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Muenzel D, Critchell K, Cox C, Campbell SJ, Jakub R, Suherfian W, Sara L, Chollett I, Treml EA, Beger M. Integrating larval connectivity into the marine conservation decision-making process across spatial scales. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2023; 37:e14038. [PMID: 36478610 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Larval dispersal connectivity is typically integrated into spatial conservation decisions at regional or national scales, but implementing agencies struggle with translating these methods to local scales. We used larval dispersal connectivity at regional (hundreds of kilometers) and local (tens of kilometers) scales to aid in design of networks of no-take reserves in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. We used Marxan with Connectivity informed by biophysical larval dispersal models and remotely sensed coral reef habitat data to design marine reserve networks for 4 commercially important reef species across the region. We complemented regional spatial prioritization with decision trees that combined network-based connectivity metrics and habitat quality to design reserve boundaries locally. Decision trees were used in consensus-based workshops with stakeholders to qualitatively assess site desirability, and Marxan was used to identify areas for subsequent network expansion. Priority areas for protection and expected benefits differed among species, with little overlap in reserve network solutions. Because reef quality varied considerably across reefs, we suggest reef degradation must inform the interpretation of larval dispersal patterns and the conservation benefits achievable from protecting reefs. Our methods can be readily applied by conservation practitioners, in this region and elsewhere, to integrate connectivity data across multiple spatial scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic Muenzel
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Kay Critchell
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | | | | | - Raymond Jakub
- Rare, Arlington, Virginia, USA
- Rare Indonesia, Kota Bogor, Indonesia
| | | | - La Sara
- Department of Aquatic Resources Management, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, Haluoleo University, Kendari, Indonesia
| | | | - Eric A Treml
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Maria Beger
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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2
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Elahi R, Edmunds PJ, Gates RD, Kuffner IB, Barnes BB, Chollett I, Courtney TA, Guest JR, Lenz EA, Toth LT, Viehman TS, Williams ID. Scale dependence of coral reef oases and their environmental correlates. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2651. [PMID: 35538862 PMCID: PMC9787915 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Identifying relatively intact areas within ecosystems and determining the conditions favoring their existence is necessary for effective management in the context of widespread environmental degradation. In this study, we used 3766 surveys of randomly selected sites in the United States and U.S. Territories to identify the correlates of sites categorized as "oases" (defined as sites with relatively high total coral cover). We used occupancy models to evaluate the influence of 10 environmental predictors on the probability that an area (21.2-km2 cell) would harbor coral oases defined at four spatial extents: cross-basin, basin, region, and subregion. Across all four spatial extents, oases were more likely to occur in habitats with high light attenuation. The influence of the other environmental predictors on the probability of oasis occurrence were less consistent and varied with the scale of observation. Oases were most likely in areas of low human population density, but this effect was evident only at the cross-basin and subregional extents. At the regional and subregional extents oases were more likely where sea-surface temperature was more variable, whereas at the larger spatial extents the opposite was true. By identifying the correlates of oasis occurrence, the model can inform the prioritization of reef areas for management. Areas with biophysical conditions that confer corals with physiological resilience, as well as limited human impacts, likely support coral reef oases across spatial extents. Our approach is widely applicable to the development of conservation strategies to protect biodiversity and ecosystems in an era of magnified human disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Elahi
- Hopkins Marine StationStanford UniversityPacific GroveCaliforniaUSA
| | - Peter J. Edmunds
- Department of BiologyCalifornia State UniversityNorthridgeCaliforniaUSA
| | - Ruth D. Gates
- Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine BiologyUniversity of Hawaiʻi at MānoaKāneʻoheHawaiiUSA
| | - Ilsa B. Kuffner
- U.S. Geological SurveySt. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science CenterSt. PetersburgFloridaUSA
| | - Brian B. Barnes
- College of Marine ScienceUniversity of South FloridaSt. PetersburgFloridaUSA
| | | | - Travis A. Courtney
- Scripps Institution of OceanographyUniversity of California San DiegoLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Marine SciencesUniversity of Puerto Rico MayagüezMayagüezPuerto RicoUSA
| | - James R. Guest
- School of Natural and Environmental SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUK
| | - Elizabeth A. Lenz
- University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College ProgramUniversity of Hawaiʻi at MānoaHonoluluHawaiiUSA
| | - Lauren T. Toth
- U.S. Geological SurveySt. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science CenterSt. PetersburgFloridaUSA
| | - T. Shay Viehman
- National Centers for Coastal Ocean ScienceNational Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationBeaufortNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Ivor D. Williams
- Pacific Islands Fisheries Science CenterNational Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationHonoluluHawaiiUSA
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3
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Gilmour JP, Cook KL, Ryan NM, Puotinen ML, Green RH, Heyward AJ. A tale of two reef systems: Local conditions, disturbances, coral life histories, and the climate catastrophe. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2509. [PMID: 34870357 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Coral reefs have evolved over millennia to survive disturbances. Yet, in just a few decades chronic local pressures and the climate catastrophe have accelerated so quickly that most coral reefs are now threatened. Rising ocean temperatures and recurrent bleaching pose the biggest threat, affecting even remote and well-managed reefs on global scales. We illustrate how coral bleaching is altering reefs by contrasting the dynamics of adjacent reef systems over more than two decades. Both reef systems sit near the edge of northwest Australia's continental shelf, have escaped chronic local pressures and are regularly affected by tropical storms and cyclones. The Scott reef system has experienced multiple bleaching events, including mass bleaching in 1998 and 2016, from which it is unlikely to fully recover. The Rowley Shoals has maintained a high cover and diversity of corals and has not yet been impacted by mass bleaching. We show how the dynamics of both reef systems were driven by a combination of local environment, exposure to disturbances and coral life history traits, and consider future shifts in community structure with ongoing climate change. We then demonstrate how applying knowledge of community dynamics at local scales can aid management strategies to slow the degradation of coral reefs until carbon emissions and other human impacts are properly managed.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P Gilmour
- The Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Kylie L Cook
- The Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Nicole M Ryan
- The Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Marjetta L Puotinen
- The Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Rebecca H Green
- Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Andrew J Heyward
- The Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
- Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
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4
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Castro-Sanguino C, Bozec YM, Callaghan D, Vercelloni J, Rodriguez-Ramirez A, Lopez-Marcano S, Gonzalez-Marrero Y, Puotinen M, Hoegh-Guldberg O, Gonzalez-Rivero M. Coral composition and bottom-wave metrics improve understanding of the patchiness of cyclone damage on reefs. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 804:150178. [PMID: 34798733 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Coral reefs are likely to be exposed to more intense cyclones under climate change. Cyclone impacts are spatially highly variable given complex hydrodynamics, and coral-specific sensitivity to wave impacts. Predicting reef vulnerability to cyclones is critical to management but requires high resolution environmental data that are difficult to obtain over broad spatial scales. Using 30m-resolution wave modelling, we tested cyclonic and non-cyclonic wave metrics as predictors of coral damage on 22 reefs after severe cyclone Ita impacted the northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia in 2014. Analyses of coral cover change accounting for the type of coral along a gradient of vulnerability to wave damage (e.g., massive, branching, Acroporids) excluded cyclone-generated surface wave metrics (derived from wave height) as important predictors. Increased bottom stress wave environment (near-bed wave orbital velocity) due to Ita (Ita-Ub) explained spatial patterns of 17% to 46% total coral cover loss only when the initial abundance of Acroporids was accounted for, and only when exceeding 35% cover. Greater coral losses occurred closer to the cyclone path irrespective of coral type. Massive and encrusting corals, however, had losses exacerbated in higher non-cyclonic bottom-wave energy environments (nc-Ub). The effect of community composition on structural vulnerability to wave damage was more important predicting damage that the magnitude of the cyclone-generated waves, especially when reefs are surveyed well beyond where damaging waves are expected to occur. Exposure to Ita-Ub was greater in typically high nc-Ub environments with relatively low cover of the most fragile morphologies explaining why these were the least affected overall. We reveal that the common surface-wave metrics of cyclone intensity may not always be able to predict spatial impacts and conclude that reef vulnerability assessments need to account for chronic wave patterns and differences in community composition in order to provide predictive tools for future conservation and restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Castro-Sanguino
- Global Change Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Y-M Bozec
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, Brisbane, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - D Callaghan
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - J Vercelloni
- Global Change Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - A Rodriguez-Ramirez
- Global Change Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - S Lopez-Marcano
- Global Change Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Y Gonzalez-Marrero
- Canary Islands Oceanographic Center, The Spanish National Research Council, Tenerife, Spain
| | - M Puotinen
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, WA, Australia
| | - O Hoegh-Guldberg
- Global Change Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - M Gonzalez-Rivero
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville MC, QLD 4810, Australia; Global Change Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
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5
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White ER, Baskett ML, Hastings A. Catastrophes, connectivity and Allee effects in the design of marine reserve networks. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Easton R. White
- Dept of Biology, Univ. of Vermont Burlington VT USA
- Center for Population Biology, Univ. of California Davis CA USA
| | - Marissa L. Baskett
- Center for Population Biology, Univ. of California Davis CA USA
- Dept of Environmental Science and Policy, Univ. of California Davis CA USA
| | - Alan Hastings
- Dept of Environmental Science and Policy, Univ. of California Davis CA USA
- Santa Fe Inst. Santa Fe NM USA
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6
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Leiva-Dueñas C, Martínez Cortizas A, Piñeiro-Juncal N, Díaz-Almela E, Garcia-Orellana J, Mateo MA. Long-term dynamics of production in western Mediterranean seagrass meadows: Trade-offs and legacies of past disturbances. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 754:142117. [PMID: 33254936 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Seagrasses are marine angiosperms that can form highly productive, and valuable underwater meadows, which are currently in regression. A reliable assessment of their status and future evolution requires studies encompassing long-term temporal scales. With the aim of understanding seagrass ecosystem dynamics over the last centuries and millennia, twelve sediment cores were studied from seagrass meadows located along the Andalusian coast and at the Cabrera Island (western Mediterranean). This study is pioneer in using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy as a tool to study environmental change in seagrass sediments. FTIR is a form of vibrational spectroscopy that provides information about the sediment chemical composition. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to summarise spatio-temporal data of the FTIR vibratory peaks in combination with climate and geochemical proxy data. Several PCA signals were identified: (1) one likely related to the relative changes of the main primary producers and the sedimentary environment (carbonate or siliciclastic sediments, with aromatic or aliphatic organic matter); (2) the marine community production (polysaccharides, total organic matter content and biogenic silica); and (3) the seagrass production (aromatics, carbohydrates, phenols, proteins and lipids). A decrease of seagrass production along the mainland coast was evident since AD ~1850, which may be due to combined negative impacts of seawater warming, local anthropogenic impacts, and extreme setting conditions. The legacy of these combined stressors might have influenced the current poor state of seagrass meadows in the Alboran Sea. Our results also revealed a significant long-term trade-off between the level of seagrass production and its temporal stability (calculated as the inverse of the coefficient of variation). This study provides a reliable baseline data, helping to assess the magnitude of seagrass regression and its drivers. This paleoecological information can help design more targeted management plans and identify meadows where local management could be more efficient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Leiva-Dueñas
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Blanes, Spain.
