EU marine strategy framework directive (MSFD) and marine spatial planning (MSP): Which is the more dominant and practicable contributor to maritime policy in the UK?

This paper is a comparative analysis of the contribution to UK marine governance of two recent EU initiatives: the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and Marine Spatial Planning (MSP). MSFD imposed a duty on Member States to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) in four regional seas, while MSP required Member States to replace their fragmented, sector-based system of maritime decision making with an integrated approach. This paper explains MSFD and MSP, examines their relationship, and compares their practicability, concluding that MSP is both the more dominant and the more practicable instrument, reflecting the UK's preference for sustainable development over conservationism in marine policy. A recent proposal by the European Commission to make MSP and integrated coastal management a Directive reinforces the UK position.     

The use of GPS for marine positioning in Germany—requirements,experience, and concepts

Abstract

While beginning to establish a German Civil GPS Information and Observation Service in 1990, the actual and (near) future GPS market in Germany was analyzed. In addition, the feasibility of using GPS for water authority tasks has been studied during past years. Typical capabilities in this area are real‐time positioning for hydrographic surveying (kinematic application) and precise transfer of levels to tide gauges and verification at offshore positions.

The article describes the user interests, the requirements, some of the test campaigns, and the derived concepts for future applications.     

How to dance? The tango of stakeholder involvement in marine governance research

The added value of involving stakeholders in research, especially related to marine governance, seems to be understood today by many researchers and policy makers. This is clearly reflected by the many (EU) research calls explicitly asking for stakeholder involvement. The way in which to involve stakeholders in a meaningful way is however not all that clearly defined. In the EU funded project Options for Delivering Ecosystem-Based Marine Management (ODEMM) an explicit question was the development of options for alternative governance settings, including stakeholder involvement, to implement the Marine Strategy Framework Directive in the EU. In order to arrive at these possible alternative governance set-ups the ODEMM project developed a layered methodology, including structured and unstructured interviews, a survey and roundtable discussions to develop diverse governance options for future ecosystem based models at the regional seas. This paper describes the methodologies used, compares them with best practice from literature, and finally classifies the approach as a joint knowledge production, a tango, in which scientists take the lead but need the stakeholders to come to a dance.     

Early-stage transformation of coastal marine governance in Vietnam?

This paper examines an apparent ‘early stage’ governance transformation in the Tam Giang Lagoon, Vietnam. In this context, the role of key policy windows for innovative governance practice is assessed (e.g., changes to Land and Fisheries Laws). Also examined is the emergence of recent initiatives to catalyze a wider shift in governance practice in the region, including the formation of co-management institutional networks that contribute to trust building and learning, and the allocation of collective territorial use rights for fisheries. While these changes are consistent with experiences in other coastal marine contexts, the paper shows that place-based and longitudinal research is necessary to explain and predict the conditions and incentives that catalyze governance shifts. Differences between a governance change and more fundamental transformation are difficult to discern using point-in-time analysis. Moreover, the results show that current declines in ecological conditions in the lagoon may not be reversed by changes to access rights or the emergence of co-management. Rather, these governance changes may simply help to stabilize the situation and buy time until other livelihood opportunities arise. Assessments of governance transformation thus need to be linked to ecological outcomes (i.e., reversing degradation of coastal marine systems, avoiding biophysical tipping points) which may not be easily identified in the short-term. Despite uncertainty, the emergence of policy windows, evidence of institutional innovation, and small-scale rights allocation experiments, all suggest important shifts in the trajectory of governance are underway in the Tam Giang Lagoon.     

The behaviour of methionine in the model marine habitat

The behaviour of free methionine in the artificial marine habitat and the characteristic of absorption by clam were studied by trace method. The results showed that more than 70% of free methionine was utilized by marine organisms. The percentage of concentration methionine in suspended matter, Platymonas, sediment and clam was 11.4%, 24%, 7.8% and 34% respectively. The main path of absorption was viscera, seconded by mantle and gill. It was transferred to muscle after 24 h. The direct absorption of methionine from sea water by clam was more important and faster than that from food.     

