The other 93%: trophic cascades,stressors and managing coastlines in non-marine protected areas

Abstract

This paper reviews interactions involving stands of macroalgae on rocky reefs, and presents new data on changing sea surface temperatures (SSTs), as a contribution to the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Leigh Marine Laboratory (LML) of the University of Auckland. The focus is on trophic interactions involving predators, sea urchins and large brown algae, particularly trophic cascades. Of the 369 publications arising from work at LML, 40 have been on key aspects of these trophic interactions. Quantitative investigations of the structure of kelp bed communities and mechanistic studies involving manipulative field-based experiments, essentially a bottom-up perspective based on habitats and key species, dominated the research through the 1980s. From the mid-1990s onwards, the focus was more on marine reserves and a hierarchical, top-down perspective of community structure, with a particular focus on the role of predatory fish, and marine reserves as a tool of management. I discuss these models of community structure of kelp beds within the wider context of the New Zealand nearshore zone, the varying biogeographic regimes around the coastline, diffuse stressors and the changing nearshore climate. I show there appears to have been a significant warming trend in SST in northeast and northwest New Zealand over the past 30 years. I conclude that a trophic effects model is unlikely to apply to much of the coastline of New Zealand, and that a model involving multiple effects, including bottom-up forces, environmental and climatic influences, species' demographics, and catchment-derived sedimentation is more appropriate for kelp communities over most of the country. New management models are needed to safeguard marine resources and the services they provide.     

Implementing marine reserve networks: A comparison of approaches in New South Wales (Australia) and New Zealand

Marine reserve networks are an essential and effective tool for conserving marine biodiversity. They also have an important role in the governance of oceans and the sustainable management of marine resources. The translation of marine reserve network theory into practice is a challenge for conservation practitioners. Barriers to implementing marine reserves include varying levels of political will and agency support and leadership, poorly coordinated marine conservation policy, inconsistencies with the use of legislation, polarised views and opposition from some stakeholders, and difficulties with defining and mapping conservation features. The future success of marine reserve network implementation will become increasingly dependent on: increasing political commitment and agency leadership; greater involvement and collaboration with stakeholders; and the provision of resources to define and map conservation features. Key elements of translating marine reserve theory into implementation of a network of marine reserves are discussed based on approaches used successfully in New Zealand and New South Wales (Australia).     

Ecology of rocky reef fish of northeastern New Zealand: 50 years on

Abstract

This review examines the history and current understanding of the ecology of rocky reef fishes in northeastern New Zealand, marking the fiftieth anniversary of the Leigh Marine Laboratory. The cumulative number of publications increased steadily to c. 180 by 2012. Most attention has been on the snapper (Pagrus auratus, f. Sparidae), the largest in size and economically most important species, and on triplefins (Tripterygiidae), the smallest in size and most diverse family. A strong quantitative school emerged in the 1980s, a period when there was little research on temperate reef fishes elsewhere. A ‘bottom-up’ view of the effects of habitat structure on fish emerged, identifying the key roles of depth, topography and macroalgae. By 2000, attention shifted to using marine reserves as laboratories for ecological research. A ‘top-down’ view of fish as predators emerged, documenting cascading effects on prey communities and habitats. The two different viewpoints have not yet been integrated. Research gaps, including population connectivity and climate change, represent major challenges for the next 50 years.     

Non-sectarian scenario experiments in socio-ecological knowledge building for multi-use marine environments: Insights from New Zealand's Marine Futures project

The challenges of managing marine ecosystems for multiple users, while well recognised, has not led to clear strategies, principles or practice. The paper uses novel workshop based thought-experiments to address these concerns. These took the form of trans-disciplinary Non-Sectarian Scenario Experiments (NSSE), involving participants who agreed to put aside their disciplinary interests and commercial and institutional obligations. The NSSE form of co-production of knowledge is a distinctive addition to the participatory and scenario literatures in marine resource management (MRM). Set in the context of resource use conflicts in New Zealand, the workshops assembled diverse participants in the marine economy to co-develop and co-explore the making of socio-ecological knowledge and identify capability required for a new generation of multi-use oriented resource management. The thought-experiments assumed that non-sectarian navigation of scenarios will resource a step-change in marine management by facilitating new connections, relationships, and understandings of potential marine futures. Two questions guided workshop interactions: what science needs spring from pursuing imaginable possibilities and directions in a field of scenarios, and what kinds of institutions would aid the generation of science knowledge, and it application to policy and management solutions. The effectiveness of the thought- experiments helped identify ways of dealing with core problems in multi-use marine management, such as the urgent need to cope with ecological and socio-economic surprise, and define and address cumulative impacts. Discussion focuses on how the workshops offered fresh perspectives and insights into a number of challenges. These challenges include building relations of trust and collective organisation, showing the importance of values-means-ends pathways, developing facilitative legislation to enable initiatives, and the utility of the NSSEs in informing new governance and management directions in multi-use marine environments.     

