Environmental representativity in marine protected area networks over large and partly unexplored seascapes
Converting assemblages of marine protected areas (MPAs) into functional MPA networks requires political will, multidisciplinary information, coordinated action and time. We developed a new framework to assist planning environmental representativity in a network across the marine space of Portugal, r...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2019-01-01
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| Series: | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989418304426 |
| _version_ | 1828335393316012032 |
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| author | Yorgos Stratoudakis Ana Hilário Cláudia Ribeiro David Abecasis Emanuel J. Gonçalves Francisco Andrade Gilberto P. Carreira Jorge M.S. Gonçalves Luis Freitas Luis Menezes Pinheiro Marisa I. Batista Miguel Henriques Paulo B. Oliveira Paulo Oliveira Pedro Afonso Pedro Ivo Arriegas Sofia Henriques |
| author_facet | Yorgos Stratoudakis Ana Hilário Cláudia Ribeiro David Abecasis Emanuel J. Gonçalves Francisco Andrade Gilberto P. Carreira Jorge M.S. Gonçalves Luis Freitas Luis Menezes Pinheiro Marisa I. Batista Miguel Henriques Paulo B. Oliveira Paulo Oliveira Pedro Afonso Pedro Ivo Arriegas Sofia Henriques |
| author_sort | Yorgos Stratoudakis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Converting assemblages of marine protected areas (MPAs) into functional MPA networks requires political will, multidisciplinary information, coordinated action and time. We developed a new framework to assist planning environmental representativity in a network across the marine space of Portugal, responding to a political commitment to protect 14% of its area by 2020. An aggregate conservation value was estimated for each of the 27 habitats identified, from intertidal waters to the deep sea. This value was based on expert-judgment scoring for environmental properties and features relevant for conservation, chosen to reflect the strategic objectives of the network, thus providing an objective link between conservation commitments and habitat representativity in space. Additionally, habitats' vulnerability to existing anthropogenic pressures and sensitivity to climate change were also scored. The area coverage of each habitat in Portugal and within existing MPAs (regionally and nationally) was assigned to a scale of five orders of magnitude (from <0.01% to >10%) to assess rarity and existing representation. Aggregate conservation value per habitat was negatively correlated with area coverage, positively correlated with vulnerability and was not correlated with sensitivity. The proposed framework offers a multi-dimensional support tool for MPA network development, in particular regarding the prioritization of new habitats to protect, when the goal is to achieve specific targets while ensuring representativity across large areas and complex habitat mosaics. It requires less information and computation effort in comparison to more quantitative approaches, while still providing an objective instrument to scrutinize progress on the implementation of politically set conservation targets. Keywords: Habitat diversity, Conservation value, Planning framework, Temperate North-east Atlantic and Macaronesia, Iberian margin and shelf, Portugal |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T21:46:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e33bf2b84e904f77ab4be6217673b957 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2351-9894 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T21:46:44Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| spelling | doaj.art-e33bf2b84e904f77ab4be6217673b9572022-12-22T02:28:34ZengElsevierGlobal Ecology and Conservation2351-98942019-01-0117Environmental representativity in marine protected area networks over large and partly unexplored seascapesYorgos Stratoudakis0Ana Hilário1Cláudia Ribeiro2David Abecasis3Emanuel J. Gonçalves4Francisco Andrade5Gilberto P. Carreira6Jorge M.S. Gonçalves7Luis Freitas8Luis Menezes Pinheiro9Marisa I. Batista10Miguel Henriques11Paulo B. Oliveira12Paulo Oliveira13Pedro Afonso14Pedro Ivo Arriegas15Sofia Henriques16Instituto Português do Mar a da Atmosfera, IP (IPMA), Rua Alfredo Magalhães Ramalho 6, 1449-006, Lisboa, Portugal; Corresponding author. IPMA, Rua Alfredo Magalhães Ramalho 6, 1449-006, Lisboa, Portugal.Biology Department and CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, PortugalObservatório Oceânico da Madeira (OOM), Edifício Madeira Tecnopolo, 9020-105, Funchal, Madeira, Portugal; Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), University of the Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139, Faro, PortugalCentre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), University of the Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139, Faro, PortugalMARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ISPA – Instituto Universitário, Rua Jardim