The role of science in supporting marine protected area network planning and design in California

Saarman, Emily; Gleason, Mary; Ugoretz, John; Airamé, Satie; Carr, Mark H.; Fox, Evan; Frimodig, Adam; Mason, Tom; Vasques, Jason

doi:10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2012.08.021

Cited by 93 publications

(103 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Designing MPAs is complicated and time-consuming, and often suffers from a shortage of relevant empirical information (Saarman et al 2013). There have been efforts towards handling this shortage by developing decision theory in the absence of perfect empirical information (Halpern et al 2006, Bottrill et al 2008, White et al 2010b, and developing approaches for designing MPAs based on representative areas that capture community-and ecosystem-level characteristics (Leslie et al 2003, Fernandes et al 2005) without considering whether populations will persist.…”

Section: A Way Forwardmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond connectivity: how empirical methods can quantify population persistence to improve marine protected‐area design

Burgess

Nickols

Griesemer

et al. 2014

Ecological Applications

202

297

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Abstract. Demographic connectivity is a fundamental process influencing the dynamics and persistence of spatially structured populations. Consequently, quantifying connectivity is essential for properly designing networks of protected areas so that they achieve their core ecological objective of maintaining population persistence. Recently, many empirical studies in marine systems have provided essential, and historically challenging to obtain, data on patterns of larval dispersal and export from marine protected areas (MPAs). Here, we review the empirical studies that have directly quantified the origins and destinations of individual larvae and assess those studies' relevance to the theory of population persistence and MPA design objectives. We found that empirical studies often do not measure or present quantities that are relevant to assessing population persistence, even though most studies were motivated or contextualized by MPA applications. Persistence of spatial populations, like nonspatial populations, depends on replacement, whether individuals reproduce enough in their lifetime to replace themselves. In spatial populations, one needs to account for the effect of larval dispersal on future recruitment back to the local population through local retention and other connectivity pathways. The most commonly reported descriptor of larval dispersal was the fraction of recruitment from local origin (self-recruitment). Self-recruitment does not inform persistence-based MPA design because it is a fraction of those arriving, not a fraction of those leaving (local retention), so contains no information on replacement. Some studies presented connectivity matrices, which can inform assessments of persistence with additional knowledge of survival and fecundity after recruitment. Some studies collected data in addition to larval dispersal that could inform assessments of population persistence but which were not presented in that way. We describe how three pieces of empirical information are needed to fully describe population persistence in a network of MPAs: (1) lifetime fecundity, (2) the proportion of larvae that are locally retained (or the full connectivity matrix), and (3) survival rate after recruitment. We conclude by linking theory and data to provide detailed guidance to empiricists and practitioners on field sampling design and data presentation that better informs the MPA objective of population persistence.

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Section: A Way Forwardmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond connectivity: how empirical methods can quantify population persistence to improve marine protected‐area design

Burgess

Nickols

Griesemer

et al. 2014

Ecological Applications

202

297

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show abstract

“…We used the same four scientific guidelines (based on ecological processes) defined by the MLPA (Saarman et al, 2013), for the spatial design of a network of MPAs: habitat representation, habitat replication, size of the MPAs, and distance between MPAs ( Table 1). Our conservation objectives included the key marine habitats defined by the MLPA with different conservation targets (10, 20, and 30%) according to their productivity and significance to fisheries ( Table 2).…”

Section: Conservation Objectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We used two approaches to quantify the opportunity cost for commercial fishing. As a general approach, we calculated the commercial fishing effort in each fishing camp relative to each planning unit (E cami ): Saarman et al, 2013) based on the MLPA scientific criteria and the conservation targets and design goals associated with each guideline.…”