| | - Antonio Martínez Cortizas
- EcoPast (GI-1553), Facultade de Bioloxia, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Blanes, Spain
| | - Nerea Piñeiro-Juncal
- EcoPast (GI-1553), Facultade de Bioloxia, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Blanes, Spain
| | - Elena Díaz-Almela
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Blanes, Spain
| | - Jordi Garcia-Orellana
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Física, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miguel A Mateo
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Blanes, Spain; School of Natural Sciences, Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia
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7
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McGowan J, Weary R, Carriere L, Game ET, Smith JL, Garvey M, Possingham HP. Prioritizing debt conversion opportunities for marine conservation. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2020; 34:1065-1075. [PMID: 32424907 PMCID: PMC8129986 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Incentivized debt conversion is a financing mechanism that can assist countries with a heavy debt burden to bolster their long-term domestic investment in nature conservation. The Nature Conservancy, an international conservation-based nongovernmental organization, is adapting debt conversions to support marine conservation efforts by small island developing states and coastal countries. Prioritizing debt conversion opportunities according to their potential return on investment can increase the impact and effectiveness of this finance mechanism. We developed guidance on how to do so with a decision-support approach that relies on a novel threat-based adaptation of cost-effectiveness analysis. We constructed scenarios by varying parameters of the approach, including enabling conditions, expected benefits, and threat classifications. Incorporating both abatable and unabatable threats affected priorities across planning scenarios. Similarly, differences in scenario construction resulted in unique solution sets for top priorities. We show how environmental organizations, private entities, and investment banks can adopt structured prioritization frameworks for making decisions about conservation finance investments, such as debt conversions. Our guidance can accommodate a suite of social, ecological, and economic considerations, making the approach broadly applicable to other conservation finance mechanisms or investment strategies that seek to establish a transparent process for return-on-investment decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer McGowan
- The Nature Conservancy4245 Fairfax Dr #100ArlingtonVA22203U.S.A.
| | - Rob Weary
- NatureVestThe Nature Conservancy4245 Fairfax Dr #100ArlingtonVA22203U.S.A.
| | - Leah Carriere
- NatureVestThe Nature Conservancy4245 Fairfax Dr #100ArlingtonVA22203U.S.A.
| | - Edward T. Game
- The Nature Conservancy48 Montague RoadSouth BrisbaneQld4101Australia
| | - Joanna L. Smith
- Nature UnitedThe Nature Conservancy366 Adelaide Street East, Suite 331TorontoONM5A 3X9Canada
| | - Melissa Garvey
- The Nature Conservancy4245 Fairfax Dr #100ArlingtonVA22203U.S.A.
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8
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Mellin C, Peterson EE, Puotinen M, Schaffelke B. Representation and complementarity of the long-term coral monitoring on the Great Barrier Reef. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2020; 30:e02122. [PMID: 32159898 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Effective environmental management hinges on efficient and targeted monitoring, which in turn should adapt to increasing disturbance regimes that now characterize most ecosystems. Habitats and biodiversity of Australia's Great Barrier Reef (GBR), the world's largest coral reef ecosystem, are in declining condition, prompting a review of the effectiveness of existing coral monitoring programs. Applying a regional model of coral cover (i.e., the most widely used proxy for coral reef condition globally) within major benthic communities, we assess the representation and complementarity of existing long-term coral reef monitoring programs on the GBR. We show that existing monitoring has captured up to 45% of the environmental diversity on the GBR, while some geographic areas (including major hotspots of cyclone activity over the last 30 yr) have remained unmonitored. Further, we identified complementary groups of reefs characterized by similar benthic community composition and similar coral cover trajectories since 1996. The mosaic of their distribution across the GBR reflects spatial variation in the cumulative impact of multiple acute disturbances, as well as spatial gradients in coral recovery potential. Representation and complementarity, in combination with other performance assessment criteria, can inform the cost-effective design and stratification of future surveys. Based on these results, we formulate recommendations to assist with the design of future long-term coral reef monitoring programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Mellin
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, 15-21 Nubeena Cres, Taroona, Tasmania, 7053, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB No. 3, Townsville MC, Townsville, Queensland, 4810, Australia
- The Environment Institute and School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia
| | - E E Peterson
- Institute for Future Environments, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George St, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers (ACEMS), 2 George St, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000, Australia
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George St, Brisbane, Queensland, 4000, Australia
| | - M Puotinen
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - B Schaffelke
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB No. 3, Townsville MC, Townsville, Queensland, 4810, Australia
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9
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Alagador D, Cerdeira JO. Revisiting the minimum set cover, the maximal coverage problems and a maximum benefit area selection problem to make climate‐change‐concerned conservation plans effective. Methods Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Diogo Alagador
- The “Rui Nabeiro” Biodiversity Chair MED‐Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development Universidade de Évora Évora Portugal
| | - Jorge Orestes Cerdeira
- Department of Mathematics and Centre for Mathematics and Applications Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia Universidade NOVA de Lisboa Costa da Caparica Portugal
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10
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Puotinen M, Drost E, Lowe R, Depczynski M, Radford B, Heyward A, Gilmour J. Towards modelling the future risk of cyclone wave damage to the world's coral reefs. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:4302-4315. [PMID: 32459881 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Tropical cyclones generate extreme waves that can damage coral reef communities. Recovery typically requires up to a decade, driving the trajectory of coral community structure. Coral reefs have evolved over millennia with cyclones. Increasingly, however, processes of recovery are interrupted and compromised by additional pressures (thermal stress, pollution, diseases, predators). Understanding how cyclones interact with other pressures to threaten coral reefs underpins spatial prioritization of conservation and management interventions. Models that simulate coral responses to cumulative pressures often assume that the worst cyclone wave damage occurs within ~100 km of the track. However, we show major coral loss at exposed sites up to 800 km from a cyclone that was both strong (high sustained wind speeds >=33 m/s) and big (widespread circulation >~300 km), using numerical wave models and field data from northwest Australia. We then calculate the return time of big and strong cyclones, big cyclones of any strength and strong cyclones of any size, for each of 150 coral reef ecoregions using a global data set of past cyclones from 1985 to 2015. For the coral ecoregions that regularly were exposed to cyclones during that time, we find that 75% of them were exposed to at least one cyclone that was both big and strong. Return intervals of big and strong cyclones are already less than 5 years for 13 ecoregions, primarily in the cyclone-prone NW Pacific, and less than 10 years for an additional 14 ecoregions. We identify ecoregions likely at higher risk in future given projected changes in cyclone activity. Robust quantification of the spatial distribution of likely cyclone wave damage is vital not only for understanding past coral response to pressures, but also for predicting how this may change as the climate continues to warm and the relative frequency of the strongest cyclones rises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marji Puotinen
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Edwin Drost
- Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Ryan Lowe
- Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Martial Depczynski
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Ben Radford
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Andrew Heyward
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - James Gilmour
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA, Australia
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11
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Wilson KL, Tittensor DP, Worm B, Lotze HK. Incorporating climate change adaptation into marine protected area planning. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:3251-3267. [PMID: 32222010 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is increasingly impacting marine protected areas (MPAs) and MPA networks, yet adaptation strategies are rarely incorporated into MPA design and management plans according to the primary scientific literature. Here we review the state of knowledge for adapting existing and future MPAs to climate change and synthesize case studies (n = 27) of how marine conservation planning can respond to shifting environmental conditions. First, we derive a generalized conservation planning framework based on five published frameworks that incorporate climate change adaptation to inform MPA design. We then summarize examples from the scientific literature to assess how conservation goals were defined, vulnerability assessments performed and adaptation strategies incorporated into the design and management of existing or new MPAs. Our analysis revealed that 82% of real-world examples of climate change adaptation in MPA planning derive from tropical reefs, highlighting the need for research in other ecosystems and habitat types. We found contrasting recommendations for adaptation strategies at the planning stage, either focusing only on climate refugia, or aiming for representative protection of areas encompassing the full range of expected climate change impacts. Recommendations for MPA management were more unified and focused on adaptative management approaches. Lastly, we evaluate common barriers to adopting climate change adaptation strategies based on reviewing studies which conducted interviews with MPA managers and other conservation practitioners. This highlights a lack of scientific studies evaluating different adaptation strategies and shortcomings in current governance structures as two major barriers, and we discuss how these could be overcome. Our review provides a comprehensive synthesis of planning frameworks, case studies, adaptation strategies and management actions which can inform a more coordinated global effort to adapt existing and future MPA networks to continued climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen L Wilson
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Derek P Tittensor
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, UK
| | - Boris Worm
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Heike K Lotze
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
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12
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Lam VYY, Doropoulos C, Bozec YM, Mumby PJ. Resilience Concepts and Their Application to Coral Reefs. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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13