The effects of nutrients and heavy metals on the plankton in marine enclosed ecosystem

Applying marine enclosed ecosystem extensively to study the nutrient variation and its relation to biochemical process by marine ecologists and biogeologists in North America, Europe, Japan and Australia has been lasting for many years. Santschi (1982) reviewed the geochemical recirculation of nutrients systematically. Kremling et al. (1978) described the changes in nutrient in marine enclosed e-     

The pathway and fate of the heavy metal mixture in Xiamen marine experiment enclosures

The pathway and fate of heavy metals were studied in 10m3 enclosures at Xiamen Bay in 1985. The dissolved metals added are removed rather quickly during the first days, and their half-removal times ( t1/2) (d) are as follows: Pb 5. 4-5. 8, Hg 6. 7-14, Zn 11-22, Cu 16 - 29, and Cd 30-89. Zinc is transferred biologically to particles during phytoplankton bloom. The main Fate of added metals after 27 days is as follows; over 80% Cd and 60% Cu remain in dissolved phase, more than 60% Pb and 50% Hg transfer to settling settlement, while Zn is equally distributed in dissolved phase and settling settlement. The wall uptake is less than 2% of the total metals added. Organic materials play an essential role in the partition and the transfer of heavy metals in water column. Terrigenous and autochthonous particles show different affinities to different metals. Most heavy metals associate weakly with zooplankton. The Binding of Cd, Pb, Zn and Cu to the particles shows distinctive features related to the diagenetic     

The concentration and distribution of dimethyl sulfide in the marine atmospheric boundary layer near the equator

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Fact or fiction? Assessing governance and co-management of Marine Reserves of Fishing Interest in Cedeira and Lira (NW Spain)

A large number of the marine protected areas (MPAs) designated in Spain have been proposed by public authorities or conservation NGOs in conjunction with their own administrations and other social and economic stakeholders. The only examples to date of MPAs proposed by fishing interests – the fishermen and their organizations – are located at Cedeira and Lira, two small communities in North West Spain. These fishing interests have been involved in these two proposals from the start, including design and development, as well as internal awareness-raising. However, 5 years from the outset, both marine reserves have failed to meet the conditions and essential requirements of a successful fisheries management system. This paper evaluates how the artisanal fishing sector has been identified with the idea of sustainability; and how the role and power relations of the Galician regional administration acquired both the key institutions of co-management and their associated functions which have conditioned the consolidation process of these marine reserves.     

The state‐of‐the‐art in marine navigation

Tide gauges distributed all over the world provide valuable information for monitoring mean sea level changes. The statistical models used in estimating sea level change from the tide gauge data assume implicitly that the random model components are stationary in variance. We show that for a large number of global tide gauge data this is not the case for the seasonal part using a variate-differencing algorithm. This finding is important for assessing the reliability of the present estimates of mean sea level changes because nonstationarity of the data may have marked impact on the sea level rate estimates, especially, for the data from short records.     

From community-based to centralised national management—A wrong turning for the governance of the marine protected area in Apo Island,Philippines?

Before the mid-1990s, Apo Island, Philippines, was often described as one of the world's best examples of community-based marine management. This paper studies the less-documented transition of the island during the late 1990s from community-based management to centralised national state management. Extensive interviewing of islanders has revealed deep misgivings about the centralised regime—the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB). PAMB's aim of implementing the National Integrated Protected Areas Systems (NIPAS) Act was initially looked upon favourably by islanders, but it has lost that support because of its exclusion of stakeholders from management and its poor institutional performance. The paper's conclusion is that the implementation of the NIPAS Act highlights the limitations of top-down management, and that there is a need to restore an element of local stakeholder participation in the governance of Apo's marine protected area (MPA). A system of co-management between community and national state actors is essential to ensure the long-term sustainability of Apo's marine resources.     

Global implementation of marine protected areas: Is the developing world being left behind?

