Hotspots for rockfishes, structural corals, and large-bodied sponges along the central coast of Pacific Canada

Biological hotspots are places with outstanding biodiversity features, and their delineation is essential to the design of marine protected areas (MPAs). For the Central Coast of Canada’s Northern Shelf Bioregion, where an MPA network is being developed, we identified hotspots for structural corals and large-bodied sponges, which are foundation species vulnerable to bottom contact fisheries, and for Sebastidae, a fish family which includes species that are long-lived (> 100 years), overexploited, evolutionary distinctive, and at high trophic levels. Using 11 years of survey data that spanned from inland fjords to oceanic waters, we derived hotspot indices that accounted for species characteristics and abundances and examined hotspot distribution across depths and oceanographic subregions. The results highlight previously undocumented hotspot distributions, thereby informing the placement of MPAs for which high levels of protection are warranted. Given the vulnerability of the taxa that we examined to cumulative fishery impacts, prospective MPAs derived from our data should be considered for interim protection measures during the protracted period between final network design and the enactment of MPA legislations. These recommendations reflect our scientific data, which are only one way of understanding the seascape. Our surveys did not cover many locations known to Indigenous peoples as biologically important. Consequently, Indigenous knowledge should also contribute substantially to the design of the MPA network.

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) as a Fisheries Management Tool for the Nassau Grouper (Epinephelus striatus) in Belize

The Nassau grouper, Epinephelus striatus, was once an important commercial fish species in the Caribbean, but is now considered commercially extinct throughout its range. Protection measures have included protection of adults via seasonal closures and spawning aggregation site reserves (SASRs). Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a promising fisheries management tool being used increasingly worldwide but are not specifically directed at the conservation of Nassau grouper. This thesis uses Belize as a case study location to determine how the established MPA network may contribute towards its protection. It was found that the Belize MPA network as a system may not contribute greatly, however, on an individual basis some MPAs contribute more to protection than others. Those MPAs which have characteristics most suitable for this species are Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes, Sapodilla Cayes, Bacalar Chico, Glovers Reef, Hol Chan, and South Water Caye Marine Reserves.

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) as a Fisheries Management Tool for the Nassau Grouper (Epinephelus striatus) in Belize

The Nassau grouper, Epinephelus striatus, was once an important commercial fish species in the Caribbean, but is now considered commercially extinct throughout its range. Protection measures have included protection of adults via seasonal closures and spawning aggregation site reserves (SASRs). Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a promising fisheries management tool being used increasingly worldwide but are not specifically directed at the conservation of Nassau grouper. This thesis uses Belize as a case study location to determine how the established MPA network may contribute towards its protection. It was found that the Belize MPA network as a system may not contribute greatly, however, on an individual basis some MPAs contribute more to protection than others. Those MPAs which have characteristics most suitable for this species are Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes, Sapodilla Cayes, Bacalar Chico, Glovers Reef, Hol Chan, and South Water Caye Marine Reserves.

MPA network design based on graph theory and emergent properties of larval dispersal

Despite the recognised effectiveness of networks of marine protected areas (MPAs) as a biodiversity conservation instrument, MPA network design frequently disregards the importance of connectivity patterns. In the case of sedentary marine populations, connectivity stems not only from the stochastic nature of the physical environment that affects dispersal of early life stages, but also from the spawning stock attributes that affect reproductive output (e.g. passive eggs and larvae) and survivorship. Early life stages are virtually impossible to track in the ocean. Therefore, numerical ocean current simulations coupled with egg and larval Lagrangian transport models remain the most common approach for the assessment of marine larval connectivity. Inferred larval connectivity may differ depending on the type of connectivity considered; consequently, the prioritisation of sites for the conservation of marine populations might also differ. Here, we introduce a framework for evaluating and designing MPA networks based on the identification of connectivity hotspots using graph theoretic analysis. As a case study, we used a network of open-access areas and MPAs off Mallorca Island (Spain), and tested its effectiveness for the protection of the painted comber Serranus scriba. Outputs from network analysis were used to (1) identify critical areas for improving overall larval connectivity, (2) assess the impact of species’ biological parameters in network connectivity and (3) explore alternative MPA configurations to improve average network connectivity. Results demonstrate the potential of graph theory to identify non-trivial egg/larval dispersal patterns and emerging collective properties of the MPA network, which are relevant for increasing protection efficiency.