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Mellin C, Matthews S, Anthony KRN, Brown SC, Caley MJ, Johns KA, Osborne K, Puotinen M, Thompson A, Wolff NH, Fordham DA, MacNeil MA. Spatial resilience of the Great Barrier Reef under cumulative disturbance impacts. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:2431-2445. [PMID: 30900790 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Revised: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2019] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
In the face of increasing cumulative effects from human and natural disturbances, sustaining coral reefs will require a deeper understanding of the drivers of coral resilience in space and time. Here we develop a high-resolution, spatially explicit model of coral dynamics on Australia's Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Our model accounts for biological, ecological and environmental processes, as well as spatial variation in water quality and the cumulative effects of coral diseases, bleaching, outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris), and tropical cyclones. Our projections reconstruct coral cover trajectories between 1996 and 2017 over a total reef area of 14,780 km2 , predicting a mean annual coral loss of -0.67%/year mostly due to the impact of cyclones, followed by starfish outbreaks and coral bleaching. Coral growth rate was the highest for outer shelf coral communities characterized by digitate and tabulate Acropora spp. and exposed to low seasonal variations in salinity and sea surface temperature, and the lowest for inner-shelf communities exposed to reduced water quality. We show that coral resilience (defined as the net effect of resistance and recovery following disturbance) was negatively related to the frequency of river plume conditions, and to reef accessibility to a lesser extent. Surprisingly, reef resilience was substantially lower within no-take marine protected areas, however this difference was mostly driven by the effect of water quality. Our model provides a new validated, spatially explicit platform for identifying the reefs that face the greatest risk of biodiversity loss, and those that have the highest chances to persist under increasing disturbance regimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Mellin
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville MC, Townsville, Qld, Australia
- The Environment Institute and School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Samuel Matthews
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville MC, Townsville, Qld, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia
| | - Kenneth R N Anthony
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville MC, Townsville, Qld, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld, Australia
| | - Stuart C Brown
- The Environment Institute and School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - M Julian Caley
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Qld, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers, Brisbane, Qld, Australia
| | - Kerryn A Johns
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville MC, Townsville, Qld, Australia
| | - Kate Osborne
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville MC, Townsville, Qld, Australia
| | - Marjetta Puotinen
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Angus Thompson
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville MC, Townsville, Qld, Australia
| | - Nicholas H Wolff
- Global Science, The Nature Conservancy, Brunswick, Maine
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld, Australia
| | - Damien A Fordham
- The Environment Institute and School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution, and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - M Aaron MacNeil
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville MC, Townsville, Qld, Australia
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
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14
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Hopf JK, Jones GP, Williamson DH, Connolly SR. Marine reserves stabilize fish populations and fisheries yields in disturbed coral reef systems. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2019; 29:e01905. [PMID: 30985954 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2018] [Revised: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Marine reserve networks are increasingly implemented to conserve biodiversity and enhance the persistence and resilience of exploited species and ecosystems. However, the efficacy of marine reserve networks in frequently disturbed systems, such as coral reefs, has rarely been evaluated. Here we analyze a well-mixed larval pool model and a spatially explicit model based on a well-documented coral trout (Plectropomus spp.) metapopulation in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Australia, to determine the effects of marine reserve coverage and placement (in relation to larval connectivity and disturbance heterogeneity) on the temporal stability of fisheries yields and population biomass in environmentally disturbed systems. We show that marine reserves can contribute to stabilizing fishery yield while increasing metapopulation persistence, irrespective of whether reserves enhance or diminish average fishery yields. However, reserve placement and the level of larval connectivity among subpopulations were important factors affecting the stability and sustainability of fisheries and fish metapopulations. Protecting a mix of disturbed and non-disturbed reefs, rather than focusing on the least-disturbed habitats, was the most consistently beneficial approach across a range of dispersal and reserve coverage scenarios. Placing reserves only in non-disturbed areas was the most beneficial for biomass enhancement, but had variable results for fisheries and could potentially destabilize yields in systems with well-mixed larval or those that are moderately fished. We also found that focusing protection on highly disturbed areas could actually increase variability in yields and biomass, especially when degraded reef reserves were distant and poorly connected to the meta-population. Our findings have implications for the design and implementation of reserve networks in the presence of stochastic, patchy environmental disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jess K Hopf
- College of Science and Engineering, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
| | - Geoffrey P Jones
- College of Science and Engineering, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
| | - David H Williamson
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
| | - Sean R Connolly
- College of Science and Engineering, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
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15
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Mcleod E, Anthony KRN, Mumby PJ, Maynard J, Beeden R, Graham NAJ, Heron SF, Hoegh-Guldberg O, Jupiter S, MacGowan P, Mangubhai S, Marshall N, Marshall PA, McClanahan TR, Mcleod K, Nyström M, Obura D, Parker B, Possingham HP, Salm RV, Tamelander J. The future of resilience-based management in coral reef ecosystems. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 233:291-301. [PMID: 30583103 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.11.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Revised: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/10/2018] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Resilience underpins the sustainability of both ecological and social systems. Extensive loss of reef corals following recent mass bleaching events have challenged the notion that support of system resilience is a viable reef management strategy. While resilience-based management (RBM) cannot prevent the damaging effects of major disturbances, such as mass bleaching events, it can support natural processes that promote resistance and recovery. Here, we review the potential of RBM to help sustain coral reefs in the 21st century. We explore the scope for supporting resilience through existing management approaches and emerging technologies and discuss their opportunities and limitations in a changing climate. We argue that for RBM to be effective in a changing world, reef management strategies need to involve both existing and new interventions that together reduce stress, support the fitness of populations and species, and help people and economies to adapt to a highly altered ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kenneth R N Anthony
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB 3, Townsville, Qld, 4810, Australia; Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Qld, 4072, Australia
| | - Peter J Mumby
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Qld, 4072, Australia
| | - Jeffrey Maynard
- SymbioSeas and the Marine Applied Research Center, Wilmington, NC, 28411, United States
| | - Roger Beeden
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, Qld, 4810, Australia
| | | | - Scott F Heron
- NOAA Coral Reef Watch, NESDIS Center for Satellite Applications and Research, College Park, MD, 20740, USA; ReefSense, Townsville, Qld 4814, Australia; Marine Geophysical Laboratory, Physics Department, College of Science, Technology and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, 4811, Australia
| | - Ove Hoegh-Guldberg
- Global Change Institute, University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Qld, Australia
| | - Stacy Jupiter
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Melanesia Program, Suva, Fiji
| | | | | | - Nadine Marshall
- CSIRO Land and Water and College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Q4811, Australia
| | - Paul A Marshall
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Qld, 4072, Australia; Reef Ecologic, North Ward, Townsville, Qld, 4810, Australia
| | | | - Karen Mcleod
- COMPASS, Oregon State University, Department of Zoology, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Magnus Nyström
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SE, 10691, Sweden
| | - David Obura
- CORDIO East Africa, Mombasa, Kenya; Global Change Institute, University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Qld, Australia
| | - Britt Parker
- NOAA NIDIS/Cooperative Institute for Research In Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Hugh P Possingham
- The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA, 22203, USA; The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia
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16
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Cross-shelf Heterogeneity of Coral Assemblages in Northwest Australia. DIVERSITY-BASEL 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/d11020015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the spatial and temporal distribution of coral assemblages and the processes structuring those patterns is fundamental to managing reef assemblages. Cross-shelf marine systems exhibit pronounced and persistent gradients in environmental conditions; however, these gradients are not always reliable predictors of coral distribution or the degree of stress that corals are experiencing. This study used information from government, industry and scientific datasets spanning 1980–2017, to explore temporal trends in coral cover in the geographically complex system of the Dampier Archipelago, northwest Australia. Coral composition at 15 sites surveyed in 2017 was also modelled against environmental and spatial variables (including turbidity, degree heat weeks, wave exposure, and distance to land/mainland/isobath) to assess their relative importance in structuring coral assemblages. High spatial and temporal heterogeneity was observed in coral cover and recovery trajectories, with reefs located an intermediate distance from the shore maintaining high cover over the past 20 years. The abundance of some prominent genera in 2017 (Acropora, Porites, and Turbinaria spp.) decreased with the distance from the mainland, suggesting that inshore processes play an important role in dictating the distribution of these genera. The atypical distributions of these key reef-building corals and spatial heterogeneity of historical recovery trajectories highlight the risks in making assumptions regarding cross-shelf patterns in geographically complex systems.
