- Hawai′i Institute of Marine Biology, Post Office Box 1346, Kane′ohe, HI 96744, USA
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Oceanview Boulevard, Pacific Grove, CA 93950–3094, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, USA
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599–3300, USA
| | - Kenneth S. Casey
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
- Hawai′i Institute of Marine Biology, Post Office Box 1346, Kane′ohe, HI 96744, USA
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Oceanview Boulevard, Pacific Grove, CA 93950–3094, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, USA
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599–3300, USA
| | - Colin Ebert
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
- Hawai′i Institute of Marine Biology, Post Office Box 1346, Kane′ohe, HI 96744, USA
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Oceanview Boulevard, Pacific Grove, CA 93950–3094, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, USA
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599–3300, USA
| | - Helen E. Fox
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
- Hawai′i Institute of Marine Biology, Post Office Box 1346, Kane′ohe, HI 96744, USA
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Oceanview Boulevard, Pacific Grove, CA 93950–3094, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, USA
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599–3300, USA
| | - Rod Fujita
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
- Hawai′i Institute of Marine Biology, Post Office Box 1346, Kane′ohe, HI 96744, USA
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Oceanview Boulevard, Pacific Grove, CA 93950–3094, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, USA
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599–3300, USA
| | - Dennis Heinemann
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
- Hawai′i Institute of Marine Biology, Post Office Box 1346, Kane′ohe, HI 96744, USA
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Oceanview Boulevard, Pacific Grove, CA 93950–3094, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, USA
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599–3300, USA
| | - Hunter S. Lenihan
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
- Hawai′i Institute of Marine Biology, Post Office Box 1346, Kane′ohe, HI 96744, USA
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Oceanview Boulevard, Pacific Grove, CA 93950–3094, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, USA
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599–3300, USA
| | - Elizabeth M. P. Madin
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
- Hawai′i Institute of Marine Biology, Post Office Box 1346, Kane′ohe, HI 96744, USA
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Oceanview Boulevard, Pacific Grove, CA 93950–3094, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, USA
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599–3300, USA
| | - Matt Perry
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
- Hawai′i Institute of Marine Biology, Post Office Box 1346, Kane′ohe, HI 96744, USA
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Oceanview Boulevard, Pacific Grove, CA 93950–3094, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, USA
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599–3300, USA
| | - Elizabeth R. Selig
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
- Hawai′i Institute of Marine Biology, Post Office Box 1346, Kane′ohe, HI 96744, USA
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Oceanview Boulevard, Pacific Grove, CA 93950–3094, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, USA
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599–3300, USA
| | - Mark Spalding
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
- Hawai′i Institute of Marine Biology, Post Office Box 1346, Kane′ohe, HI 96744, USA
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Oceanview Boulevard, Pacific Grove, CA 93950–3094, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, USA
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599–3300, USA
| | - Robert Steneck
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
- Hawai′i Institute of Marine Biology, Post Office Box 1346, Kane′ohe, HI 96744, USA
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Oceanview Boulevard, Pacific Grove, CA 93950–3094, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, USA
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599–3300, USA
| | - Shaun Walbridge
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
- Hawai′i Institute of Marine Biology, Post Office Box 1346, Kane′ohe, HI 96744, USA
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Oceanview Boulevard, Pacific Grove, CA 93950–3094, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, USA
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599–3300, USA
| | - Reg Watson
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA
- Hawai′i Institute of Marine Biology, Post Office Box 1346, Kane′ohe, HI 96744, USA
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Oceanview Boulevard, Pacific Grove, CA 93950–3094, USA
- Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460, USA
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599–3300, USA
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22