While the global network of marine protected areas (MPAs) has recently been evaluated in the light of bio-geographic targets, there has been no attempt to evaluate the relative conservation efforts made by the different nations with regards to their level of socio-economic development. Using information mostly gathered from the world database on protected areas (WDPA), this paper gives a comparative assessment of MPA progress in countries from different economic categories, ranging from advanced economies to least developed countries (LDCs). Potentially explanatory socio-economic and environmental factors, such as fishing activity and existence of vulnerable marine ecosystems, for variability between nations in the level of MPA implementation are also explored. Existing MPA databases demonstrate a clear gap between developed and developing nations in MPA establishment, with advanced economies accounting for two thirds of the global MPA network. Patterns of MPA use, however, remain extremely heterogeneous between countries within each development group. International agreements on marine conservation, above and beyond the influence of country socio-economic and environmental profiles, are identified as a stimulating factor to MPA implementation. The level dependence on marine resource extraction appears to impede MPA implementation, though the relationship is not statistically significant due to large heterogeneity among countries. Leading developed nations increasingly use MPAs to designate integrated and adaptive management areas, and implementation of large “no-take” reserves in relatively-pristine overseas areas continues to accelerate. These analyses highlight certain limitations regarding our ability to assess the true conservation effectiveness of the existing global MPA network and the need for improved indicators of MPA restrictions and management efforts.     

The pilot project “Patterns and processes of the ecosystems of the northern Mid-Atlantic”: aims,strategy and status

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is the target of an emerging international ecosystem study under the Census of marine life programme. This pilot project shall gather new knowledge on biodiversity, distribution patterns, and ecological processes, and the overriding aim is “to describe and understand the patterns of distribution, abundance and trophic relationships of the organisms inhabiting the mid-oceanic North Atlantic, and identify and model ecological processes that cause variability in these patterns”. The project will focus on pelagic, benthopelagic and epibenthic macrofauna, and analyse distribution and abundance patterns in relation to the abiotic and biotic environment, as well as trophic relationships and life history strategies. Fish, crustaceans, cephalopods and gelatinous plankton and nekton have the highest priority in the study. A major challenge of the project is to overcome observation difficulties at large depths and in rugged terrain. A central aim is thus to utilise modern remote sensing technology (acoustics, optics) using advanced instrument carriers (e.g. towed vehicles, ROVs, AUVs, etc.). The project will be carried out as a multi-ship operation in 2003–2005, and the ongoing planning is a collaborative effort involving many nations around the North Atlantic. The project will work on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and in adjacent waters from the Azores to Iceland, both by surveying large areas by acoustics and mid-water trawling, and by focusing on three selected sub-areas for intensive sampling and observation by traditional and novel methods and technology. Overlapping with the field seasons, the period 2004–2008 will be an analytical phase, also including submission of data to OBIS.     

“Living with our backs to the sea”: A critical analysis of marine and coastal governance in Guatemala

Guatemala's rich coastal and marine biodiversity provides essential ecosystem goods and services to local residents and the national economy through artisanal and commercial fisheries, aquaculture, port exports and, to a lesser extent, tourism. As in many other countries, national policies emphasise the significance of marine conservation and marine resources, primarily through implementing marine protected areas (MPAs). However, this assumes that governance, as reflected in legal, institutional and organizational frameworks, political capacity and human resources is sufficiently developed to ensure MPAs meet these goals. These issues are explored through presenting the first detailed analysis of coastal and marine governance in Guatemala. The research highlights a range of barriers to good governance which restrict the extent to which MPAs can function effectively. Recommendations are made which can capitalise upon the potential for locally managed marine areas as a means to facilitate the improved governance of coastal and marine resources in Guatemala.     

The effects of heavy metals on the primary productivity in the marine ecosystem enclosures

In April, 1985, scientists from China and Canada made a marine enclosed ecosystem experiment cooperatively in Xiamen. The experiment was carried out in the plastic bags in a shorebased tank. To the bags, heavy metals (Cu, Hg, Zn, Pb and Cd) were added quantitatively and their effects on the primary productivity were studied. The results show that the effects of low level metal mixture (Cu 3.5-10.0, Hg 0.2-1.0, Pb 0.3-1.5, Zn 3.5-17.5,     

The Magnuson-Stevens act (1976) and its reauthorizations: Failure or success for the implementation of fishery sustainability and management in the US?

