Journal articles on the topic 'Assessment and management of pelagic marine ecosystems'
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Mardhatillah, Inda, Am Azbas Taurusman, Muhammad Fedi Alfiadi Sondita, Ilham Fajri, and Muhammad Aris. "An ecosystem approach to manage pelagic thresher shark (Alopias pelagicus) based in Kutaraja Ocean Fishing Port, Aceh." Depik 11, no. 2 (June 12, 2022): 192–201. http://dx.doi.org/10.13170/depik.11.2.25479.
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Sharks is the dominant bycatch of purse seine and bottom longline vessels that landed in Kutaraja ocean fishing port, particularly pelagic thresher shark species (Alopias pelagicus). The management of shark fisheries in Aceh water is not well implemented. According to the IUCN red list, the pelagic thresher shark has been classified as an endangered species. The capture and trade of pelagic thresher sharks are regulated by CITES (Appendix II). So that Indonesia has to comply with the procedures of CITES due to it has been adopted through the Decree of Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of the Republic of Indonesia Number 61/PERMEN-KP/2018. However, the exploitation and trading of the A. pelagicus continues and is not properly managed. It will threaten the extinction of the pelagic thresher shark population and in terms of a negative image of fisheries management in Indonesia, in particular. Thus, integrated management such as the ecosystem approach to fisheries management (EAFM) is needed to solve this problem. This study aims to evaluate the fisheries management status of the pelagic thresher shark based on EAFM indicator of fish resources domain, focusing in the Kutaraja ocean fishing port. This research was conducted by field measurement and interviews with key stakeholders. Data were analyzed using a multi-criteria analysis (MCA) approach through development of a composite index. The results showed that the trend of CPUE tends to fluctuate in the last 5 years. The total length of the sharks was relatively constant. The proportion of juvenile pelagic thresher sharks was 16% male, and 28% (female), and the shark was bycatch (1%) of the purse seine fishery, the fishing ground was getting further away and seemed to go close to the shark habitat. Based on this assessment, one could conclude that shark's fishery resources were in 'good' category, however, some indicators need to improve through better fisheries management actions. Keywords: EAFM; Alopias pelagicus; pelagic thresher shark; Kutaraja ocean fishing port
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Certain, Grégoire, and Benjamin Planque. "Biodiversity baseline for large marine ecosystems: an example from the Barents Sea." ICES Journal of Marine Science 72, no. 6 (March 19, 2015): 1756–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsv040.
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Abstract Biodiversity is an increasingly important issue for the management of marine ecosystems. However, the proliferation of biodiversity indices and difficulties associated with their interpretation have resulted in a lack of clearly defined framework for quantifying biodiversity and biodiversity changes in marine ecosystems for assessment purpose. Recent theoretical and numerical developments in biodiversity statistics have established clear algebraic relationships between most of the diversity measures commonly used, and have highlighted those that most directly relates to the concept of biological diversity, terming them “true” diversity measures. In this study, we implement the calculation of these “true” diversity measures at the scale of a large-marine ecosystem, the Barents Sea. We applied hierarchical partitioning of biodiversity to an extensive dataset encompassing 10 years of trawl-surveys for both pelagic and demersal fish community. We quantify biodiversity and biodiversity changes for these two communities across the whole continental shelf of the Barents Sea at various spatial and temporal scales, explicitly identifying areas where fish communities are stable and variable. The method is used to disentangle areas where community composition is subject to random fluctuations from areas where the fish community is drifting over time. We discuss how our results can serve as a spatio-temporal biodiversity baseline against which new biodiversity estimates, derived from sea surveys, can be evaluated.
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Conversi, Alessandra, Vasilis Dakos, Anna Gårdmark, Scott Ling, Carl Folke, Peter J. Mumby, Charles Greene, et al. "A holistic view of marine regime shifts." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 370, no. 1659 (January 5, 2015): 20130279. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2013.0279.