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17
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Kininmonth S, Weeks R, Abesamis RA, Bernardo LPC, Beger M, Treml EA, Williamson D, Pressey RL. Strategies in scheduling marine protected area establishment in a network system. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2019; 29:e01820. [PMID: 30550634 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Revised: 05/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Instantaneous implementation of systematic conservation plans at regional scales is rare. More typically, planned actions are applied incrementally over periods of years or decades. During protracted implementation, the character of the connected ecological system will change as a function of external anthropogenic pressures, local metapopulation processes, and environmental fluctuations. For heavily exploited systems, habitat quality will deteriorate as the plan is implemented, potentially influencing the schedule of protected area implementation necessary to achieve conservation objectives. Understanding the best strategy to adopt for applying management within a connected environment is desirable, especially given limited conservation resources. Here, we model the sequential application of no-take marine protected areas (MPAs) in the central Philippines within a metapopulation framework, using a range of network-based decision rules. The model was based on selecting 33 sites for protection from 101 possible sites over a 35-yr period. The graph-theoretic network criteria to select sites for protection included PageRank, maximum degree, closeness centrality, betweenness centrality, minimum degree, random, and historical events. We also included a dynamic strategy called colonization-extinction rate that was updated every year based on the changing capacity of each site to produce and absorb larvae. Each rule was evaluated in the context of achieving the maximum metapopulation mean lifetime at the conclusion of the implementation phase. MPAs were designated through the alteration of the extinction risk parameter. The highest ranked criteria were PageRank while the actual implementation from historical records ranked lowest. Our results indicate that protecting the sites ranked highest with regard to larval supply is likely to yield the highest benefit for fish abundance and fish metapopulation persistence. Model results highlighted the benefits of including network processes in conservation planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart Kininmonth
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Kräftriket, Sweden
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- School of Marine Studies, The University of South Pacific, Suva, Fiji
| | - Rebecca Weeks
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Rene A Abesamis
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Silliman University-Angelo King Center for Research and Environmental Management, Dumaguete City, Philippines
| | | | - Maria Beger
- University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Eric A Treml
- University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - David Williamson
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Robert L Pressey
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
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18
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Delevaux JMS, Jupiter SD, Stamoulis KA, Bremer LL, Wenger AS, Dacks R, Garrod P, Falinski KA, Ticktin T. Scenario planning with linked land-sea models inform where forest conservation actions will promote coral reef resilience. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12465. [PMID: 30127469 PMCID: PMC6102229 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-29951-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
We developed a linked land-sea modeling framework based on remote sensing and empirical data, which couples sediment export and coral reef models at fine spatial resolution. This spatially-explicit (60 × 60 m) framework simultaneously tracks changes in multiple benthic and fish indicators as a function of land-use and climate change scenarios. We applied this framework in Kubulau District, Fiji, to investigate the effects of logging, agriculture expansion, and restoration on coral reef resilience. Under the deforestation scenario, models projected a 4.5-fold sediment increase (>7,000 t. yr-1) coupled with a significant decrease in benthic habitat quality across 1,940 ha and a reef fish biomass loss of 60.6 t. Under the restoration scenario, models projected a small (<30 t. yr-1) decrease in exported sediments, resulting in a significant increase in benthic habitat quality across 577 ha and a fish biomass gain of 5.7 t. The decrease in benthic habitat quality and loss of fish biomass were greater when combining climate change and deforestation scenarios. We evaluated where land-use change and bleaching scenarios would impact sediment runoff and downstream coral reefs to identify priority areas on land, where conservation or restoration could promote coral reef resilience in the face of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M S Delevaux
- Department of Botany, University of Hawai'i, Honolulu, HI, USA.
- School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawai'i, Honolulu, HI, USA.
| | - S D Jupiter
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Melanesia Program, 11 Ma'afu Street, Suva, Fiji
| | - K A Stamoulis
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
- Fisheries Ecology Research Lab, University of Hawai'i, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - L L Bremer
- University of Hawai'i Economic Research Organization, University of Hawai'i, Honolulu, HI, USA
- University of Hawai'i Water Resources Research Center, University of Hawai'i, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - A S Wenger
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - R Dacks
- Department of Biology, University of Hawai'i, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - P Garrod
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawai'i, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - K A Falinski
- The Nature Conservancy, Hawai'i Marine Program, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - T Ticktin
- Department of Botany, University of Hawai'i, Honolulu, HI, USA
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19
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Fovargue R, Bode M, Armsworth PR. Size and spacing rules can balance conservation and fishery management objectives for marine protected areas. J Appl Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Fovargue
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology The University of Tennessee Knoxville TN USA
| | - Michael Bode
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Qld Australia
| | - Paul R. Armsworth
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology The University of Tennessee Knoxville TN USA
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20
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O'Leary JK, Micheli F, Airoldi L, Boch C, De Leo G, Elahi R, Ferretti F, Graham NAJ, Litvin SY, Low NH, Lummis S, Nickols KJ, Wong J. The Resilience of Marine Ecosystems to Climatic Disturbances. Bioscience 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biw161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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21
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van Hooidonk R, Maynard J, Tamelander J, Gove J, Ahmadia G, Raymundo L, Williams G, Heron SF, Planes S. Local-scale projections of coral reef futures and implications of the Paris Agreement. Sci Rep 2016; 6:39666. [PMID: 28000782 PMCID: PMC5175274 DOI: 10.1038/srep39666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2016] [Accepted: 11/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasingly frequent severe coral bleaching is among the greatest threats to coral reefs posed by climate change. Global climate models (GCMs) project great spatial variation in the timing of annual severe bleaching (ASB) conditions; a point at which reefs are certain to change and recovery will be limited. However, previous model-resolution projections (~1 × 1°) are too coarse to inform conservation planning. To meet the need for higher-resolution projections, we generated statistically downscaled projections (4-km resolution) for all coral reefs; these projections reveal high local-scale variation in ASB. Timing of ASB varies >10 years in 71 of the 87 countries and territories with >500 km2 of reef area. Emissions scenario RCP4.5 represents lower emissions mid-century than will eventuate if pledges made following the 2015 Paris Climate Change Conference (COP21) become reality. These pledges do little to provide reefs with more time to adapt and acclimate prior to severe bleaching conditions occurring annually. RCP4.5 adds 11 years to the global average ASB timing when compared to RCP8.5; however, >75% of reefs still experience ASB before 2070 under RCP4.5. Coral reef futures clearly vary greatly among and within countries, indicating the projections warrant consideration in most reef areas during conservation and management planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben van Hooidonk
- NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystems Division, 4301 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149, USA
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149, USA
| | - Jeffrey Maynard
- SymbioSeas and the Marine Applied Research Center, Wilmington NC, 28411, USA
- Laboratoire d’Excellence «CORAIL» USR 3278 CNRS–EPHE, CRIOBE, Papetoai, Moorea, Polynésie Française
| | | | - Jamison Gove
- Ecosystems and Oceanography Program, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, 1845 Wasp Blvd Building 176, Honolulu, HI 96818, USA
| | - Gabby Ahmadia
- Oceans, World Wildlife Fund, 1250 24 St., Washington, D.C. 20037, USA
| | - Laurie Raymundo
- University of Guam Marine Laboratory, UOG Station, Mangilao, GU 96913, USA
| | - Gareth Williams
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Anglesey LL59 5AB, UK
| | - Scott F. Heron
- NOAA Coral Reef Watch, NESDIS Center for Satellite Applications and Research, 5830 University Research Ct., E/RA3, College Park, MD 20740, USA
- Global Science and Technology Inc., Greenbelt, MD 20770, USA
- Marine Geophysical Laboratory, Physics Department, College of Science, Technology and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld 4814, Australia
| | - Serge Planes
- Laboratoire d’Excellence «CORAIL» USR 3278 CNRS–EPHE, CRIOBE, Papetoai, Moorea, Polynésie Française
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22
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Lamb JB, Wenger AS, Devlin MJ, Ceccarelli DM, Williamson DH, Willis BL. Reserves as tools for alleviating impacts of marine disease. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 371:rstb.2015.0210. [PMID: 26880842 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Marine protected areas can prevent over-exploitation, but their effect on marine diseases is less clear. We examined how marine reserves can reduce diseases affecting reef-building corals following acute and chronic disturbances. One year after a severe tropical cyclone, corals inside reserves had sevenfold lower levels of disease than those in non-reserves. Similarly, disease prevalence was threefold lower on reserve reefs following chronic exposure to terrestrial run-off from a degraded river catchment, when exposure duration was below the long-term site average. Examination of 35 predictor variables indicated that lower levels of derelict fishing line and injured corals inside reserves were correlated with lower levels of coral disease in both case studies, signifying that successful disease mitigation occurs when activities that damage reefs are restricted. Conversely, reserves were ineffective in moderating disease when sites were exposed to higher than average levels of run-off, demonstrating that reductions in water quality undermine resilience afforded by reserve protection. In addition to implementing protected areas, we highlight that disease management efforts should also target improving water quality and limiting anthropogenic activities that cause injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joleah B Lamb
- College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA, USA
| | - Amelia S Wenger
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Michelle J Devlin
- Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research, Catchment to Reef Research Group, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Daniela M Ceccarelli
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - David H Williamson
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Bette L Willis
- College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
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23
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Abelson A, Nelson PA, Edgar GJ, Shashar N, Reed DC, Belmaker J, Krause G, Beck MW, Brokovich E, France R, Gaines SD. Expanding marine protected areas to include degraded coral reefs. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2016; 30:1182-1191. [PMID: 26991947 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2015] [Revised: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/08/2016] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a commonly applied solution to coral reef degradation, yet coral reefs continue to decline worldwide. We argue that expanding the range of MPAs to include degraded reefs (DR-MPA) could help reverse this trend. This approach requires new ecological criteria for MPA design, siting, and management. Rather than focusing solely on preserving healthy reefs, our approach focuses on the potential for biodiversity recovery and renewal of ecosystem services. The new criteria would help identify sites with the highest potential for recovery and the greatest resistance to future threats (e.g., increased temperature and acidification) and sites that contribute to MPA connectivity. The DR-MPA approach is a compliment rather than a substitute for traditional MPA design approaches. We believe that the DR-MPA approach can enhance the natural, or restoration-assisted, recovery of DRs and their ecosystem services; increase total reef area available for protection; promote more resilient and better-connected MPA networks; and improve conditions for human communities dependent on MPA ecosystem services.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Abelson
- Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel.
