The Adaptive Marine Policy (AMP) toolbox: Supporting policy-makers developing adaptive policies in the Mediterranean and Black Sea

Adaptive management is essential to the practical application of the Ecosystem-Based Approach (EBA). Despite there are frequent assertions that adaptive management is being used, evidence on its success is still limited. Indeed, it is difficult to bring the different elements of adaptive management together in a robust way and to choose the appropriate tools to do it. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a practical framework for adaptive policy action, consistent with the EBA. Accordingly, to operationalize the design and implementation of adaptive policies on the basis of the EBA, the Adaptive Marine Policy toolbox has been developed. The objective of the toolbox is to provide policy-makers a practical framework to design and implement adaptive policies. To show the functionality of the toolbox, the guidelines and resources provided within the toolbox have been applied to the marine litter issue in the Mediterranean and Black Sea as an example. The example application has shown that the toolbox is a useful and operational framework to build a science-policy interface according to the EBA. Despite some resources could be missing from the toolbox, they provide a practical and useful starting point to support the application of the different steps and key activities.     

Remote electronic monitoring and the landing obligation – some insights into fishers’ and fishery inspectors’ opinions

The European fisheries management is currently undergoing a fundamental change in the handling of catches of commercial fisheries with the implementation of the 2013 Common Fisheries Policy. One of the main objectives of the policy is to end the practice of discarding in the EU by 2019. However, for such changes to be successful, it is vital to ensure stakeholders acceptance, and it is prudent to consider possible means to verify compliance with the new regulation. Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) with Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) has been tested in a variety of fisheries worldwide for different purposes and is currently considered as one possible tool to ensure compliance with a European ban on discards.This study focuses on Danish fishery inspectors and on fishers with REM experience, whose opinions are less well known. Their views on the landing obligation and on the use of REM were investigated using interviews and questionnaires, and contrasted to some fishers without REM experience. 80% of fishery inspectors and 58% of REM-experienced fishers expressed positive views on REM. 9 out of 10 interviewed fishers without REM experience were against REM. Participation in a REM trial has not led to antipathy towards REM. Fishery inspectors saw on-board observers, at-sea control and REM as the three best solutions to control the landing obligation but shared the general belief that the landing obligation cannot be enforced properly and will be difficult for fishers to comply with. The strengths and weaknesses of REM in this context are discussed.     

Communicating research on the economic valuation of coastal and marine ecosystem services

Quantifying the monetary value of ecosystem services (ES) provided by coastal and marine resources can help policy makers assess the trade-offs and synergies inherent in ecosystem-based management of marine and coastal environments, thus increasing the social efficiency of decision-making processes. As shown by the valuation literature, the number of coastal and marine management settings where valuation researchers have attempted to make a contribution is rising fast. However, this rise in research activity has not been matched by the increase in the use of economic valuation (EV) in the actual management of coastal and marine resources. This raises an interesting question: is EV responding to the needs of policy makers? This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the knowledge base regarding the economic values for coastal and marine ecosystems. It then discusses how to improve the uptake of ES valuation research by focussing on two core issues which are thought to be essential for more effective communication with the policy community.     

基于倒置声学基阵的INSUSBL组合导航算法研究

文中关注水下潜航器导航定位时,电磁波传播途径中能量衰减、惯导系统长航时积累误差以及提高水下潜航器定位精度等问题。基于倒置的超短基线声学基阵,分析声波往返传播时间(RTT)、平面波近似方法和USBL导航解算方法及其坐标转换过程,结合INS误差方程,建立INS/USBL松组合模型。为进一步提高系统精度、动态性能和抗干扰性,考察USBL的原始斜距、斜距差以及声学基阵的空间分布信息,提出基于USBL原始输出信息的INS/USBL紧耦合组合导航方法。通过MATLAB仿真对导航算法进行验证,结果表明两种算法能充分抑制纯惯导误差随时间积累问题,且有效地估计出姿态、速度和位置误差角;其中紧耦合方法状态估计误差最小,导航参数精度相对松组合提高30%以上,对于提高水下载体导航定位精度、海洋探测具有重大意义。     