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Understanding marine regime shifts is important not only for ecology but also for developing marine management that assures the provision of ecosystem services to humanity. While regime shift theory is well developed, there is still no common understanding on drivers, mechanisms and characteristic of abrupt changes in real marine ecosystems. Based on contributions to the present theme issue, we highlight some general issues that need to be overcome for developing a more comprehensive understanding of marine ecosystem regime shifts. We find a great divide between benthic reef and pelagic ocean systems in how regime shift theory is linked to observed abrupt changes. Furthermore, we suggest that the long-lasting discussion on the prevalence of top-down trophic or bottom-up physical drivers in inducing regime shifts may be overcome by taking into consideration the synergistic interactions of multiple stressors, and the special characteristics of different ecosystem types. We present a framework for the holistic investigation of marine regime shifts that considers multiple exogenous drivers that interact with endogenous mechanisms to cause abrupt, catastrophic change. This framework takes into account the time-delayed synergies of these stressors, which erode the resilience of the ecosystem and eventually enable the crossing of ecological thresholds. Finally, considering that increased pressures in the marine environment are predicted by the current climate change assessments, in order to avoid major losses of ecosystem services, we suggest that marine management approaches should incorporate knowledge on environmental thresholds and develop tools that consider regime shift dynamics and characteristics. This grand challenge can only be achieved through a holistic view of marine ecosystem dynamics as evidenced by this theme issue.
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Pauli, Nora-Charlotte, Jana S. Petermann, Christian Lott, and Miriam Weber. "Macrofouling communities and the degradation of plastic bags in the sea: an in situ experiment." Royal Society Open Science 4, no. 10 (October 2017): 170549. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.170549.
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The increasing amount of plastic littered into the sea may provide a new substratum for benthic organisms. These marine fouling communities on plastic have not received much scientific attention. We present, to our knowledge, the first comprehensive analysis of their macroscopic community composition, their primary production and the polymer degradation comparing conventional polyethylene (PE) and a biodegradable starch-based plastic blend in coastal benthic and pelagic habitats in the Mediterranean Sea. The biomass of the fouling layer increased significantly over time and all samples became heavy enough to sink to the seafloor. The fouling communities, consisting of 21 families, were distinct between habitats, but not between polymer types. Positive primary production was measured in the pelagic, but not in the benthic habitat, suggesting that large accumulations of floating plastic could pose a source of oxygen for local ecosystems, as well as a carbon sink. Contrary to PE, the biodegradable plastic showed a significant loss of tensile strength and disintegrated over time in both habitats. These results indicate that in the marine environment, biodegradable polymers may disintegrate at higher rates than conventional polymers. This should be considered for the development of new materials, environmental risk assessment and waste management strategies.
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Gaichas, S. K., J. S. Link, and J. A. Hare. "A risk-based approach to evaluating northeast US fish community vulnerability to climate change." ICES Journal of Marine Science 71, no. 8 (April 8, 2014): 2323–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsu048.
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Abstract Risk assessment methods are used worldwide to evaluate threats posed by fisheries and other impacts on living marine resources, and to prioritize management of these threats. We derive a simplified risk analysis for aggregate fish communities as a preliminary tool to identify priorities for further detailed assessment. Because some of the largest observed rates of sea surface temperature increase are on the northeast US continental shelf, we focused on climate change-driven risks to marine communities in this region. We evaluated climate vulnerability for six communities across two ecosystems: both commercial and non-commercial demersal fish, pelagic fish, and benthic invertebrates in the Gulf of Maine (GOM) and Mid-Atlantic bight (MAB). We first evaluated the probability that anticipated climate changes (e.g. warming water, decreased salinity, increased acidity, altered boundary currents) would occur in these regions, and rated the potential severity of change over the next 10 years. Then, we evaluated the sensitivity of each biological community in each region using 12 attributes (e.g. habitat and prey specificity, temperature and acidity sensitivity, larval dispersal, adult mobility, population productivity, etc.). Exposure to the key climate risks was related to community sensitivity in each region for an overall assessment of climate vulnerability. Climate risks from increased surface water temperature, sea level rise, and earlier spring were rated moderate to high in both regions, with additional moderate to high risks in the GOM from increased bottom temperature, stratification, and river inputs. Benthic invertebrates were rated most sensitive, with demersals intermediate and pelagics lowest. Two MAB communities were rated more sensitive than corresponding GOM communities, but greater short-term climate risks in the GOM indicated increased exposure for GOM communities. Overall, this simple analysis may help prioritize short-term regional climate risk management action, thus addressing key conditions related to fishery fluctuations beyond fishing itself.