| | - P A Nelson
- H. T. Harvey & Associates, 983 University Avenue, Building D, Los Gatos, CA, 95032-7637, U.S.A
| | - G J Edgar
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart Tasmania, 7001, Australia
| | - N Shashar
- Eilat Campus, Ben-Gurion University, Eilat, Israel
| | - D C Reed
- Marine Science Institute University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-6150, U.S.A
| | - J Belmaker
- Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - G Krause
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), Earth System Knowledge Platform (ESKP), Bussestrasse 24, D-27570, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - M W Beck
- Global Marine Team of The Nature Conservancy at the Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, U.S.A
| | - E Brokovich
- The Israel Society of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Kehilat New-York Street, Tel Aviv, 6775323, Israel
| | - R France
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Dalhousie University, Truro, NS B2N 5E3, Canada
| | - S D Gaines
- Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-6150, U.S.A
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24
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Althaus F, Williams A, Alderslade P, Schlacher TA. Conservation of marine biodiversity on a very large deep continental margin: how representative is a very large offshore reserve network for deep-water octocorals? DIVERS DISTRIB 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Althaus
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere; Castray Esplanade Hobart Tas. 7001 Australia
| | - Alan Williams
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere; Castray Esplanade Hobart Tas. 7001 Australia
| | - Philip Alderslade
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere; Castray Esplanade Hobart Tas. 7001 Australia
| | - Thomas A. Schlacher
- School of Science & Engineering; University of the Sunshine Coast; Maroochydore DC Qld 4558 Australia
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Foresta M, Carranza ML, Garfì V, Di Febbraro M, Marchetti M, Loy A. A systematic conservation planning approach to fire risk management in Natura 2000 sites. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2016; 181:574-581. [PMID: 27423770 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2016] [Revised: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 07/03/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
A primary challenge in conservation biology is to preserve the most representative biodiversity while simultaneously optimizing the efforts associated with conservation. In Europe, the implementation of the Natura 2000 network requires protocols to recognize and map threats to biodiversity and to identify specific mitigation actions. We propose a systematic conservation planning approach to optimize management actions against specific threats based on two fundamental parameters: biodiversity values and threat pressure. We used the conservation planning software Marxan to optimize a fire management plan in a Natura 2000 coastal network in southern Italy. We address three primary questions: i) Which areas are at high fire risk? ii) Which areas are the most valuable for threatened biodiversity? iii) Which areas should receive priority risk-mitigation actions for the optimal effect?, iv) which fire-prevention actions are feasible in the management areas?. The biodiversity values for the Natura 2000 spatial units were derived from the distribution maps of 18 habitats and 89 vertebrate species of concern in Europe (Habitat Directive 92/43/EEC). The threat pressure map, defined as fire probability, was obtained from digital layers of fire risk and of fire frequency. Marxan settings were defined as follows: a) planning units of 40 × 40 m, b) conservation features defined as all habitats and vertebrate species of European concern occurring in the study area, c) conservation targets defined according with fire sensitivity and extinction risk of conservation features, and d) costs determined as the complement of fire probabilities. We identified 23 management areas in which to concentrate efforts for the optimal reduction of fire-induced effects. Because traditional fire prevention is not feasible for most of policy habitats included in the management areas, alternative prevention practices were identified that allows the conservation of the vegetation structure. The proposed approach has potential applications for multiple landscapes, threats and spatial scales and could be extended to other valuable natural areas, including protected areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimiliano Foresta
- Envix-Lab, Dipartimento di Bioscienze e Territorio, Università degli Studi del Molise, Contrada Fonte Lappone, 86090, Pesche, IS, Italy
| | - Maria Laura Carranza
- Envix-Lab, Dipartimento di Bioscienze e Territorio, Università degli Studi del Molise, Contrada Fonte Lappone, 86090, Pesche, IS, Italy.
| | - Vittorio Garfì
- Global Ecology Lab, Dipartimento di Bioscienze e Territorio, Università degli Studi del Molise, Contrada Fonte Lappone, 86090, Pesche, IS, Italy
| | - Mirko Di Febbraro
- Envix-Lab, Dipartimento di Bioscienze e Territorio, Università degli Studi del Molise, Contrada Fonte Lappone, 86090, Pesche, IS, Italy
| | - Marco Marchetti
- Global Ecology Lab, Dipartimento di Bioscienze e Territorio, Università degli Studi del Molise, Contrada Fonte Lappone, 86090, Pesche, IS, Italy
| | - Anna Loy
- Envix-Lab, Dipartimento di Bioscienze e Territorio, Università degli Studi del Molise, Contrada Fonte Lappone, 86090, Pesche, IS, Italy
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Baumann JH, Townsend JE, Courtney TA, Aichelman HE, Davies SW, Lima FP, Castillo KD. Temperature Regimes Impact Coral Assemblages along Environmental Gradients on Lagoonal Reefs in Belize. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0162098. [PMID: 27606598 PMCID: PMC5015988 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs are increasingly threatened by global and local anthropogenic stressors such as rising seawater temperature, nutrient enrichment, sedimentation, and overfishing. Although many studies have investigated the impacts of local and global stressors on coral reefs, we still do not fully understand how these stressors influence coral community structure, particularly across environmental gradients on a reef system. Here, we investigate coral community composition across three different temperature and productivity regimes along a nearshore-offshore gradient on lagoonal reefs of the Belize Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (MBRS). A novel metric was developed using ultra-high-resolution satellite-derived estimates of sea surface temperatures (SST) to classify reefs as exposed to low (lowTP), moderate (modTP), or high (highTP) temperature parameters over 10 years (2003 to 2012). Coral species richness, abundance, diversity, density, and percent cover were lower at highTP sites relative to lowTP and modTP sites, but these coral community traits did not differ significantly between lowTP and modTP sites. Analysis of coral life history strategies revealed that highTP sites were dominated by hardy stress-tolerant and fast-growing weedy coral species, while lowTP and modTP sites consisted of competitive, generalist, weedy, and stress-tolerant coral species. Satellite-derived estimates of Chlorophyll-a (chl-a) were obtained for 13-years (2003-2015) as a proxy for primary production. Chl-a concentrations were highest at highTP sites, medial at modTP sites, and lowest at lowTP sites. Notably, thermal parameters correlated better with coral community traits between site types than productivity, suggesting that temperature (specifically number of days above the thermal bleaching threshold) played a greater role in defining coral community structure than productivity on the MBRS. Dominance of weedy and stress-tolerant genera at highTP sites suggests that corals utilizing these two life history strategies may be better suited to cope with warmer oceans and thus may warrant protective status under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin H. Baumann
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Marine Sciences, 3202 Murray and Venable Halls, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599–3300, United States of America
| | - Joseph E. Townsend
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Marine Sciences, 3202 Murray and Venable Halls, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599–3300, United States of America
| | - Travis A. Courtney
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Marine Sciences, 3202 Murray and Venable Halls, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599–3300, United States of America
- Northeastern University, Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences; 430 Nahant Rd, Nahant, MA, United States of America
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA, 92093–0202, United States of America
| | - Hannah E. Aichelman
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Marine Sciences, 3202 Murray and Venable Halls, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599–3300, United States of America
| | - Sarah W. Davies
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Marine Sciences, 3202 Murray and Venable Halls, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599–3300, United States of America
- Northeastern University, Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences; 430 Nahant Rd, Nahant, MA, United States of America
| | - Fernando P. Lima
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigacao em Biodiversidade e Recursos Geneticos, Universitdade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Karl D. Castillo
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Marine Sciences, 3202 Murray and Venable Halls, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599–3300, United States of America
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Neeson TM, Smith SDP, Allan JD, McIntyre PB. Prioritizing ecological restoration among sites in multi-stressor landscapes. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2016; 26:1785-1796. [PMID: 27755704 DOI: 10.1890/15-0948.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2015] [Revised: 11/20/2015] [Accepted: 01/11/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Most ecosystems are impacted by multiple local and long-distance stressors, many of which interact in complex ways. We present a framework for prioritizing ecological restoration efforts among sites in multi-stressor landscapes. Using a simple model, we show that both the economic and sociopolitical costs of restoration will typically be lower at sites with a relatively small number of severe problems than at sites with numerous lesser problems. Based on these results, we propose using cumulative stress and evenness of stressor impact as complementary indices that together reflect key challenges of restoring a site to improved condition. To illustrate this approach, we analyze stressor evenness across the world's rivers and the Laurentian Great Lakes. This exploration reveals that evenness and cumulative stress are decoupled, enabling selection of sites where remediating a modest number of high-intensity stressors could substantially reduce cumulative stress. Just as species richness and species evenness are fundamental axes of biological diversity, we argue that cumulative stress and stressor evenness constitute fundamental axes for identifying restoration opportunities in multi-stressor landscapes. Our results highlight opportunities to boost restoration efficiency through strategic use of multi-stressor datasets to identify sites that maximize ecological response per stressor remediated. This prioritization framework can also be expanded to account for the feasibility of remediation and the expected societal benefits of restoration projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Neeson
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability, University of Oklahoma, 100 East Boyd St., Norman, Oklahoma, 73019, USA.