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Harborne AR, Mumby PJ, Kappel CV, Dahlgren CP, Micheli F, Holmes KE, Sanchirico JN, Broad K, Elliott IA, Brumbaugh DR. Reserve effects and natural variation in coral reef communities. J Appl Ecol 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2008.01490.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Mumby PJ, Broad K, Brumbaugh DR, Dahlgren CP, Harborne AR, Hastings A, Holmes KE, Kappel CV, Micheli F, Sanchirico JN. Coral reef habitats as surrogates of species, ecological functions, and ecosystem services. Conserv Biol 2008; 22:941-51. [PMID: 18477024 DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2008.00933.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Habitat maps are often the core spatially consistent data set on which marine reserve networks are designed, but their efficacy as surrogates for species richness and applicability to other conservation measures is poorly understood. Combining an analysis of field survey data, literature review, and expert assessment by a multidisciplinary working group, we examined the degree to which Caribbean coastal habitats provide useful planning information on 4 conservation measures: species richness, the ecological functions of fish species, ecosystem processes, and ecosystem services. Approximately one-quarter to one-third of benthic invertebrate species and fish species (disaggregated by life phase; hereafter fish species) occurred in a single habitat, and Montastraea-dominated forereefs consistently had the highest richness of all species, processes, and services. All 11 habitats were needed to represent all 277 fish species in the seascape, although reducing the conservation target to 95% of species approximately halved the number of habitats required to ensure representation. Species accumulation indices (SAIs) were used to compare the efficacy of surrogates and revealed that fish species were a more appropriate surrogate of benthic species (SAI = 71%) than benthic species were for fishes (SAI = 42%). Species of reef fishes were also distributed more widely across the seascape than invertebrates and therefore their use as a surrogate simultaneously included mangroves, sea grass, and coral reef habitats. Functional classes of fishes served as effective surrogates of fish and benthic species which, given their ease to survey, makes them a particularly useful measure for conservation planning. Ecosystem processes and services exhibited great redundancy among habitats and were ineffective as surrogates of species. Therefore, processes and services in this case were generally unsuitable for a complementarity-based approach to reserve design. In contrast, the representation of species or functional classes ensured inclusion of all processes and services in the reserve network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Mumby
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of BioSciences, University of Exeter, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter EX4 4PS, United Kingdom.
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24
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Halpern BS, Walbridge S, Selkoe KA, Kappel CV, Micheli F, D'Agrosa C, Bruno JF, Casey KS, Ebert C, Fox HE, Fujita R, Heinemann D, Lenihan HS, Madin EMP, Perry MT, Selig ER, Spalding M, Steneck R, Watson R. A global map of human impact on marine ecosystems. Science 2008; 319:948-52. [PMID: 18276889 DOI: 10.1126/science.1149345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1933] [Impact Index Per Article: 120.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The management and conservation of the world's oceans require synthesis of spatial data on the distribution and intensity of human activities and the overlap of their impacts on marine ecosystems. We developed an ecosystem-specific, multiscale spatial model to synthesize 17 global data sets of anthropogenic drivers of ecological change for 20 marine ecosystems. Our analysis indicates that no area is unaffected by human influence and that a large fraction (41%) is strongly affected by multiple drivers. However, large areas of relatively little human impact remain, particularly near the poles. The analytical process and resulting maps provide flexible tools for regional and global efforts to allocate conservation resources; to implement ecosystem-based management; and to inform marine spatial planning, education, and basic research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin S Halpern
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA.
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25
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Barbier EB, Koch EW, Silliman BR, Hacker SD, Wolanski E, Primavera J, Granek EF, Polasky S, Aswani S, Cramer LA, Stoms DM, Kennedy CJ, Bael D, Kappel CV, Perillo GME, Reed DJ. Coastal ecosystem-based management with nonlinear ecological functions and values. Science 2008; 319:321-3. [PMID: 18202288 DOI: 10.1126/science.1150349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 245] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
A common assumption is that ecosystem services respond linearly to changes in habitat size. This assumption leads frequently to an "all or none" choice of either preserving coastal habitats or converting them to human use. However, our survey of wave attenuation data from field studies of mangroves, salt marshes, seagrass beds, nearshore coral reefs, and sand dunes reveals that these relationships are rarely linear. By incorporating nonlinear wave attenuation in estimating coastal protection values of mangroves in Thailand, we show that the optimal land use option may instead be the integration of development and conservation consistent with ecosystem-based management goals. This result suggests that reconciling competing demands on coastal habitats should not always result in stark preservation-versus-conversion choices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward B Barbier
- Department of Economics and Finance, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA.