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (1976), opened a new era of federal fishery management in the United States. It was enacted primarily to establish a system for conserving and managing fisheries in the new 200-mile (EEZ). The US assumed exclusive authority for managing all fisheries within the EEZ, except for highly migratory species such as tunas and billfishes. Within the framework of the Act, eight Regional Fishery Management Councils (Regional Councils) were created, which are responsible for preparing Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) in federal waters under their jurisdiction. Each FMP must meet a series of National Standards (NSs) for conservation and management. The Act was reauthorized in 1996 with the passage of the Sustainable Fisheries Act (SFA), which aimed at fine tuning the fishery regulatory apparatus that was established under the original Act. This "fine tuning" involved increased attention to biological concerns, and removal of ambiguities within it. The Act was reauthorized again in 2007, mainly to provide for more clear directives and regulations to end overfishing. After more than thirty years since the Act was passed into law, the debate among conservationists, commercial and recreational fishery representatives, and politicians on the effectiveness of the Act in achieving its purported goals it still continues. Is the Act delivering on its promises? Do NSs reflect the most important priorities for the US fishery resources, conservation and sustainable exploitation? Do the Regional Councils represent all parties that should be involved in the fisheries resources management? The aim of this paper is to provide a critical analysis to answer these questions. This paper begins with a review of the Act and its background, followed by discussion and analysis of the Act's benefits and flaws. Finally, suggestions for the implementation of its structure and future directions in fishery management strategies are made.     

Exploitation and conservation of coastal and marine fisheries in Bangladesh: Do the fishery laws matter?

The present study analysed the major features of two important acts and an ordinance in Bangladesh that govern coastal and marine fishery exploitation and conservation. The problems with the implementation of these regulations were identified, and the level of compliance among fishers and reasons for their noncompliance were assessed. Based on two case studies on coastal and marine ecosystems, the findings revealed that the level of noncompliance is highly prevalent, particularly in hilsa sanctuaries in the Meghna River estuary. The study identified coastal poverty, the inadequate and improper distribution of incentives, insufficient logistic support, limited alternative occupations, political interference and a lack of awareness regarding fishery regulations as the major limitations in the implementation. The drawbacks of proper implementation and the noncompliance of fishery regulations lead to fishery degradation, directly affect the sustainability of the coastal and marine ecosystem of Bangladesh and may be barriers to achieving Goal 14 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Establishing a co-management mechanism for sanctuary management, creating economic opportunities outside of fishery sectors, declaring more protected areas in the coastal and marine ecosystem, enhancing logistic support to the enforcing agencies and building awareness are critical to improving the compliance level among fishers. Finally, the study submits that understanding the fishers’ reasons for compliance and noncompliance of the regulations is important for devising fishery policies through the consultation and engagement of stakeholders at all levels.     

A stratigraphic and tectonofacies framework of the “calcari aLucina” in the Apennine Chain,Italy

The Apennine Chain provides the first example of stratigraphic (time) and synsedimentary tectonic (space) distribution of the calcari aLucina Miocene equivalents of modern cold-vent carbonates. Chemosynthetic faunal assemblages and related carbonate deposits are found at different stratigraphic levels, with peaks during Langhian-Serravallian and late Tortonian-early Messinian times. A general increase in frequency and volume occurs with time. A genetic link between venting and the Messinian Evaporite event is difficult to demonstrate. However,Lucina limestones are limited to preevaporitic times, and their maximum abundance is reached just before the onset of the Messinian Evaporite accumulation.Lucina limestones occur in almost all tectofacies of the orogen, from backland to foreland.     

Distribution of moretene, sterere, fernene, hopene and dienoic carboxylic acid in marine sediments in sea area of the Southern Ocean

The soluble organic matters were extracted from marine sediments in the sea area of Southern Ocean by using organic solvents. The hydrocarbon and carboxylic acid fractions were separated with the thin layer chromatography. The organic compounds of 170(H), 21α(H)- bishomomoretene, cholest - 5 - ene, 24 - methyl - cholestene, 24 - ethylcholestene, hop-17(21)-ene, neohop - 13(18)-ene, fern-8-ene, fern-7-ene, 170(H), 210 (H) - hop - 22(29)-ene (diplotene), steranes, β, β-hopanes C29 -C31 and unsaturated carboxylic acids C18:2Δ9.12 , C18:1Δ9,C18:1Δ11 , have been identi-fied in the hydrocarbon and carboxylic acid fractions by means of gas chromatography and gas chromatography - mass spec-trometry - data system. The distributions of 3, a - bishomomoretene, β,β- hopene and β,β- hopane are characteristic of immature organic matter. The sterane, C29 20S/20R epimer ratio 0. 6 indicate that the organic matter had experienced a thermal evolution in the early sedimentation. The unsaturated fatty acids espec