| | - Sigrid D P Smith
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, 440 Church St., Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
| | - J David Allan
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, 440 Church St., Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
| | - Peter B McIntyre
- Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin, 680 North Park St., Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
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Sukumaran S, Vijapure T, Kubal P, Mulik J, Rokade MA, Salvi S, Thomas J, Naidu VS. Polychaete Community of a Marine Protected Area along the West Coast of India-Prior and Post the Tropical Cyclone, Phyan. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0159368. [PMID: 27556895 PMCID: PMC4996641 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 07/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Tropical cyclones are extreme random meteorological events that can have profound implications to coastal biodiversities. Given that the frequency, intensity and duration of these events are poised to increase due to the global climate change, understanding the ecological impacts of such erratic occurrences becomes imperative to devise better management strategies. The eventful passage of the tropical cyclone, Phyan, along the northwestern coast of India in November 2009, coupled with the availability of historical data presented a rare opportunity to elucidate the consequences on the polychaete assemblages of the Malvan Marine Sanctuary and their subsequent recovery. This was achieved by comparison of the pre- and post-Phyan seasonal data from four different sites in and around the Sanctuary. MDS analyses and polychaete community parameters suggested conspicuous cyclone related effects on the polychaete community characteristics in the three outer stations off Malvan, whereas the relatively protected bay station remained more or less unscathed. Impacts, attributable to the cyclone apart from seasonal variations, included changes in polychaete composition, reductions in total polychaete density, species diversity, evenness and functional groups. Dominance of the opportunistic polychaete, Paraprionospiopatiens was all pervasive just after Phyan, resulting in poor diversity and evenness values. In the outer stations, diverse feeding modes present prior to the cyclone were replaced by microphagous feeders post the disturbance. However, the study also observed complete recovery as substantiated by the improvement inpolychaete density, diversity indices and re-instatement of multiple feeding guilds in affected areas. This resilience of the coastal waters off Malvan is attributed to its marine protected status, implying that reduced human interference aided rapid revival of damaged ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soniya Sukumaran
- Regional Centre,CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- * E-mail:
| | - Tejal Vijapure
- Regional Centre,CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Priti Kubal
- Regional Centre,CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Jyoti Mulik
- Regional Centre,CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - M. A. Rokade
- Regional Centre,CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Shailesh Salvi
- Regional Centre,CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Jubin Thomas
- Regional Centre,CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - V. S. Naidu
- Regional Centre,CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
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Davies HN, Beckley LE, Kobryn HT, Lombard AT, Radford B, Heyward A. Integrating Climate Change Resilience Features into the Incremental Refinement of an Existing Marine Park. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0161094. [PMID: 27529820 PMCID: PMC4986976 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Accepted: 07/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine protected area (MPA) designs are likely to require iterative refinement as new knowledge is gained. In particular, there is an increasing need to consider the effects of climate change, especially the ability of ecosystems to resist and/or recover from climate-related disturbances, within the MPA planning process. However, there has been limited research addressing the incorporation of climate change resilience into MPA design. This study used Marxan conservation planning software with fine-scale shallow water (<20 m) bathymetry and habitat maps, models of major benthic communities for deeper water, and comprehensive human use information from Ningaloo Marine Park in Western Australia to identify climate change resilience features to integrate into the incremental refinement of the marine park. The study assessed the representation of benthic habitats within the current marine park zones, identified priority areas of high resilience for inclusion within no-take zones and examined if any iterative refinements to the current no-take zones are necessary. Of the 65 habitat classes, 16 did not meet representation targets within the current no-take zones, most of which were in deeper offshore waters. These deeper areas also demonstrated the highest resilience values and, as such, Marxan outputs suggested minor increases to the current no-take zones in the deeper offshore areas. This work demonstrates that inclusion of fine-scale climate change resilience features within the design process for MPAs is feasible, and can be applied to future marine spatial planning practices globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harriet N. Davies
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Lynnath E. Beckley
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Halina T. Kobryn
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Amanda T. Lombard
- Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - Ben Radford
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Andrew Heyward
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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A robust operational model for predicting where tropical cyclone waves damage coral reefs. Sci Rep 2016; 6:26009. [PMID: 27184607 PMCID: PMC4868967 DOI: 10.1038/srep26009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 04/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tropical cyclone (TC) waves can severely damage coral reefs. Models that predict where to find such damage (the ‘damage zone’) enable reef managers to: 1) target management responses after major TCs in near-real time to promote recovery at severely damaged sites; and 2) identify spatial patterns in historic TC exposure to explain habitat condition trajectories. For damage models to meet these needs, they must be valid for TCs of varying intensity, circulation size and duration. Here, we map damage zones for 46 TCs that crossed Australia’s Great Barrier Reef from 1985–2015 using three models – including one we develop which extends the capability of the others. We ground truth model performance with field data of wave damage from seven TCs of varying characteristics. The model we develop (4MW) out-performed the other models at capturing all incidences of known damage. The next best performing model (AHF) both under-predicted and over-predicted damage for TCs of various types. 4MW and AHF produce strikingly different spatial and temporal patterns of damage potential when used to reconstruct past TCs from 1985–2015. The 4MW model greatly enhances both of the main capabilities TC damage models provide to managers, and is useful wherever TCs and coral reefs co-occur.
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31
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McClanahan TR, Maina JM, Graham NAJ, Jones KR. Modeling Reef Fish Biomass, Recovery Potential, and Management Priorities in the Western Indian Ocean. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0154585. [PMID: 27149673 PMCID: PMC4858301 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0154585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2015] [Accepted: 04/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Fish biomass is a primary driver of coral reef ecosystem services and has high sensitivity to human disturbances, particularly fishing. Estimates of fish biomass, their spatial distribution, and recovery potential are important for evaluating reef status and crucial for setting management targets. Here we modeled fish biomass estimates across all reefs of the western Indian Ocean using key variables that predicted the empirical data collected from 337 sites. These variables were used to create biomass and recovery time maps to prioritize spatially explicit conservation actions. The resultant fish biomass map showed high variability ranging from ~15 to 2900 kg/ha, primarily driven by human populations, distance to markets, and fisheries management restrictions. Lastly, we assembled data based on the age of fisheries closures and showed that biomass takes ~ 25 years to recover to typical equilibrium values of ~1200 kg/ha. The recovery times to biomass levels for sustainable fishing yields, maximum diversity, and ecosystem stability or conservation targets once fishing is suspended was modeled to estimate temporal costs of restrictions. The mean time to recovery for the whole region to the conservation target was 8.1(± 3SD) years, while recovery to sustainable fishing thresholds was between 0.5 and 4 years, but with high spatial variation. Recovery prioritization scenario models included one where local governance prioritized recovery of degraded reefs and two that prioritized minimizing recovery time, where countries either operated independently or collaborated. The regional collaboration scenario selected remote areas for conservation with uneven national responsibilities and spatial coverage, which could undermine collaboration. There is the potential to achieve sustainable fisheries within a decade by promoting these pathways according to their social-ecological suitability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy R. McClanahan
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Marine Programs, Coral Reef Conservation Project, Mombasa, Kenya
- * E-mail:
| | - Joseph M. Maina
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Marine Programs, Coral Reef Conservation Project, Mombasa, Kenya
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Environment Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Nicholas A. J. Graham
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, United Kingdom
| | - Kendall R. Jones
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Environment Decisions, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
- School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
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32
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Rowlands G, Purkis S, Bruckner A. Tight coupling between coral reef morphology and mapped resilience in the Red Sea. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2016; 105:575-85. [PMID: 26621578 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.11.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2015] [Revised: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 11/06/2015] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Lack of knowledge on the conservation value of different reef types can stymie decision making, and result in less optimal management solutions. Addressing the information gap of coral reef resilience, we produce a map-based Remote Sensed Resilience Index (RSRI) from data describing the spatial distribution of stressors, and properties of reef habitats on the Farasan Banks, Saudi Arabia. We contrast the distribution of this index among fourteen reef types, categorized on a scale of maturity that includes juvenile (poorly aggraded), mature (partially aggraded), and senile (fully aggraded) reefs. Sites with high reef resilience can be found in most detached reef types; however they are most common in mature reefs. We aim to stimulate debate on the coupling that exists between geomorphology and conservation biology, and consider how such information can be used to inform management decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwilym Rowlands
- Nova Southeastern University, United States; Rowlands Ecology Ltd., United Kingdom.
| | - Sam Purkis
- Nova Southeastern University, United States
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33
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Designing Climate-Resilient Marine Protected Area Networks by Combining Remotely Sensed Coral Reef Habitat with Coastal Multi-Use Maps. REMOTE SENSING 2015. [DOI: 10.3390/rs71215849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Williams R, Erbe C, Ashe E, Clark CW. Quiet(er) marine protected areas. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2015; 100:154-161. [PMID: 26386506 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2015] [Revised: 09/07/2015] [Accepted: 09/07/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
A core task in endangered species conservation is identifying important habitats and managing human activities to mitigate threats. Many marine organisms, from invertebrates to fish to marine mammals, use acoustic cues to find food, avoid predators, choose mates, and navigate. Ocean noise can affect animal behavior and disrupt trophic linkages. Substantial potential exists for area-based management to reduce exposure of animals to chronic ocean noise. Incorporating noise into spatial planning (e.g., critical habitat designation or marine protected areas) may improve ecological integrity and promote ecological resilience to withstand additional stressors. Previous work identified areas with high ship noise requiring mitigation. This study introduces the concept of "opportunity sites" - important habitats that experience low ship noise. Working with existing patterns in ocean noise and animal distribution will facilitate conservation gains while minimizing societal costs, by identifying opportunities to protect important wildlife habitats that happen to be quiet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rob Williams
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 8LB, Scotland, UK; Oceans Initiative, Pearse Island, BC V0N 1A0, Canada.