Industry response to the 2003 set net restrictions for protection of Maui′s dolphin

Marine reserves and gear restrictions are common forms of marine resource management; they impact on fishers both directly and indirectly. In 2003 New Zealand set net fishers were required to abandon set netting along a substantial section of the North Island′s West Coast in order to eliminate the chance of entangling the critically endangered Maui′s dolphin. A study of some 100 set net fishers, found that the immediate, and short term effects of the 2003 set netting area closures had little impact on the catch and effort levels of fishers. Participation in the fishery increased immediately prior to the restrictions and remained at a similar level for the following four years. Incumbent fishers performed better than new entrants and exiters. Trends in Annual Catch Entitlement (ACE) prices appear not to have been affected by the set net restrictions.     

Marine reserve establishment and on-going management costs: A case study from New Zealand

While there is considerable international research focused on the conservation outcomes of marine protected areas (MPAs) and marine reserves (MRs) there is little information on the economic cost to establish and manage these protected areas. This study estimated the MR pre-establishment and establishment costs for the Taputeranga Marine Reserve (TMR) in New Zealand (NZ) and determined the annual management costs for this reserve and four further NZ MRs. Finally, the cost to local rock lobster fishers resulting from the displaced fishing effort once the TMR had been established was estimated. This research found that the TMR pre-establishment cost was approximately NZ$508,000, and the establishment process cost was approximately NZ$353,000. The annual management costs across the five reserves ranged between NZ$43,200 and NZ$112,500 between 2008/09 and 2010/11. The annual fishers displacement cost at TMR was approximately NZ$22,000 per annum. This research showed that on a unit area basis, small MRs in NZ are just as expensive to maintain as large MRs. This study also highlighted how volunteer effort helped to considerably reduce the monetary cost of the MR pre-establishment process. This research increases our understanding of establishment and management costs, and supports future planning of MRs both within NZ and internationally.     

中国国家级海洋特别保护区建设现状及其干扰压力分析

为了滨海湿地的资源及环境可持续发展,沿海地区已经建立了众多的海洋特别保护区。本文通过GIS10.0、聚集度指数和景观发展指数等对中国国家级海洋特别保护区的建设、地理分布格局和干扰压力等进行了分析。结果表明, 2005-2017年是中国国家级海洋特别保护区的重要建设期。截止2017年底国家级海洋特别保护区已有67处,形成了以国家级海洋公园为主体的管理体系。国家级海洋特别保护区在中国沿海地区广泛建设布局,但主要分布在山东、浙江和辽宁;并在地理空间上高度聚集分布,聚集度指数为0.43。中国南方沿海省区海洋特别保护区建设数量较少,其对海岸线覆盖率较低。国家级海洋特别保护区及其周边灯光指数(2005—2013年)和景观发展指数(2005—2015年)持续增长,人为干扰压力增强。但海洋特别保护区的设立一定程度上减弱了其内部干扰压力的增强速度,可能加剧了其边缘的人类活动和景观发展压力。     

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.     

海洋生物多样性保护空间规划分区体系构建及其在泉州湾的应用

基于海岸带综合管理的理念,通过海域生态环境敏感性评价与海域生物多样性保护重要性评价,综合利用地理相关分析法、空间叠置法等定性和定量分区相结合的方法进行海洋生物多样性保护空间规划分区划界,提出了海洋生物多样性保护空间规划分区体系,将规划区域划分为生物多样性重点保护区、生物多样性养护区和生物多样性保护重点监督区.以福建泉州湾为案例,应用海洋生物多样性保护空间规划分区体系,得出泉州湾生物多样性保护极重要地区是泉州湾河口湿地省级自然保护区,泉州湾生物多样性保护比较重要地区是晋江河口、洛阳江河口、晋江南岸地区及清源山.泉州湾海洋生物多样性保护空间规划分区方案共划定26个分区,包括生物多样性重点保护区3个,生物多样性养护区14个,生物多样性保护重点监督区9个.泉州湾的应用结果表明,本研究提出的海洋生物多样性保护空间规划分区体系具有一定的可行性和可操作性,可为泉州湾生物多样性保护管理提供重要科学依据.     

