Globally, the need to identify and establish integrated and connected systems of Marine Protected... more Globally, the need to identify and establish integrated and connected systems of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is becoming increasingly recognised. For best practice, these networks need to be planned and assessed against multiple criteria. However, building a sound evidence base to support decision-making processes is complex, as well as fiscally and logistically challenging. Recent studies have demonstrated the utility of integrating 'citizen science' data into mainstream scientific analysis, particularly where broad-scale spatial patterns of distribution are required. In UK waters, the pink sea fan (Eunicella ver-rucosa) is a nationally protected slow growing, cold-water coral, and is a representative species of reef features that provide habitat for many other sessile species. However, this species is vulnerable to physical impact and loss of suitable substratum, and is likely highly vulnerable to bottom-towed fishing gears. In this study, data from a volunteer-based marine survey programme ('Seasearch') are analysed with the aim of describing the spatial distribution and relative abundance of pink sea fan colonies throughout southwest UK coastal waters. The congruence between pink sea fans and the extant southern UK MPA network is reported, and the current threat from Bottom-Towed Gear (BTG) to pink sea fan dominated reefs, that have historically lacked protection, is quantitatively assessed. This analysis reveals that protection of this and other benthic species has been increased by management of previously 'open access' MPAs. Nonetheless, areas of pink sea fan habitat and their host reef systems exist outside extant protected areas in southwest UK seas, and as such are potentially at risk from bottom-towed fisheries. This analysis demonstrates the utility of well-organised citizen science data collection and highlights how such efforts can help inform knowledge on broad scale patterns of biodiversity.
The distribution of shallow water coral reef organisms is often a function of competition for lim... more The distribution of shallow water coral reef organisms is often a function of competition for limited resources (Connell, 1983). Coral reefs are intrinsically patchy, and the spatial distribution of benthic habitats can have important consequences for populations of motile site-attached species (Foster, 1987; Connell and Slatyer, 1977). An abundant herbivore on the shallow forereef community of Discovery Bay, Jamaica is the damselfish Stegastes diencaeus that is extremely territorially aggressive in behavior, with males defending algal gardens against conspecific and heterospecific competitors (Itzkowitz, 1977). Information regarding spawning and territorial behavior of S. diencaeus is limited, as are the distributions and potential interactions between this damselfish and different habitat types on Caribbean coral reefs. In the past, this damselfish species has been described as preferring habitat of sizeable (> 40 cm) rock and rubble on backreefs (Itzkowitz, 1977). The habitat ...
Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 2014
ABSTRACT 1. With the drive for greater numbers and areas of MPAs to be put in place to meet natio... more ABSTRACT 1. With the drive for greater numbers and areas of MPAs to be put in place to meet national and international targets, challenges have emerged in both the establishment and development of sustainable governance of the networks of sites that are emerging. 2. Using 12 presentations given in a workshop on 'Improving participation for better governance of MPAs' at the 3 rd International Marine Protected Areas Congress in October 2013, this paper reviews a range of top-down, bottom-up and collaborative approaches to governance, looking at all phases in the process from design of an MPA network to its implementation, as well as considering individual MPAs. 3. Designation of MPA networks requires significant investment of resources to engage local stakeholders in discussions over potential site location and management measures. 4. Scaling-up from individual MPAs to networks of MPAs will often also require a scaling-up of governance approaches, including top-down approaches. 5. Balancing the need to provide for the participation of local users in each constituent MPA with the need to address a variety of challenges, whilst achieving wider-scale objectives through the inclusion of top-down governance approaches is an important but neglected challenge in discussions concerning MPA networks. 6. These case studies indicate that there are various ways in which this challenge can be addressed in different contexts and point to potential 'good practice' for other MPAs in similar scenarios.
T wenty two fringing reef sites within the Mamanuca Islands, western Fiji were surveyed during 20... more T wenty two fringing reef sites within the Mamanuca Islands, western Fiji were surveyed during 2001 and 2002, using Reef Check methods. A mean increase of 14.3% in hard coral cover was recorded over the 12-month period. This increase in hard coral cover suggests a significant recovery of scleractinian coral colonies that were originally impacted by the 2000 mass bleaching episode in the South Pacific. The event was reported to have caused >80% coral mortality in the southern and eastern regions of Fiji. Between 2001 and 2002 the coral reefs of the Mamanucas progressed from ìpoorî to ìfairî in accordance with the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) system for describing the health of coral reefs. Our results also show that trained non-specialist volunteers undertaking marine surveys such as Reef Check can competently collect simple, yet important quantitative data regarding the physical health of coral reefs.