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Abstract
Marine ecosystems are threatened by a suite of anthropogenic stressors. Mitigating multiple threats is a daunting task, particularly when funding constraints limit the number of threats that can be addressed. Threats are typically assessed and prioritized via expert opinion workshops that often leave no record of the rationale for decisions, making it difficult to update recommendations with new information. We devised a transparent, repeatable, and modifiable method for collecting expert opinion that describes and documents how threats affect marine ecosystems. Experts were asked to assess the functional impact, scale, and frequency of a threat to an ecosystem; the resistance and recovery time of an ecosystem to a threat; and the certainty of these estimates. To quantify impacts of 38 distinct anthropogenic threats on 23 marine ecosystems, we surveyed 135 experts from 19 different countries. Survey results showed that all ecosystems are threatened by at least nine threats and that nine ecosystems are threatened by >90% of existing threats. The greatest threats (highest impact scores) were increasing sea temperature, demersal destructive fishing, and point-source organic pollution. Rocky reef, coral reef, hard-shelf, mangrove, and offshore epipelagic ecosystems were identified as the most threatened. These general results, however, may be partly influenced by the specific expertise and geography of respondents, and should be interpreted with caution. This approach to threat analysis can identify the greatest threats (globally or locally), most widespread threats, most (or least) sensitive ecosystems, most (or least) threatened ecosystems, and other metrics of conservation value. Additionally, it can be easily modified, updated as new data become available, and scaled to local or regional settings, which would facilitate informed and transparent conservation priority setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin S Halpern
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, 735 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, USA.
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27
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Mumby PJ, Harborne AR, Williams J, Kappel CV, Brumbaugh DR, Micheli F, Holmes KE, Dahlgren CP, Paris CB, Blackwell PG. Trophic cascade facilitates coral recruitment in a marine reserve. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2007; 104:8362-7. [PMID: 17488824 PMCID: PMC1895955 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0702602104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2006] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Reduced fishing pressure and weak predator-prey interactions within marine reserves can create trophic cascades that increase the number of grazing fishes and reduce the coverage of macroalgae on coral reefs. Here, we show that the impacts of reserves extend beyond trophic cascades and enhance the process of coral recruitment. Increased fish grazing, primarily driven by reduced fishing, was strongly negatively correlated with macroalgal cover and resulted in a 2-fold increase in the density of coral recruits within a Bahamian reef system. Our conclusions are robust because four alternative hypotheses that may generate a spurious correlation between grazing and coral recruitment were tested and rejected. Grazing appears to influence the density and community structure of coral recruits, but no detectable influence was found on the overall size-frequency distribution, community structure, or cover of corals. We interpret this absence of pattern in the adult coral community as symptomatic of the impact of a recent disturbance event that masks the recovery trajectories of individual reefs. Marine reserves are not a panacea for conservation but can facilitate the recovery of corals from disturbance and may help sustain the biodiversity of organisms that depend on a complex three-dimensional coral habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Mumby
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of BioSciences, University of Exeter, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter EX4 4PS, United Kingdom.
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28
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Mumby PJ, Dahlgren CP, Harborne AR, Kappel CV, Micheli F, Brumbaugh DR, Holmes KE, Mendes JM, Broad K, Sanchirico JN, Buch K, Box S, Stoffle RW, Gill AB. Fishing, trophic cascades, and the process of grazing on coral reefs. Science 2006; 311:98-101. [PMID: 16400152 DOI: 10.1126/science.1121129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 298] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Since the mass mortality of the urchin Diadema antillarum in 1983, parrotfishes have become the dominant grazer on Caribbean reefs. The grazing capacity of these fishes could be impaired if marine reserves achieve their long-term goal of restoring large consumers, several of which prey on parrotfishes. Here we compare the negative impacts of enhanced predation with the positive impacts of reduced fishing mortality on parrotfishes inside reserves. Because large-bodied parrotfishes escape the risk of predation from a large piscivore (the Nassau grouper), the predation effect reduced grazing by only 4 to 8%. This impact was overwhelmed by the increase in density of large parrotfishes, resulting in a net doubling of grazing. Increased grazing caused a fourfold reduction in the cover of macroalgae, which, because they are the principal competitors of corals, highlights the potential importance of reserves for coral reef resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Mumby
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of BioSciences, University of Exeter, Prince of Wales Road, Exeter EX4 4PS, UK
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29
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Pandolfi JM, Jackson JBC, Baron N, Bradbury RH, Guzman HM, Hughes TP, Kappel CV, Micheli F, Ogden JC, Possingham HP, Sala E. Ecology. Are U.S. coral reefs on the slippery slope to slime? Science 2005; 307:1725-6. [PMID: 15774744 DOI: 10.1126/science.1104258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 316] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J M Pandolfi
- Centre for Marine Studies and Department of Earth Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
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