The conservation of seals in Irish waters: How research informs policy

Ireland's waters represent a valuable resource encompassing productive fishing grounds and important oil and gas reserves. As a species rich marine environment, Ireland's waters are also an important habitat for many species of marine mammal. Specifically, grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) and harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) are widespread in Irish coastal waters and at least 24 species of cetacean have been reported at sea. The coastal zone represents critical habitat for many of these species, in particular seals that use both terrestrial and aquatic coastal habitat and are vulnerable to habitat degradation. Increasing exploitation of marine resources has increased their exposure to a range of anthropogenic effects including pollution and habitat loss. As top predators seals interact with commercial fisheries both directly and indirectly for resources and conflicts arise. The relatively recent move towards ‘greener’ resource exploitation such as marine renewable energy does not come without negative consequences for marine mammals including seals, which are afforded protection under national and international conservation legislation, highlighting the difficulties faced by resource managers. The sustainable exploitation of resources whilst conserving biodiversity is a challenging task and effective management implementation depends on appropriate policy informed by reliable scientific data. This paper outlines the conservation needs of seals in Irish waters, reviews our current knowledge of these species in Irish water, provides a critical analysis of the existing legislative framework and describes how research outputs can inform present and future policy decisions.     

How terrestrial management concepts have led to unrealistic expectations of marine protected areas

Terrestrial reserves and national parks have taken many forms and they continue to be directed toward variable and often imprecisely defined outcomes. A prominent contemporary focus is to pursue the continuance of biodiversity. To this aim the concept of protecting comprehensive, effectively managed and representative areas from overt development, such as urban sprawl and agriculture, has been globally adopted. Within Australia ‘effectively managed’, has been replaced by ‘adequate’, a poorly defined term which is interpreted optimistically and combined with ‘comprehensive’ and ‘representative’ to create the CAR principle. This principle was first developed within the Australian forestry sector to guide management in addressing a very specific threat to a clearly identified component of biodiversity in limited and well defined areas; the preservation of declining stands of some tree species within limited old growth forests. Even though the CAR principle is central to Australia's process of developing a network of marine protected areas (MPAs) its relevance to marine systems has not been demonstrated. Its efficacy for the conservation of marine environments is questioned. The uncritical transposition of terrestrial management paradigms, including the CAR principle, to the marine realm has misled marine management. It is argued that disproportionate commitment to terrestrial principles, including CAR, and unjustified advocacy for MPAs generally have biased public perception and management efforts to the detriment of effective marine conservation and sustainable use of marine resources.     

Ocean acidification in New Zealand waters: trends and impacts

The threat posed by ocean acidification (OA) to the diversity and productivity of New Zealand marine ecosystems is assessed in a synthesis of published trends and impacts. A 20-year time series in Subantarctic water, and a national coastal monitoring programme, provide insight into pH variability, and context for experimental design, modelling and projections. A review of the potential impact of changes in the carbonate system on the major phyla in New Zealand waters confirms international observations that calcifying organisms, and particularly their early life-history stages, are vulnerable. The synthesis considers ecosystem and socio-economic impacts, and identifies current knowledge gaps and future research directions, including mechanistic studies of OA sensitivity. Advanced ecosystem models of OA, that incorporate the indirect effects of OA and interactions with other climate stressors, are required for robust projection of the future status of New Zealand marine ecosystems.     

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.     

Are marine reserves and non-consumptive activities compatible? A global analysis of marine reserve regulations

Marine reserves are places where wildlife and habitats are protected from extractive and depositional uses of the sea. Although considered to be the pinnacle in marine conservation, many permit non-consumptive activities with little or no regulation. This paper examines the potential impacts of 16 non-consumptive activities including scuba diving, sailing, scientific research and motor boating, and how they might compromise the conservation objectives of marine reserves. Examination of 91 marine reserves from 36 countries found little agreement or consistency in what non-consumptive activities are permitted in marine reserves and how they are regulated. The two most common activities allowed without regulation were swimming (mentioned in 80% of marine reserves and allowed in 63% of these) and kayaking (mentioned in 85%, allowed in 53%). Scuba diving was mentioned in 91% and allowed without regulation in 41%. A risk score for the likely level of threat to wildlife and/or habitats that each activity could produce was then assigned based on effects reported in the literature. The risk analysis suggests that motor boating and activities which include or require it have a high potential to negatively impact wildlife and habitats if inadequately managed. Hence protection against extractive or depositional activities alone is insufficient to secure the high standard of protection usually assumed in marine reserves. For this to be achieved activities typically considered as benign must receive appropriate management, especially with increasing recreational use.     