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Eddy, Tyler D., Marta Coll, Elizabeth A. Fulton, and Heike K. Lotze. "Trade-offs between invertebrate fisheries catches and ecosystem impacts in coastal New Zealand." ICES Journal of Marine Science 72, no. 5 (February 10, 2015): 1380–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsv009.
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Abstract Invertebrate catches are increasing globally following the depletion of many finfish stocks, yet stock assessments and management plans for invertebrates are limited, as is an understanding of the ecosystem effects of these fisheries. Using an ecosystem modelling approach, we explored the trade-offs between invertebrate catches and their impacts on the associated ecosystem on the south coast of Wellington, New Zealand. We simulated exploitation of lobster (Jasus edwardsii), abalone (Haliotis australis, H. iris), and sea urchin (Evechinus chloroticus) over a range of depletion levels—from no depletion to local extinction—to estimate changes in target catches and associated effects on other species groups, trophic levels, and benthic and pelagic components. Exploitation of lobster showed the strongest ecosystem effects, followed by abalone and urchin. In all three fisheries, the current exploitation rate exceeds that which produces maximum sustainable yield, with considerable ecosystem effects. Interestingly, a reduced exploitation rate is predicted to increase target catches (and catch-per-unit-effort), thereby strongly reducing ecosystem effects, a win–win situation. Our results suggest that invertebrate exploitation clearly influences ecosystem structure and function, yet the direction and magnitude of responses depend on the target group and exploitation rate. An ecosystem-based fisheries management approach that includes the role of invertebrates would improve the conservation and management of invertebrate resources and marine ecosystems on broader scales.
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Stuart, Venetia, Trevor Platt, and Shubha Sathyendranath. "The future of fisheries science in management: a remote-sensing perspective." ICES Journal of Marine Science 68, no. 4 (January 17, 2011): 644–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsq200.
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Abstract Stuart, V., Platt, T., and Sathyendranath, S. 2011. The future of fisheries science in management: a remote-sensing perspective. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 644–650. Earth observation from satellites offers vast potential for fisheries applications, including management of marine resources, stock assessment, marine aquaculture, and fish harvesting. One of the most promising avenues for the use of satellite data for fisheries science in management lies in quantifying objectively the variables that result in large and small year classes of exploited stocks. The influence of fluctuations in the availability of food in the critical period of larval stages can be investigated through the application of ecological indicators describing the variability of the pelagic ecosystem at a given time and place. These indices can increase our understanding of the relationship between ecosystem factors and the recruitment of key species. Despite the many demonstration applications published to date, little use is being made of satellite data to support fisheries science in management. We discuss some of the obstacles that lie in the way of the operational use of satellite data and suggest actions that could facilitate its broader application.
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Plagányi, Éva E., Scarla J. Weeks, Tim D. Skewes, Mark T. Gibbs, Elvira S. Poloczanska, Ana Norman-López, Laura K. Blamey, Muri Soares, and William M. L. Robinson. "Assessing the adequacy of current fisheries management under changing climate: a southern synopsis." ICES Journal of Marine Science 68, no. 6 (May 12, 2011): 1305–17. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsr049.
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Abstract Plagányi, É. E., Weeks, J. S., Skewes, T. D., Gibbs, M. T., Poloczanska, E. S., Norman-López, A., Blamey, L. K., Soares, M., and Robinson, W. M. L. 2011. Assessing the adequacy of current fisheries management under changing climate: a southern synopsis. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 1305–1317. Climate change is likely to have a significant impact on both target and non-target marine stocks worldwide, with the concomitant need for management strategies capable of sustaining fishing in future. We use several southern hemisphere fisheries to highlight the likely impacts of climate change at a range of levels, from individual to population responses, as well as ecosystem ramifications. Examples span polar (Antarctic krill fishery), temperate (west coast pelagic fishery, abalone and rock lobster), and tropical (Torres Strait rock lobster) commercially important fisheries. Responses of these fisheries to either past observed environmental changes or projected future changes are used to deduce some anticipated implications of climate change for fisheries management, including economic impacts and governance considerations. We evaluate the effectiveness of current single-species assessment models, management strategy evaluation approaches and multispecies assessment models as future management tools to cope with likely climate-related changes. Non-spatial stock assessment models will have limited ability to separate fishery effects from the impacts of climate change. Anthropogenic climate change is occurring at a time-scale relevant to current fisheries management strategic planning and testing. Adaptive management frameworks (with their feedback loops) are ideal for detecting and adapting to changes in target stocks.