生态文明建设下海洋空间规划体系的构建研究

海洋空间规划是重要的海洋空间管理工具,构建科学高效的海洋空间规划体系是海洋生态文明建设的重要组成部分。文章基于对海洋空间规划及其体系的基本认知,结合国家生态文明建设和海洋空间治理需求,提出海洋空间规划体系构建的时代背景、着力点和基本路径。研究表明,海洋空间规划体系是由各类海洋空间规划组成的,具有一定逻辑组织关系的管理制度集合,是海洋空间发展与资源环境管制的基础性机制集合;其构建应满足时代发展要求和海洋空间治理需求,体现国家海洋生态文明意志和海洋空间治理现代化,以总结多样化实践、建立完善协调机制和统一技术体系为基本路径。     

Analysis of bycatch in the South African midwater trawl fishery for horse mackerel Trachurus capensis based on observer data

The South African midwater trawl fishery targets adult horse mackerel Trachurus capensis. The bulk of the catch is taken by a single freezer-trawler, the biggest fishing vessel operating in South African waters. As fishing takes place off the south coast in ecologically sensitive areas, there are concerns about the potential impacts of this fishing operation on non-target species. Fishing behaviour and bycatch of this fishery from 2004 to 2014 were investigated by analysing observer records with regard to catch composition, volume and temporal and spatial patterns. The midwater trawl fishery was estimated to have caught 25 415 tonnes annually, with a bycatch of 6.9% of the total catch, by weight. There are species overlaps with various fisheries, namely the demersal trawl, small-pelagic, line, shark longline and squid fisheries, yet the total bycatch estimates from this fishery are generally small relative to catches taken in the target fisheries. Bycatch species with the highest average annual catches were chub mackerel Scomber japonicus, redeye roundherring Etrumeus whiteheadi, ribbonfish Lepidopus caudatus and hake Merluccius spp. Large-fauna bycatch species included sunfish Mola mola as well as a number of CITES II- and IUCN-listed species, such as Cape fur seal Arctocephalus pusillus, dusky shark Carcharhinus obscurus, smooth hammerhead shark Sphyrna zygaena and thresher sharks Alopias spp. The 97.9% observer coverage is high and the 6.9% bycatch rate low compared to other South African fisheries; however, due to the large size of the individual hauls (average of 46.3 t), the average sampling rate of 1.56% is low. Our analyses suggest that bycatch in the South African midwater trawl fishery has been lower than in other South African fisheries and similar fisheries elsewhere, but due to the combination of high catch volumes and low sampling rates, estimation errors for rare species are high and there is a substantial risk of incidental unmonitored bycatch of rare large fauna and aggregations of small fauna. This could be mitigated by spatio-temporal management of this fishery, to avoid fishing in high-risk areas, and the introduction of an electronic monitoring programme.     

基于生态敏感性和生态系统服务的黑河中游生态功能区划与生态系统管理

生态功能区划是协调生态保护与经济发展的矛盾、实施区域生态系统管理的重要途径。以黑河中游为研究区,基于基础地理信息数据、自然地理数据和土地覆被数据（1986、1995、2000、2010、2011年）,在生态敏感性和生态系统服务重要性分析的基础上,以最小子流域为基本单元,运用二阶聚类法进行生态功能区划;并依据主导生态系统服务对研究区进行分区管理与生态调控。得出结论：（1）黑河中游生态系统类型以荒漠、草地和农田为主,占总面积的90%;森林、水域、城镇与农村居民点零星分布,所占面积不到10%;1986-2010年,农田经历了减少-扩张-再减少的变化,但城镇与农村居民点一直呈现扩张趋势;（2）西北部生态敏感性明显高于东南部,其中极敏感区（约占24%）主要位于张掖-临泽-高台平原北侧、合黎山、祁连山山前戈壁与荒漠、肃南明花区;高度敏感区（约占58%）分布于走廊中部冲洪积平原;（3）各生态系统服务重要性空间分布格局具有一定的相似性,非常重要和极重要综合服务功能区约占3.2%,位于走廊中部的黑河干流缓冲区内;中等和一般重要地区约占20%,分布在山丹和民乐境内祁连山、焉支山、龙首山附近;（4）黑河中游可分为祁连山森林草地生态区、走廊冲洪积平原农田生态区和走廊北部平原灌丛荒漠生态区3个生态区8个生态功能区,依其主导生态系统服务分为生态保育区、生态协调区和生态控制区3类,进而提出了对应的生态系统管理措施。     