The persistence in time of distributional patterns in marine megafauna impacts zonal conservation strategies

The main type of zonal conservation approach corresponds to Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which are spatially defined and generally static entities aiming at the protection of some target populations by the implementation of a management plan. For highly mobile species the relevance of an MPA over time might be hampered by temporal variations in distributions or home ranges. In the present work, we used habitat model-based predicted distributions of cetaceans and seabirds within the Bay of Biscay from 2004 to 2017 to characterise the aggregation and persistence of mobile species distributional patterns and the relevance of the existing MPA network. We explored the relationship between population abundance and spatial extent of distribution to assess the aggregation level of species distribution. We used the smallest spatial extent including 75% of the population present in the Bay of Biscay to define specific core areas of distributions, and calculated their persistence over the 14 studied years. We inspected the relevance of the MPA network with respect to aggregation and persistence. We found that aggregation and persistence are two independent features of marine megafauna distributions. Indeed, strong persistence was shown in both aggregated (bottlenose dolphins, auks) and loosely distributed species (northern gannets), while some species with aggregated distributions also showed limited year-to-year persistence in their patterns (black-legged kittiwakes). We thus have demonstrated that both aggregation and persistence have potential impact on the amount of spatio-temporal distributional variability encompassed within static MPAs. Our results exemplified the need to have access to a minimal temporal depth in the species distribution data when aiming to designate new site boundaries for the conservation of mobile species.

An interactive atlas for marine biodiversity conservation in the Coral Triangle

An online atlas of the Coral Triangle region of the Indo-Pacific biogeographic realm was developed. This online atlas consists of the three interlinked parts: (1) Biodiversity Features; (2) Areas of Importance for Biodiversity Conservation; (3) recommended priorities for Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network Expansion (http://www.marine.auckland.ac.nz/CTMAPS). The first map, Biodiversity Features, provides comprehensive data on the region's marine protected areas and biodiversity features, threats, and environmental characteristics. The second provides spatial information on areas of high biodiversity conservation values, while the third map shows priority areas for expanding the current Coral Triangle MPA network. This atlas provides the most comprehensive biodiversity datasets that have been assembled for the region. The datasets were retrieved and generated systematically from various open-access sources. To engage a wider audience and to raise participation in biodiversity conservation, the maps were designed as an interactive and online atlas. This atlas presents representative information to promote a better understanding of the key marine and coastal biodiversity characteristics of the region and enables the application of marine biodiversity informatics to support marine ecosystem-based management in the Coral Triangle region.

Digital map of the Coral Triangle: An online atlas for marine biodiversity conservation

An online atlas of the Coral Triangle region of the Indo Pacific biogeographic realm was developed. This online atlas consists of the three interlinked digital maps: (1) Biodiversity Features; (2) Areas of Importance for Biodiversity Conservation; (3) Recommended Priorities for Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network Expansion (www.marine.auckland.ac.nz/CTMAPS). The first map, Biodiversity Features, provides comprehensive data on the region's marine protected areas and biodiversity features, threats and environmental characteristics. The second provides spatial information on areas of high biodiversity conservation values, while the third map shows priority areas for expanding the current Coral Triangle MPA network. This digital map provides the most comprehensive biodiversity datasets yet assembled for the region. The datasets were retrieved and generated systematically from various open-access sources. To engage a wider audience and to raise participation in biodiversity conservation, the maps were designed as an interactive and online atlas. This digital map presents representative information to promote a better understanding of the key marine and coastal biodiversity characteristics of the region and enables the application of marine biodiversity informatics to support marine ecosystem-based management in the Coral Triangle region.

Bridging the divide: A framework for social-ecological coherence in Marine Protected Area network design

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and networks of MPAs are being implemented globally as a spatial management tool for achieving conservation objectives. There has been considerable progress in reaching the prescribed 10% protected area target for 2020, outlined in the Convention on Biological Diversity Aichi Target 11 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14.The application of MPA network design principles (e.g. Representative, ecological connectivity), which underpin ecological coherence, is still lacking or insufficient in many regions. Poor ecological coherence hinders the ecological performance of MPA networks, leading to dysfunction in the flow of ecosystem services and reduced ecosystem benefits, with potentially negative consequences for human well‐being.This paper presents four pivotal focus points for future progress that can bridge the gap between ecological and social systems. The aim is to shift the discourse of ‘ecological coherence’ further into the social sphere, and hence support the alignment of the process of designating ecologically coherent MPA networks with the ‘triple bottom line’ of economic development, environmental sustainability, and social inclusion, as described in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to achieve social–ecological coherence in MPA network design.