以海岸带综合管理为工具开展海洋生物多样性保护管理

生物多样性保护是当前全球面临的最重要问题之一,本文分析了我国海洋生物多样性面临的主要威胁,并对生物多样性丧失的原因进行了分析。在以上研究的基础上,基于海岸带综合管理（ICZM）的理念,提出了海洋生物多样性保护管理中急需解决的问题,主要包括海洋生物多样性保护管理的指导思想、管理机构机制、管理边界、海洋生物多样性评价技术、海洋生物多样性保护规划技术和基于GIS的管理决策支持系统等。     

Conservation status of New Zealand marine mammals (suborders Cetacea and Pinnipedia), 2009

The conservation status of New Zealand (NZ) marine mammals (suborders Cetacea and Pinnipedia) is reappraised using the 2008 version of the NZ Threat Classification System. The list comprises 56 taxa (named species or subspecies, and as yet unnamed forms or types) in the following categories: Threatened—eight taxa (five Nationally Critical and three Nationally Endangered); Vagrant—six taxa; Migrant—20 taxa; and Data Deficient—13 taxa. A further nine taxa are listed as Not Threatened. Relative to the previous listing, the threat status of two species worsened: the NZ sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri) was uplisted to Nationally Critical and the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) was uplisted to Nationally Endangered. No species was considered to have an improved status. With the uplisting of the NZ sea lion and the continued listing of the Hector's dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori hectori) as Endangered and Maui's dolphin (C. hectori maui) as Nationally Critical, all three endemic NZ marine mammals are now considered threatened with extinction. We considered future research or management actions that would allow the downlisting of the eight taxa currently listed as Threatened.     

中国海洋旅游资源可持续发展研究

通过对海洋旅游资源类型、特点的论述及对中国海洋旅游资源特点与现状的分析，提出了中国海洋旅游资源的开发利用走可持续发展道路的策略：一是要因地制宜，适当开发；二是要以各种法律法规为基础，加速国内海洋旅游资源开发与管理的立法，以法治海，以法管旅；三是要建立海洋旅游管理体系；四是要实施科教兴旅、兴海战略；五是要从大旅游的战略高度来认识海洋旅游。     

Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean Sea: Objectives, Effectiveness and Monitoring

Abstract. The number of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is continuously increasing worldwide because of the increasing recognition of the profound effects that humans can have on marine systems. A large body of literature deals with marine reserves and their potential as conservation and management tools. In several cases, empirical evidence demonstrated that reserves can harbour greater diversity, higher abundance, and larger organisms than unprotected areas. In most cases, however, reserve design and site selection involved little scientific justification, with no direct test of most of the mechanisms assumed to work in a marine reserve. Field investigations of subtidal marine reserves are generally confounded by intrinsic ecological differences between sites investigated inside and outside reserves, by a lack of site and reserve replication, or by the absence of information about the biota before reserve establishment. This is particularly true in the Mediterranean Sea. The aim of this paper is to show that, at least in the Mediterranean basin, the effectiveness of MPAs has been rarely demonstrated because of lack of appropriate sampling designs. An MPA can be considered as a zone subjected to human impact, presumably a positive one. As a consequence, we propose the use of experimental procedures generally utilised for detecting environmental impacts.     

Albatross predation of juvenile southern blue whiting (Micromesistius australis) on the Campbell Plateau

Dietary samples collected at Campbell Island in summer 1997 indicate that southern blue whiting (Micromesistius australis) formed the bulk of the food of black‐browed albatrosses (Diomedea melanophrys impavida) during the chick‐rearing period. Birds preyed upon a single size class of fish with a mode at 80–90 mm standard length; fish were 4–5 months old and belonged to the 0+ age group. Satellite tracking showed that, when performing trips of short duration, adult albatrosses foraged within the 1000 m depth contour in the subantarctic zone north of Campbell Island. The feeding ecology of albatrosses thus suggests that juvenile (0+) southern blue whiting are pelagic and occur in dense schools in the top 5 m of the water column over the Campbell Plateau during the summer months. The high reliance of birds on juvenile southern blue whiting during the chick‐rearing period has implications for the management of the southern blue whiting fishery and the conservation of black‐browed albatrosses and other marine predators occurring in the New Zealand subantarctic area.     

我国海洋捕捞业政策变迁、结构特征及优化研究——基于政策文本的量化分析

自20世纪80年代以来,我国出台了众多海洋捕捞相关政策,厘清这些政策变迁规律对海洋捕捞业的健康发展具有重要意义。本文对1986年以来我国海洋捕捞业的政策文本展开量化分析,构建政策时间维度、政策工具维度、政策价值维度三维政策文本分析框架,梳理当前捕捞业政策变迁和结构特征,并深入分析了捕捞业政策与现实的匹配性。研究发现,海洋捕捞业的部分政策目标之间存在一定的冲突和矛盾;政策工具体系全面,但不同政策工具数量分布不均衡;早期政策的经济价值取向突出,社会、生态价值相对不足,需要适时调整政策价值取向。未来应明确政策目标,推动海洋捕捞管理范式由投入控制向产出控制的转变;优化政策工具组合,引导渔民自觉养护海洋渔业资源,提高海洋捕捞业政策的有效性;整合政策价值取向,协调产业发展、资源养护和渔民利益的关系,推动海洋捕捞可持续发展。