Section: Commercial Fishingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Traditionally, MPAs have been implemented as a result of governmental or local community decisions (Gleason et al, 2010). However, there are recent examples of planning processes to design MPAs networks that are ecologically connected and managed as a system (Airamé et al, 2003;Fernandes et al, 2005;Lowry et al, 2009;Saarman et al, 2013;Hopkins et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In both regions, recreational fisheries are open access by individual permits, but of greater economic importance in California. In the context of marine conservation, California recently implemented a network of MPAs, following the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA), based on scientific principles and stakeholder involvement Kirlin et al, 2013;Saarman et al, 2013). However, Baja California still lacks a network of MPAs or a systematic conservation planning (Margules and Pressey, 2000) effort and has less biophysical information of its coastal systems compared to California.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Marine Spatial Planning in a Transboundary Context: Linking Baja California with California's Network of Marine Protected Areas

et al. 2017

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It is acknowledged that an effective path to globally protect marine ecosystems is through the establishment of eco-regional scale networks of MPAs spanning across national frontiers. In this work we aimed to plan for regionally feasible networks of MPAs that can be ecologically linked with an existing one in a transboundary context. We illustrate our exercise in the Ensenadian eco-region, a shared marine ecosystem between the south of California, United States of America (USA), and the north of Baja California, Mexico; where conservation actions differ across the border. In the USA, California recently established a network of MPAs through the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA), while in Mexico: Baja California lacks a network of MPAs or a marine spatial planning effort to establish it. We generated four different scenarios with Marxan by integrating different ecological, social, and management considerations (habitat representation, opportunity costs, habitat condition, and enforcement costs). To do so, we characterized and collected biophysical and socio-economic information for Baja California and developed novel approaches to quantify and incorporate some of these considerations. We were able to design feasible networks of MPAs in Baja California that are ecologically linked with California's network (met between 78.5 and 84.4% of the MLPA guidelines) and that would represent a low cost for fishers and aquaculture investors. We found that when multiple considerations are integrated more priority areas for conservation emerge. For our region, human distribution presents a strong gradient from north to south and resulted to be an important factor for the spatial arrangement of the priority areas. This work shows how, despite the constraints of a data-poor area, the available conservation principles, mapping, and planning tools can still be used to generate spatial conservation plans in a transboundary context.

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The central importance of ecological spatial connectivity to effective coastal marine protected areas and to meeting the challenges of climate change in the marine environment

Carr

Robinson²,

Wahle³

et al. 2017

Aquatic Conservation

135

132

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Abstract1 The several forms of ecological spatial connectivity -population, genetic, community, ecosystem -are among the most important ecological processes in determining the distribution, persistence and productivity of coastal marine populations and ecosystems.2 Ecological marine protected areas (MPAs) focus on restoring or maintaining marine populations, communities, or ecosystems. All ecological MPAs -no matter their specific focus or objectives -depend for their success on incorporating ecological spatial connectivity into their design, use (i.e. application), and management.3 Though important, a synthesis of the implications of ecological spatial connectivity for the design, use, and management of MPAs, especially in the face of a changing global climate, does not exist. We synthesize this information and distill it into practical principles for design, use, and management of MPAs and networks of MPAs.4 High population connectivity among distant coastal ecosystems underscores the critical value of MPA networks for MPAs and the populations and ecosystems between them.5 High ecosystem connectivity among coastal ecosystems underscores the importance of protecting multiple connected ecosystems within an MPA, maximizing ecosystem connectivity across MPAs, and managing ecosystems outside MPAs so as to minimize influxes of detrimental organisms and materials into MPAs.6 Connectivity-informed MPAs and MPA networks -designed and managed to foster the ecological spatial connectivity processes important to local populations, species, communities, and ecosystems -can best address ecological changes induced by climate change. Also, the protections afforded by MPAs from direct, local human impacts may ameliorate climate change impacts in coastal ecosystems inside MPAs and, indirectly, in ecosystems outside MPAs.

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The role of science in supporting marine protected area network planning and design in California

Cited by 93 publications

References 38 publications

Beyond connectivity: how empirical methods can quantify population persistence to improve marine protected‐area design

Beyond connectivity: how empirical methods can quantify population persistence to improve marine protected‐area design

Marine Spatial Planning in a Transboundary Context: Linking Baja California with California's Network of Marine Protected Areas

The central importance of ecological spatial connectivity to effective coastal marine protected areas and to meeting the challenges of climate change in the marine environment

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