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Verutes GM, Yang PF, Eastman SF, Doughty CL, Adgie TE, Dietz K, Dix NG, North A, Guannel G, Chapman SK. Using vulnerability assessment to characterize coastal protection benefits provided by estuarine habitats of a dynamic intracoastal waterway. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16738. [PMID: 38390391 PMCID: PMC10883153 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The existence of coastal ecosystems depends on their ability to gain sediment and keep pace with sea level rise. Similar to other coastal areas, Northeast Florida (United States) is experiencing rapid population growth, climate change, and shifting wetland communities. Rising seas and more severe storms, coupled with the intensification of human activities, can modify the biophysical environment, thereby increasing coastal exposure to storm-induced erosion and inundation. Using the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve as a case study, we analyzed the distribution of coastal protection services-expressly, wave attenuation and sediment control-provided by estuarine habitats inside a dynamic Intracoastal waterway. We explored six coastal variables that contribute to coastal flooding and erosion-(a) relief, (b) geomorphology, (c) estuarine habitats, (d) wind exposure, (e) boat wake energy, and (f) storm surge potential-to assess physical exposure to coastal hazards. The highest levels of coastal exposure were found in the north and south sections of the Reserve (9% and 14%, respectively) compared to only 4% in the central, with exposure in the south driven by low wetland elevation, high surge potential, and shorelines composed of less stable sandy and muddy substrate. The most vulnerable areas of the central Reserve and main channel of the Intracoastal waterway were exposed to boat wakes from larger vessels frequently traveling at medium speeds (10-20 knots) and had shoreline segments oriented towards the prevailing winds (north-northeast). To guide management for the recently expanded Reserve into vulnerable areas near the City of Saint Augustine, we evaluated six sites of concern where the current distribution of estuarine habitats (mangroves, salt marshes, and oyster beds) likely play the greatest role in natural protection. Spatially explicit outputs also identified potential elevation maintenance strategies such as living shorelines, landform modification, and mangrove establishment for providing coastal risk-reduction and other ecosystem-service co-benefits. Salt marshes and mangroves in two sites of the central section (N-312 and S-312) were found to protect more than a one-quarter of their cross-shore length (27% and 73%, respectively) from transitioning to the highest exposure category. Proposed interventions for mangrove establishment and living shorelines could help maintain elevation in these sites of concern. This work sets the stage for additional research, education, and outreach about where mangroves, salt marshes, and oyster beds are most likely to reduce risk to wetland communities in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Philip F. Yang
- Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship and Department of Biology, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, United States
| | - Scott F. Eastman
- Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, United States
| | - Cheryl L. Doughty
- Department of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Therese E. Adgie
- Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship and Department of Biology, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, United States
| | - Kaitlyn Dietz
- Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, United States
| | - Nicole G. Dix
- Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, United States
| | - Allix North
- Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, United States
| | - Gregory Guannel
- Caribbean Green Technology Center, University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, United States
| | - Samantha K. Chapman
- Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship and Department of Biology, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, United States
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Verutes GM, Johnson AF, Caillat M, Ponnampalam LS, Peter C, Vu L, Junchompoo C, Lewison RL, Hines EM. Using GIS and stakeholder involvement to innovate marine mammal bycatch risk assessment in data-limited fisheries. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0237835. [PMID: 32817725 PMCID: PMC7446845 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Fisheries bycatch has been identified as the greatest threat to marine mammals worldwide. Characterizing the impacts of bycatch on marine mammals is challenging because it is difficult to both observe and quantify, particularly in small-scale fisheries where data on fishing effort and marine mammal abundance and distribution are often limited. The lack of risk frameworks that can integrate and visualize existing data have hindered the ability to describe and quantify bycatch risk. Here, we describe the design of a new geographic information systems tool built specifically for the analysis of bycatch in small-scale fisheries, called Bycatch Risk Assessment (ByRA). Using marine mammals in Malaysia and Vietnam as a test case, we applied ByRA to assess the risks posed to Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) and dugongs (Dugong dugon) by five small-scale fishing gear types (hook and line, nets, longlines, pots and traps, and trawls). ByRA leverages existing data on animal distributions, fisheries effort, and estimates of interaction rates by combining expert knowledge and spatial analyses of existing data to visualize and characterize bycatch risk. By identifying areas of bycatch concern while accounting for uncertainty using graphics, maps and summary tables, we demonstrate the importance of integrating available geospatial data in an accessible format that taps into local knowledge and can be corroborated by and communicated to stakeholders of data-limited fisheries. Our methodological approach aims to meet a critical need of fisheries managers: to identify emergent interaction patterns between fishing gears and marine mammals and support the development of management actions that can lead to sustainable fisheries and mitigate bycatch risk for species of conservation concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory M. Verutes
- Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Campus Do*Mar, International Campus of Excellence, Vigo, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Andrew F. Johnson
- MarFishEco Fisheries Consultants, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- The Lyell Centre, Institute of Life and Earth Sciences, School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Cindy Peter
- Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, University Malaysia Sarawak, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Long Vu
- Vietnam Marine Megafauna Network, Center for Biodiversity Conservation and Endangered Species, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
| | | | - Rebecca L. Lewison