适应气候变化研究中的常见术语辨析

适应气候变化在国际公约谈判及国内适应实践中成为重要的关注内容,明晰适应相关的术语含义具有科学参考价值和实践指导意义。本文通过比较适应相关术语认为,适应是行为方式或对策措施的界定,可不需量化数据支持;适应能力需有明确评价指标体系,并最终产生量化性评价结果;适应性更偏重于能力属性,其基本结论是有或无、强或弱的判断,在适应性有量化结论支持或明确强弱确定时则等同于适应能力。脆弱性评价中,暴露度体现主体对象与气候变化相关的基本处境概况,敏感性表明气候变化对主体对象的影响,适应能力则是经济资本、自然资源、技术水平、社会保障四大要素的综合评价,各要素涵盖的具体指标需要酌情依据适应主体属性予以判别和遴选。适应气候变化与灾害风险管理在主体范畴、驱动因子、行动目的上有所区别,但两者共同关注提高对气候变化/气候灾害风险的抵御、承受、恢复能力,以降低不利影响,实现可持续发展为共同目标。     

虚拟地理环境知识工程初探

地理知识在虚拟地理环境（Virtual Geographic Environments,VGE）的科研与应用中发挥着极为重要的作用。现有地理知识工程研究整体处于初步探索阶段,且尚未在虚拟地理环境中展开。作为新一代GIS研究的科学方法和技术,虚拟地理环境具有典型的多领域、多协同、多交互、多模型及多感知的特点,但还亟需系统深入地了解VGE地理知识工程的特点、机理及关键技术。本文首先综述了国内外现有知识工程及地理知识工程研究现状,进而提出了VGE地理知识及VGE知识工程的概念和定义。在此基础上,本文分析了VGE地理知识有别于通用知识的特点,并提出了VGE地理知识的分类。最后,针对VGE地理知识工程的构建阐述了需解决的关键问题。本文基于VGE知识工程的初步探索,尝试为智能虚拟地理环境系统的构建提供理论基础,以促进虚拟地理环境中地理知识的快速转换和融合,为解决地理科学“数据丰富但知识贫乏”的问题提供一个可行的研究方向。     

Seagrass importance for a small-scale fishery in the tropics: The need for seascape management

Small-scale fisheries (SSF) in tropical seascapes (mosaics of interconnected mangroves, seagrasses and corals) are crucial for food and income. However, management is directed mostly to corals and mangroves. This research analyzes the importance of seagrasses compared to adjacent ecosystems in Chwaka Bay, Zanzibar, Tanzania. Using fish landings; the study investigated: location of fishing effort, fish production (biomass and species), and monetary benefits (aggregated value and per capita income). Seagrasses were the most visited grounds providing highest community benefits. Per capita benefits were equivalent to those from corals and mangroves. All three habitats provided income just above extreme poverty levels; however catches from seagrass appeared more stable. Seagrass are key ecosystems supporting SSF and protection and management are urgently needed. Adoption of a seascape approach considering all ecosystems underpinning SSF and the social aspects of fishing and a shift in emphasis from pure conservation to sustainable resource management would be desirable.