| | - Christine Erbe
- Centre for Marine Science & Technology, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Erin Ashe
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 8LB, Scotland, UK; Oceans Initiative, Pearse Island, BC V0N 1A0, Canada
| | - Christopher W Clark
- Bioacoustics Research Program, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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Magris RA, Heron SF, Pressey RL. Conservation Planning for Coral Reefs Accounting for Climate Warming Disturbances. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0140828. [PMID: 26535586 PMCID: PMC4633137 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0140828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Accepted: 09/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Incorporating warming disturbances into the design of marine protected areas (MPAs) is fundamental to developing appropriate conservation actions that confer coral reef resilience. We propose an MPA design approach that includes spatially- and temporally-varying sea-surface temperature (SST) data, integrating both observed (1985-2009) and projected (2010-2099) time-series. We derived indices of acute (time under reduced ecosystem function following short-term events) and chronic thermal stress (rate of warming) and combined them to delineate thermal-stress regimes. Coral reefs located on the Brazilian coast were used as a case study because they are considered a conservation priority in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. We show that all coral reef areas in Brazil have experienced and are projected to continue to experience chronic warming, while acute events are expected to increase in frequency and intensity. We formulated quantitative conservation objectives for regimes of thermal stress. Based on these objectives, we then evaluated if/how they are achieved in existing Brazilian MPAs and identified priority areas where additional protection would reinforce resilience. Our results show that, although the current system of MPAs incorporates locations within some of our thermal-stress regimes, historical and future thermal refugia along the central coast are completely unprotected. Our approach is applicable to other marine ecosystems and adds to previous marine planning for climate change in two ways: (i) by demonstrating how to spatially configure MPAs that meet conservation objectives for warming disturbance using spatially- and temporally-explicit data; and (ii) by strategically allocating different forms of spatial management (MPA types) intended to mitigate warming impacts and also enhance future resistance to climate warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael A. Magris
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Scott F. Heron
- National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration Coral Reef Watch, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Physics Department, Marine Geophysical Laboratory, College of Science, Technology and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Robert L. Pressey
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
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36
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Maynard JA, Beeden R, Puotinen M, Johnson JE, Marshall P, van Hooidonk R, Heron SF, Devlin M, Lawrey E, Dryden J, Ban N, Wachenfeld D, Planes S. Great Barrier Reef No-Take Areas Include a Range of Disturbance Regimes. Conserv Lett 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey A. Maynard
- Marine Applied Research Center; Wilmington NC 28411 USA
- Laboratoire d'Excellence, CORAIL, USR 3278 CNRS - EPHE, CRIOBE; Papetoai Moorea, Polyne´sie Francaise France
| | - Roger Beeden
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority; Townsville QLD 4810 Australia
- College of Marine & Environmental Sciences; James Cook University, Townsville and Cairns; QLD 4814 and 4870 Australia
| | | | - Johanna E. Johnson
- College of Marine & Environmental Sciences; James Cook University, Townsville and Cairns; QLD 4814 and 4870 Australia
- C2O Consulting, Coasts Climate Oceans; Cairns QLD 4870 Australia
| | - Paul Marshall
- Reef Ecologic; Townsville QLD 4810 Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Research; University of Queensland; St Lucia QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Ruben van Hooidonk
- NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, 4301 Rickenbacker Causeway; Miami Florida 33149 USA
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies; Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami; 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway Miami FL 33149 USA
| | - Scott F. Heron
- NOAA Coral Reef Watch, NESDIS Center for Satellite Applications and Research; 5830 University Research Ct., E/RA3; College Park MD 20740 USA
- Marine Geophysical Laboratory, Physics Department, College of Science; Technology and Engineering, James Cook University; Townsville QLD 4814 Australia
| | - Michelle Devlin
- C2O Consulting, Coasts Climate Oceans; Cairns QLD 4870 Australia
| | - Eric Lawrey
- Australian Institute of Marine Science; Townsville QLD 4810 Australia
| | - Jen Dryden
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority; Townsville QLD 4810 Australia
| | - Natalie Ban
- School of Environmental Studies; University of Victoria; Victoria BC V8W 2Y2 Canada
| | - David Wachenfeld
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority; Townsville QLD 4810 Australia
| | - Serge Planes
- Laboratoire d'Excellence, CORAIL, USR 3278 CNRS - EPHE, CRIOBE; Papetoai Moorea, Polyne´sie Francaise France
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37
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Fabina NS, Baskett ML, Gross K. The differential effects of increasing frequency and magnitude of extreme events on coral populations. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2015; 25:1534-1545. [PMID: 26552262 DOI: 10.1890/14-0273.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Extreme events, which have profound ecological consequences, are changing in both frequency and magnitude with climate change. Because extreme temperatures induce coral bleaching, we can explore the relative impacts of changes in frequency and magnitude of high temperature events on coral reefs. Here, we combined climate projections and a dynamic population model to determine how changing bleaching regimes influence coral persistence. We additionally explored how coral traits and competition with macroalgae mediate changes in bleaching regimes. Our results predict that severe bleaching events reduce coral persistence more than frequent bleaching. Corals with low adult mortality and high growth rates are successful when bleaching is mild, but bleaching resistance is necessary to persist when bleaching is severe, regardless of frequency. The existence of macroalgae-dominated stable states reduces coral persistence and changes the relative importance of coral traits. Building on previous studies, our results predict that management efforts may need to prioritize protection of "weaker" corals with high adult mortality when bleaching is mild, and protection of "stronger" corals with high bleaching resistance when bleaching is severe. In summary, future reef projections and conservation targets depend on both local bleaching regimes and biodiversity.
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Can Static Habitat Protection Encompass Critical Areas for Highly Mobile Marine Top Predators? Insights from Coastal East Africa. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0133265. [PMID: 26186438 PMCID: PMC4506016 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Accepted: 06/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Along the East African coast, marine top predators are facing an increasing number of anthropogenic threats which requires the implementation of effective and urgent conservation measures to protect essential habitats. Understanding the role that habitat features play on the marine top predator’ distribution and abundance is a crucial step to evaluate the suitability of an existing Marine Protected Area (MPA), originally designated for the protection of coral reefs. We developed species distribution models (SDM) on the IUCN data deficient Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) in southern Kenya. We followed a comprehensive ecological modelling approach to study the environmental factors influencing the occurrence and abundance of dolphins while developing SDMs. Through the combination of ensemble prediction maps, we defined recurrent, occasional and unfavourable habitats for the species. Our results showed the influence of dynamic and static predictors on the dolphins’ spatial ecology: dolphins may select shallow areas (5-30 m), close to the reefs (< 500 m) and oceanic fronts (< 10 km) and adjacent to the 100m isobath (< 5 km). We also predicted a significantly higher occurrence and abundance of dolphins within the MPA. Recurrent and occasional habitats were identified on large percentages on the existing MPA (47% and 57% using presence-absence and abundance models respectively). However, the MPA does not adequately encompass all occasional and recurrent areas and within this context, we propose to extend the MPA to incorporate all of them which are likely key habitats for the highly mobile species. The results from this study provide two key conservation and management tools: (i) an integrative habitat modelling approach to predict key marine habitats, and (ii) the first study evaluating the effectiveness of an existing MPA for marine mammals in the Western Indian Ocean.
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Multi-action planning for threat management: a novel approach for the spatial prioritization of conservation actions. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0128027. [PMID: 26020794 PMCID: PMC4447389 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2015] [Accepted: 04/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Planning for the remediation of multiple threats is crucial to ensure the long term persistence of biodiversity. Limited conservation budgets require prioritizing which management actions to implement and where. Systematic conservation planning traditionally assumes that all the threats in priority sites are abated (fixed prioritization approach). However, abating only the threats affecting the species of conservation concerns may be more cost-effective. This requires prioritizing individual actions independently within the same site (independent prioritization approach), which has received limited attention so far. We developed an action prioritization algorithm that prioritizes multiple alternative actions within the same site. We used simulated annealing to find the combination of actions that remediate threats to species at the minimum cost. Our algorithm also accounts for the importance of selecting actions in sites connected through the river network (i.e., connectivity). We applied our algorithm to prioritize actions to address threats to freshwater fish species in the Mitchell River catchment, northern Australia. We compared how the efficiency of the independent and fixed prioritization approach varied as the importance of connectivity increased. Our independent prioritization approach delivered more efficient solutions than the fixed prioritization approach, particularly when the importance of achieving connectivity was high. By spatially prioritizing the specific actions necessary to remediate the threats affecting the target species, our approach can aid cost-effective habitat restoration and land-use planning. It is also particularly suited to solving resource allocation problems, where consideration of spatial design is important, such as prioritizing conservation efforts for highly mobile species, species facing climate change-driven range shifts, or minimizing the risk of threats spreading across different realms.
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Mumby PJ, Anthony KRN. Resilience metrics to inform ecosystem management under global change with application to coral reefs. Methods Ecol Evol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peter J. Mumby
- Marine Spatial Ecology Laboratory School of Biological Sciences University of Queensland St Lucia Qld 4072 Australia
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Law EA, Bryan BA, Meijaard E, Mallawaarachchi T, Struebig M, Wilson KA. Ecosystem services from a degraded peatland of Central Kalimantan: implications for policy, planning, and management. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2015; 25:70-87. [PMID: 26255358 DOI: 10.1890/13-2014.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Increasingly, landscapes are managed for multiple objectives to balance social, economic, and environmental goals. The Ex-Mega Rice Project (EMRP) peatland in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia provides a timely example with globally significant development, carbon, and biodiversity concerns. To inform future policy, planning, and management in the EMRP, we quantified and mapped ecosystem service values, assessed their spatial interactions, and evaluated the potential provision of ecosystem services under future land-use scenarios. We focus on key policy-relevant regulating (carbon stocks and the potential for emissions reduction), provisioning (timber, crops from smallholder agriculture, palm oil), and supporting (biodiversity) services. We found that implementation of existing land-use plans has the potential to improve total ecosystem service provision. We identify a number of significant inefficiencies, trade-offs, and unintended outcomes that may arise. For example, the potential development of existing palm oil concessions over one-third of the region may shift smallholder agriculture into low-productivity regions and substantially impact carbon and biodiversity outcomes. While improved management of conservation zones may enhance the protection of carbon stocks, not all biodiversity features will be represented, and there will be a reduction in timber harvesting and agricultural production. This study highlights how ecosystem service analyses can be structured to better inform policy, planning, and management in globally significant but data-poor regions.