Globally, the need to identify and establish integrated and connected systems of Marine Protected... more Globally, the need to identify and establish integrated and connected systems of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is becoming increasingly recognised. For best practice, these networks need to be planned and assessed against multiple criteria. However, building a sound evidence base to support decision-making processes is complex, as well as fiscally and logistically challenging. Recent studies have demonstrated the utility of integrating 'citizen science' data into mainstream scientific analysis, particularly where broad-scale spatial patterns of distribution are required. In UK waters, the pink sea fan (Eunicella ver-rucosa) is a nationally protected slow growing, cold-water coral, and is a representative species of reef features that provide habitat for many other sessile species. However, this species is vulnerable to physical impact and loss of suitable substratum, and is likely highly vulnerable to bottom-towed fishing gears. In this study, data from a volunteer-based marine survey programme ('Seasearch') are analysed with the aim of describing the spatial distribution and relative abundance of pink sea fan colonies throughout southwest UK coastal waters. The congruence between pink sea fans and the extant southern UK MPA network is reported, and the current threat from Bottom-Towed Gear (BTG) to pink sea fan dominated reefs, that have historically lacked protection, is quantitatively assessed. This analysis reveals that protection of this and other benthic species has been increased by management of previously 'open access' MPAs. Nonetheless, areas of pink sea fan habitat and their host reef systems exist outside extant protected areas in southwest UK seas, and as such are potentially at risk from bottom-towed fisheries. This analysis demonstrates the utility of well-organised citizen science data collection and highlights how such efforts can help inform knowledge on broad scale patterns of biodiversity.
The distribution of shallow water coral reef organisms is often a function of competition for lim... more The distribution of shallow water coral reef organisms is often a function of competition for limited resources (Connell, 1983). Coral reefs are intrinsically patchy, and the spatial distribution of benthic habitats can have important consequences for populations of motile site-attached species (Foster, 1987; Connell and Slatyer, 1977). An abundant herbivore on the shallow forereef community of Discovery Bay, Jamaica is the damselfish Stegastes diencaeus that is extremely territorially aggressive in behavior, with males defending algal gardens against conspecific and heterospecific competitors (Itzkowitz, 1977). Information regarding spawning and territorial behavior of S. diencaeus is limited, as are the distributions and potential interactions between this damselfish and different habitat types on Caribbean coral reefs. In the past, this damselfish species has been described as preferring habitat of sizeable (> 40 cm) rock and rubble on backreefs (Itzkowitz, 1977). The habitat ...
Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 2014
ABSTRACT 1. With the drive for greater numbers and areas of MPAs to be put in place to meet natio... more ABSTRACT 1. With the drive for greater numbers and areas of MPAs to be put in place to meet national and international targets, challenges have emerged in both the establishment and development of sustainable governance of the networks of sites that are emerging. 2. Using 12 presentations given in a workshop on 'Improving participation for better governance of MPAs' at the 3 rd International Marine Protected Areas Congress in October 2013, this paper reviews a range of top-down, bottom-up and collaborative approaches to governance, looking at all phases in the process from design of an MPA network to its implementation, as well as considering individual MPAs. 3. Designation of MPA networks requires significant investment of resources to engage local stakeholders in discussions over potential site location and management measures. 4. Scaling-up from individual MPAs to networks of MPAs will often also require a scaling-up of governance approaches, including top-down approaches. 5. Balancing the need to provide for the participation of local users in each constituent MPA with the need to address a variety of challenges, whilst achieving wider-scale objectives through the inclusion of top-down governance approaches is an important but neglected challenge in discussions concerning MPA networks. 6. These case studies indicate that there are various ways in which this challenge can be addressed in different contexts and point to potential 'good practice' for other MPAs in similar scenarios.
T wenty two fringing reef sites within the Mamanuca Islands, western Fiji were surveyed during 20... more T wenty two fringing reef sites within the Mamanuca Islands, western Fiji were surveyed during 2001 and 2002, using Reef Check methods. A mean increase of 14.3% in hard coral cover was recorded over the 12-month period. This increase in hard coral cover suggests a significant recovery of scleractinian coral colonies that were originally impacted by the 2000 mass bleaching episode in the South Pacific. The event was reported to have caused >80% coral mortality in the southern and eastern regions of Fiji. Between 2001 and 2002 the coral reefs of the Mamanucas progressed from ìpoorî to ìfairî in accordance with the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) system for describing the health of coral reefs. Our results also show that trained non-specialist volunteers undertaking marine surveys such as Reef Check can competently collect simple, yet important quantitative data regarding the physical health of coral reefs.
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