MPA
Clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated, and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values
Network of MPAs
system or network is a collection of MPAs operating cooperatively and synergistically, at various spatial scales, and with a range of protection levels, in order to fulfill ecological aims more effectively and comprehensively than individual sites could alone
Benefits of MPAs (ecological)
benefits of MPAs (social, economic & cultural)
Marine life protection act goals
Varieties of MPAs
What is Marine spatial planning (MSP)
public process of analyzing and allocating the spatial and temporal distribution of human activities in marine areas to achieve ecological, economic and social objectives that have been specified through a political process
What is MAPP?
marine planning partnership - uses existing marine & coastal planning, uses ecosystem-based management framework
What differs marine ecosystems & terrestrial?
Water - different spaces will have different buoyancies, viscosities, and specific heat capacities
-oceans are patchy, resources are not spread evenly
Population ecology - source vs. sink populations
source pop: net exporter, birth rate is greater than death rate
sing pop: net importer, death rate is greater than birth rate
What is dispersal?
movement of an individual/group of individuals away from a parent population. It is a biological process and is essential for population sustainability and maintenance
Dispersal mechanisms
How does length of time an organisms says in larvae effect dispersal?
faster they settle, smaller the dispersal
Pelagic larval duration (PLD)
-length of time larvae spend in water column, affects dispersal distance
Planktotrophic
- typically seen in invertebrates
Lecithotrophic
- typically seen in fish & some invertebrates
Advantages of dispersal
Decreased competition between adults & their larval populations
-interspecies
What is connectivity?
flux of any types of material between locations, interaction between species and landscapes
why is connectivity important?
connecting adult populations with breeding or nursery sites, connecting source and sink populations, preventing inbreeding and genetic variation, accommodating range shifts, accelerated climate change, species diapering and recolonizing, protecting nursery sites - all must be considered
barriers to connectivity
changing currents, habitat fragmentation, physical thresholds (temperature, depth, salinity, substrate),
Trophic cascade- what is it? how does it affect marine systems? when do they occur?
An occurrence when a top predator is removed or added to a food web, usually leads to changing marine systems. Has a large effect on marine systems. Occurs when a top predator (sea otter) limits density &/or behaviour of their prey (urchin) & thereby enhances survival of next lower trophic level (kelp system)
Goal of conservation planning?
To sustain population w/in protected/ conservation orientated region, cover all biogeographic zones, including transition regions.
This should allow protected populations to do well enough to help populate areas outside of MPAs. “spill over”
What are predicted impacts of MPAs?
Fisheries: increase in biomass of reproductive adults, increased spill over into non-reserve areas, benefits fisheries
Biodiversity: increase in organism size & diversity
Considerations when designing MPAs?
Ecological: Dispersal, connectivity, site specific factors
Social considerations
Overall goals for area: fisheries, species of concern, important habitats