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Anthony KRN, Marshall PA, Abdulla A, Beeden R, Bergh C, Black R, Eakin CM, Game ET, Gooch M, Graham NAJ, Green A, Heron SF, van Hooidonk R, Knowland C, Mangubhai S, Marshall N, Maynard JA, McGinnity P, McLeod E, Mumby PJ, Nyström M, Obura D, Oliver J, Possingham HP, Pressey RL, Rowlands GP, Tamelander J, Wachenfeld D, Wear S. Operationalizing resilience for adaptive coral reef management under global environmental change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2015; 21:48-61. [PMID: 25196132 PMCID: PMC4310291 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2014] [Revised: 07/23/2014] [Accepted: 07/23/2014] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Cumulative pressures from global climate and ocean change combined with multiple regional and local-scale stressors pose fundamental challenges to coral reef managers worldwide. Understanding how cumulative stressors affect coral reef vulnerability is critical for successful reef conservation now and in the future. In this review, we present the case that strategically managing for increased ecological resilience (capacity for stress resistance and recovery) can reduce coral reef vulnerability (risk of net decline) up to a point. Specifically, we propose an operational framework for identifying effective management levers to enhance resilience and support management decisions that reduce reef vulnerability. Building on a system understanding of biological and ecological processes that drive resilience of coral reefs in different environmental and socio-economic settings, we present an Adaptive Resilience-Based management (ARBM) framework and suggest a set of guidelines for how and where resilience can be enhanced via management interventions. We argue that press-type stressors (pollution, sedimentation, overfishing, ocean warming and acidification) are key threats to coral reef resilience by affecting processes underpinning resistance and recovery, while pulse-type (acute) stressors (e.g. storms, bleaching events, crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks) increase the demand for resilience. We apply the framework to a set of example problems for Caribbean and Indo-Pacific reefs. A combined strategy of active risk reduction and resilience support is needed, informed by key management objectives, knowledge of reef ecosystem processes and consideration of environmental and social drivers. As climate change and ocean acidification erode the resilience and increase the vulnerability of coral reefs globally, successful adaptive management of coral reefs will become increasingly difficult. Given limited resources, on-the-ground solutions are likely to focus increasingly on actions that support resilience at finer spatial scales, and that are tightly linked to ecosystem goods and services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth R N Anthony
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB3, Townsville, Qld, 4810, Australia
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Wilson HB, Meijaard E, Venter O, Ancrenaz M, Possingham HP. Conservation strategies for orangutans: reintroduction versus habitat preservation and the benefits of sustainably logged forest. PLoS One 2014; 9:e102174. [PMID: 25025134 PMCID: PMC4099073 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0102174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2013] [Accepted: 06/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Sumatran orangutan is currently listed by the IUCN as critically endangered and the Bornean species as endangered. Unless effective conservation measures are enacted quickly, most orangutan populations without adequate protection face a dire future. Two main strategies are being pursued to conserve orangutans: (i) rehabilitation and reintroduction of ex-captive or displaced individuals; and (ii) protection of their forest habitat to abate threats like deforestation and hunting. These strategies are often mirrored in similar programs to save other valued and endangered mega-fauna. Through GIS analysis, collating data from across the literature, and combining this information within a modelling and decision analysis framework, we analysed which strategy or combination of strategies is the most cost-effective at maintaining wild orangutan populations, and under what conditions. We discovered that neither strategy was optimal under all circumstances but was dependent on the relative cost per orangutan, the timescale of management concern, and the rate of deforestation. Reintroduction, which costs twelve times as much per animal as compared to protection of forest, was only a cost-effective strategy at very short timescales. For time scales longer than 10–20 years, forest protection is the more cost-efficient strategy for maintaining wild orangutan populations. Our analyses showed that a third, rarely utilised strategy is intermediate: introducing sustainable logging practices and protection from hunting in timber production forest. Maximum long-term cost-efficiency is achieved by working in conservation forest. However, habitat protection involves addressing complex conservation issues and conflicting needs at the landscape level. We find a potential resolution in that well-managed production forests could achieve intermediate conservation outcomes. This has broad implications for sustaining biodiversity more generally within an economically productive landscape. Insights from this analysis should provide a better framework to prioritize financial investments, and facilitate improved integration between the organizations that implement these strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Howard B. Wilson
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Erik Meijaard
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- People and Nature Consulting International, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Oscar Venter
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science and the School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia
| | - Marc Ancrenaz
- Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Project, Sandakan, Malaysia
| | - Hugh P. Possingham
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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Adaptation of Australia’s Marine Ecosystems to Climate Change: Using Science to Inform Conservation Management. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1155/2014/140354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The challenges that climate change poses for marine ecosystems are already manifesting in impacts at the species, population, and community levels in Australia, particularly in Tasmania and tropical northern Australia. Many species and habitats are already under threat as a result of human activities, and the additional pressure from climate change significantly increases the challenge for marine conservation and management. Climate change impacts are expected to magnify as sea surface temperatures, ocean chemistry, ocean circulation, sea level, rainfall, and storm patterns continue to change this century. In particular, keystone species that form the foundation of marine habitats, such as coral reefs, kelp beds, and temperate rocky reefs, are projected to pass thresholds with subsequent implications for communities and ecosystems. This review synthesises recent science in this field: the observed impacts and responses of marine ecosystems to climate change, ecological thresholds of change, and strategies for marine conservation to promote adaptation. Increasing observations of climate-related impacts on Australia’s marine ecosystems—both temperate and tropical—are making adaptive management more important than ever before. Our increased understanding of the impacts and responses of marine ecosystems to climate change provides a focus for “no-regrets” adaptations that can be implemented now and refined as knowledge improves.
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Auerbach NA, Tulloch AIT, Possingham HP. Informed actions: where to cost effectively manage multiple threats to species to maximize return on investment. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2014; 24:1357-1373. [PMID: 29160659 DOI: 10.1890/13-0711.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Conservation practitioners, faced with managing multiple threats to biodiversity and limited funding, must prioritize investment in different management actions. From an economic perspective, it is routine practice to invest where the highest rate of return is expected. This return-on-investment (ROI) thinking can also benefit species conservation, and researchers are developing sophisticated approaches to support decision-making for cost-effective conservation. However, applied use of these approaches is limited. Managers may be wary of “black-box” algorithms or complex methods that are difficult to explain to funding agencies. As an alternative, we demonstrate the use of a basic ROI analysis for determining where to invest in cost-effective management to address threats to species. This method can be applied using basic geographic information system and spreadsheet calculations. We illustrate the approach in a management action prioritization for a biodiverse region of eastern Australia. We use ROI to prioritize management actions for two threats to a suite of threatened species: habitat degradation by cattle grazing, and predation by invasive red foxes (Vulpes vulpes). We show how decisions based on cost-effective threat management depend upon how expected benefits to species are defined and how benefits and costs co-vary. By considering a combination of species richness, restricted habitats, species vulnerability, and costs of management actions, small investments can result in greater expected benefit compared with management decisions that consider only species richness. Furthermore, a landscape management strategy that implements multiple actions is more efficient than managing only for one threat, or more traditional approaches that don't consider ROI. Our approach provides transparent and logical decision support for prioritizing different actions intended to abate threats associated with multiple species; it is of use when managers need a justifiable and repeatable approach to investment.
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Brown CJ, Saunders MI, Possingham HP, Richardson AJ. Interactions between global and local stressors of ecosystems determine management effectiveness in cumulative impact mapping. DIVERS DISTRIB 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Brown
- School of Biological Sciences; The University of Queensland; St Lucia Qld 4072 Australia
- The Global Change Institute; The University of Queensland; St Lucia Qld 4072 Australia
| | - Megan I. Saunders
- The Global Change Institute; The University of Queensland; St Lucia Qld 4072 Australia
| | - Hugh P. Possingham
- School of Biological Sciences; The University of Queensland; St Lucia Qld 4072 Australia
- Department of Life Sciences; Imperial College London; Silwood Park Ascot SL5 7PY Berkshire UK
| | - Anthony J. Richardson
- Climate Adaptation Flagship; CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research; Ecosciences Precinct; Dutton Park Qld 4102 Australia
- Centre for Applications in Natural Resource Mathematics; School of Mathematics and Physics; The University of Queensland; St Lucia Qld 4067 Australia
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Brown CJ, Saunders MI, Possingham HP, Richardson AJ. Managing for interactions between local and global stressors of ecosystems. PLoS One 2013; 8:e65765. [PMID: 23776542 PMCID: PMC3680442 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0065765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2012] [Accepted: 05/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Global stressors, including climate change, are a major threat to ecosystems, but they cannot be halted by local actions. Ecosystem management is thus attempting to compensate for the impacts of global stressors by reducing local stressors, such as overfishing. This approach assumes that stressors interact additively or synergistically, whereby the combined effect of two stressors is at least the sum of their isolated effects. It is not clear, however, how management should proceed for antagonistic interactions among stressors, where multiple stressors do not have an additive or greater impact. Research to date has focussed on identifying synergisms among stressors, but antagonisms may be just as common. We examined the effectiveness of management when faced with different types of interactions in two systems--seagrass and fish communities--where the global stressor was climate change but the local stressors were different. When there were synergisms, mitigating local stressors delivered greater gains, whereas when there were antagonisms, management of local stressors was ineffective or even degraded ecosystems. These results suggest that reducing a local stressor can compensate for climate change impacts if there is a synergistic interaction. Conversely, if there is an antagonistic interaction, management of local stressors will have the greatest benefits in areas of refuge from climate change. A balanced research agenda, investigating both antagonistic and synergistic interaction types, is needed to inform management priorities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Brown
- The Global Change Institute and the School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
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Game ET, Kareiva P, Possingham HP. Six common mistakes in conservation priority setting. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2013; 27:480-5. [PMID: 23565990 PMCID: PMC3732384 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2012] [Accepted: 11/19/2012] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
A vast number of prioritization schemes have been developed to help conservation navigate tough decisions about the allocation of finite resources. However, the application of quantitative approaches to setting priorities in conservation frequently includes mistakes that can undermine their authors' intention to be more rigorous and scientific in the way priorities are established and resources allocated. Drawing on well-established principles of decision science, we highlight 6 mistakes commonly associated with setting priorities for conservation: not acknowledging conservation plans are prioritizations; trying to solve an ill-defined problem; not prioritizing actions; arbitrariness; hidden value judgments; and not acknowledging risk of failure. We explain these mistakes and offer a path to help conservation planners avoid making the same mistakes in future prioritizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward T Game
- Conservation Science, The Nature Conservancy, 245 Riverside Drive, West End, QLD, 4101, Australia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martine Maron
- The University of Queensland, Landscape Ecology and Conservation Group, School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management; Brisbane; QLD; 4072; Australia
| | - Jonathan R. Rhodes
- The University of Queensland, Landscape Ecology and Conservation Group, School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management; Brisbane; QLD; 4072; Australia
| | - Philip Gibbons
- The Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University; Canberra; ACT; 0200; Australia
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Klein CJ, Tulloch VJ, Halpern BS, Selkoe KA, Watts ME, Steinback C, Scholz A, Possingham HP. Tradeoffs in marine reserve design: habitat condition, representation, and socioeconomic costs. Conserv Lett 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Carissa J. Klein
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions; National Environmental Research Program funded Environmental Decisions Hub, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland; St. Lucia; Queensland; Australia
| | - Vivitskaia J. Tulloch
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions; National Environmental Research Program funded Environmental Decisions Hub, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland; St. Lucia; Queensland; Australia
| | | | | | - Matthew E. Watts
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions; National Environmental Research Program funded Environmental Decisions Hub, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland; St. Lucia; Queensland; Australia
| | | | | | - Hugh P. Possingham
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions; National Environmental Research Program funded Environmental Decisions Hub, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland; St. Lucia; Queensland; Australia
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