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States of America
| | - Ellen M. Hines
- Estuary & Ocean Science Center, San Francisco State University, Tiburon, CA, United States of America
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Hines E, Ponnampalam LS, Junchompoo C, Peter C, Vu L, Huynh T, Caillat M, Johnson AF, Minton G, Lewison RL, Verutes GM. Getting to the bottom of bycatch: a GIS-based toolbox to assess the risk of marine mammal bycatch. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2020. [DOI: 10.3354/esr01037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine mammal bycatch poses a particular challenge in developing countries, where data to document bycatch and its effects are often lacking. Using the Bycatch Risk Assessment (ByRA) toolkit, based on InVEST open-source models, we chose 4 field sites in Southeast Asia with varying amounts of data on marine mammals and fishing occurrence: Trat province in the eastern Gulf of Thailand, the Sibu-Tinggi Islands and Kuching Bay, Malaysia, and Kien Giang Biosphere Reserve in southwestern Vietnam. These field sites have similar species of coastal marine mammals, small-scale and commercial fisheries, and support for research from universities and/or management. In Thailand and Kuching, results showed changing patterns of fishing and Irrawaddy dolphin Orcaella brevirostris habitat use across seasons, showing how bycatch risk could change throughout the year. Risk maps for dugongs Dugong dugon in peninsular Malaysia highlighted patterns of bycatch risk concentrated around a mainland fishing pier, and revealed high risk in a northern subregion. In Vietnam, first maps of bycatch risk for the Irrawaddy dolphin showed the highest risk driven by intensive use of gillnets and trawling gear. ByRA pinpointed areas of spatial and seasonal bycatch exposure, and estimated the consequence of bycatch on local species, providing managers with critical information on where to focus bycatch mitigation and meet new global standards for US Marine Mammal Protection Act and other international regulation (e.g. Official Journal of the European Union 2019; Regulation 2019/1241) compliance. The toolbox, a transferable open-source tool, can be used to guide fisheries management, marine mammal conservation, spatial planning, and further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Hines
- Estuary & Ocean Science Center, and Department of Geography & Environment, San Francisco State University, Tiburon, CA 94920, USA
| | - LS Ponnampalam
- The MareCet Research Organization, 5, Jalan USJ 12/1B 47630 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - C Junchompoo
- Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Chaeng Watthana Road, Lak Si District, Bangkok 10210, Thailand
| | - C Peter
- Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Jalan Datuk Mohammad Musa, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - L Vu
- Vietnam Marine Megafauna Network, Center for Biodiversity Conservation and Endangered Species, 24, Street No 13, Lakeview City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - T Huynh
- Southern Institute of Ecology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 01 Mac Dinh Chi, Ben Nghe, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Kakumamachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1164, Japan
| | - M Caillat
- Environmental Defense Fund, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA
| | - AF Johnson
- MarFishEco Fisheries Consultants, 67/6 Brunswick Street, Edinburgh EH7 5HT, UK
- The Lyell Centre, Institute of Life and Earth Sciences, School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, UK
| | - G Minton
- Megaptera Marine Conservation, Laan van Rhemen van Rhemenshuizen 14, 2242 PT Wassenaar, The Netherlands
| | - RL Lewison
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, CA 92182, USA
| | - GM Verutes
- Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Praza do Obradoiro, 0, 15705 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain
- Campus Do*Mar, International Campus of Excellence, 36310 Vigo, Spain
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Johnson AF, Caillat M, Verutes GM, Peter C, Junchompoo C, Long V, Ponnampalam LS, Lewison RL, Hines EM. Poor fisheries struggle with U.S. import rule. Science 2017; 355:1031-1032. [PMID: 28280175 DOI: 10.1126/science.aam9153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew F Johnson
- Gulf of California Marine Program, Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Marine Biology Research Division, The Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, San Diego CA 92093-0205, USA.
| | - Marjolaine Caillat
- Department of Geography and Environment, Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies, San Francisco State University, Tiburon, CA 94920, USA
| | | | - Cindy Peter
- Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, University Malaysia Sarawak, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Chalatip Junchompoo
- Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Eastern Marine and Coastal Resources Research Center, Rayong, Thailand
| | - Vu Long
- Vietnam Marine Mammal Network and The School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Anglesey, LL59 5AB, UK
| | - Louisa S Ponnampalam
- Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.,The MareCet Research Organization, Shah Alam, Malaysia
| | | | - Ellen M Hines
- Department of Geography and Environment, Romberg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies, San Francisco State University, Tiburon, CA 94920, USA
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Verutes GM, Arkema KK, Clarke-Samuels C, Wood SA, Rosenthal A, Rosado S, Canto M, Bood N, Ruckelshaus M. Integrated planning that safeguards ecosystems and balances multiple objectives in coastal Belize. International Journal of Biodiversity Science, Ecosystem Services & Management 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/21513732.2017.1345979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Gregory M. Verutes
- The Natural Capital Project, Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Katie K. Arkema
- The Natural Capital Project, Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Spencer A. Wood
- The Natural Capital Project, Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Amy Rosenthal
- Conservation and Sustainable Development Program, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Samir Rosado
- Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute, Belize City, Belize
| | - Maritza Canto
- Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute, Belize City, Belize
| | - Nadia Bood
- World Wildlife Fund (WWF-Belize), Belize City, Belize
| | - Mary Ruckelshaus
- The Natural Capital Project, Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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Verutes GM, Huang C, Estrella RR, Loyd K. Exploring scenarios of light pollution from coastal development reaching sea turtle nesting beaches near Cabo Pulmo, Mexico. Glob Ecol Conserv 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2014.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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