do Tabaco 34, 1149-041, Lisboa, Portugal; Oceano Azul Foundation, Oceanário de Lisboa, Esplanada D. Carlos I, 1990-005, Lisboa, PortugalMARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, FCUL, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia, 2750-374, Cascais, PortugalDireção de Serviços de Biodiversidade e Política do Mar, Direção Regional dos Assuntos do Mar (SRMCT), Rua D. Pedro IV, 29, 9900-111, Horta, Açores, PortugalCentre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), University of the Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139, Faro, PortugalMadeira Whale Museum, Rua Garcia Moniz 1, 9200-031, Caniçal, Madeira, PortugalGeosciences Department and CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, PortugalLPN – Liga para a Protecção da Natureza, Estrada do Calhariz de Benfica 187, 1500-124, Lisboa, PortugalInstituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas, IP (ICNF), Parque Natural de Arrábida, Praça da República, 2900-587, Setúbal, PortugalInstituto Português do Mar a da Atmosfera, IP (IPMA), Rua Alfredo Magalhães Ramalho 6, 1449-006, Lisboa, PortugalInstituto das Florestas e Conservação da Natureza, IP-RAM (IFCN), Quinta Vila Passos, Rua Alferes Veiga Pestana 15, Funchal, Madeira, PortugalInstitute of Marine Research (IMAR) and MARE, University of the Azores, 9901-862, Horta, Azores, PortugalInstituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas, IP (ICNF), Divisão de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Avenida da República, 16-16B, 1050-191, Lisboa, PortugalMARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, PortugalConverting assemblages of marine protected areas (MPAs) into functional MPA networks requires political will, multidisciplinary information, coordinated action and time. We developed a new framework to assist planning environmental representativity in a network across the marine space of Portugal, responding to a political commitment to protect 14% of its area by 2020. An aggregate conservation value was estimated for each of the 27 habitats identified, from intertidal waters to the deep sea. This value was based on expert-judgment scoring for environmental properties and features relevant for conservation, chosen to reflect the strategic objectives of the network, thus providing an objective link between conservation commitments and habitat representativity in space. Additionally, habitats' vulnerability to existing anthropogenic pressures and sensitivity to climate change were also scored. The area coverage of each habitat in Portugal and within existing MPAs (regionally and nationally) was assigned to a scale of five orders of magnitude (from <0.01% to >10%) to assess rarity and existing representation. Aggregate conservation value per habitat was negatively correlated with area coverage, positively correlated with vulnerability and was not correlated with sensitivity. The proposed framework offers a multi-dimensional support tool for MPA network development, in particular regarding the prioritization of new habitats to protect, when the goal is to achieve specific targets while ensuring representativity across large areas and complex habitat mosaics. It requires less information and computation effort in comparison to more quantitative approaches, while still providing an objective instrument to scrutinize progress on the implementation of politically set conservation targets. Keywords: Habitat diversity, Conservation value, Planning framework, Temperate North-east Atlantic and Macaronesia, Iberian margin and shelf, Portugalhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989418304426 |
| spellingShingle | Yorgos Stratoudakis Ana Hilário Cláudia Ribeiro David Abecasis Emanuel J. Gonçalves Francisco Andrade Gilberto P. Carreira Jorge M.S. Gonçalves Luis Freitas Luis Menezes Pinheiro Marisa I. Batista Miguel Henriques Paulo B. Oliveira Paulo Oliveira Pedro Afonso Pedro Ivo Arriegas Sofia Henriques Environmental representativity in marine protected area networks over large and partly unexplored seascapes Global Ecology and Conservation |
| title | Environmental representativity in marine protected area networks over large and partly unexplored seascapes |
| title_full | Environmental representativity in marine protected area networks over large and partly unexplored seascapes |
| title_fullStr | Environmental representativity in marine protected area networks over large and partly unexplored seascapes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Environmental representativity in marine protected area networks over large and partly unexplored seascapes |
| title_short | Environmental representativity in marine protected area networks over large and partly unexplored seascapes |
| title_sort | environmental representativity in marine protected area networks over large and partly unexplored seascapes |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989418304426 |
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