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Eero, Margit. "Reconstructing the population dynamics of sprat (Sprattus sprattus balticus) in the Baltic Sea in the 20th century." ICES Journal of Marine Science 69, no. 6 (May 3, 2012): 1010–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fss051.
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Abstract Eero, M. 2012. Reconstructing the population dynamics of sprat (Sprattus sprattus balticus) in the Baltic Sea in the 20th century. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 69: 1010–1018 . Long time-series of population dynamics are increasingly needed in order to understand human impacts on marine ecosystems and support their sustainable management. In this study, the estimates of sprat (Sprattus sprattus balticus) biomass in the Baltic Sea were extended back from the beginning of ICES stock assessments in 1974 to the early 1900s. The analyses identified peaks in sprat spawner biomass in the beginning of the 1930s, 1960s, and 1970s at ∼900 kt. Only a half of that biomass was estimated for the late 1930s, for the period from the late 1940s to the mid-1950s, and for the mid-1960s. For the 1900s, fisheries landings suggest a relatively high biomass, similar to the early 1930s. The exploitation rate of sprat was low until the development of pelagic fisheries in the 1960s. Spatially resolved analyses from the 1960s onwards demonstrate changes in the distribution of sprat biomass over time. The average body weight of sprat by age in the 1950s to 1970s was higher than at present, but lower than during the 1980s to 1990s. The results of this study facilitate new analyses of the effects of climate, predation, and anthropogenic drivers on sprat, and contribute to setting long-term management strategies for the Baltic Sea.
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Glover, Adrian G., and Craig R. Smith. "The deep-sea floor ecosystem: current status and prospects of anthropogenic change by the year 2025." Environmental Conservation 30, no. 3 (September 2003): 219–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0376892903000225.
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The goal of this paper is to review current impacts of human activities on the deep-sea floor ecosystem, and to predict anthropogenic changes to this ecosystem by the year 2025. The deep-sea floor ecosystem is one of the largest on the planet, covering roughly 60% of the Earth's solid surface. Despite this vast size, our knowledge of the deep sea is poor relative to other marine ecosystems, and future human threats are difficult to predict. Low productivity, low physical energy, low biological rates, and the vastness of the soft-sediment deep sea create an unusual suite of conservation challenges relative to shallow water. The numerous, but widely spaced, island habitats of the deep ocean (for example seamounts, hydrothermal vents and submarine canyons) differ from typical deep-sea soft sediments in substrate type (hard) and levels of productivity (often high); these habitats will respond differently to anthropogenic impacts and climate change. The principal human threats to the deep sea are the disposal of wastes (structures, radioactive wastes, munitions and carbon dioxide), deep-sea fishing, oil and gas extraction, marine mineral extraction, and climate change. Current international regulations prohibit deep-sea dumping of structures, radioactive waste and munitions. Future disposal activities that could be significant by 2025 include deep-sea carbon-dioxide sequestration, sewage-sludge emplacement and dredge-spoil disposal. As fish stocks dwindle in the upper ocean, deep-sea fisheries are increasingly targeted. Most (perhaps all) of these deep-sea fisheries are not sustainable in the long term given current management practices; deep-sea fish are long-lived, slow growing and very slow to recruit in the face of sustained fishing pressure. Oil and gas exploitation has begun, and will continue, in deep water, creating significant localized impacts resulting mainly from accumulation of contaminated drill cuttings. Marine mineral extraction, in particular manganese nodule mining, represents one of the most significant conservation challenges in the deep sea. The vast spatial scales planned for nodule mining dwarf other potential direct human impacts. Nodule-mining disturbance will likely affect tens to hundreds of thousands of square kilometres with ecosystem recovery requiring many decades to millions of years (for nodule regrowth). Limited knowledge of the taxonomy, species structure, biogeography and basic natural history of deep-sea animals prevents accurate assessment of the risk of species extinctions from large-scale mining. While there are close linkages between benthic, pelagic and climatic processes, it is difficult to predict the impact of climate change on deep-sea benthic ecosystems; it is certain, however, that changes in primary production in surface waters will alter the standing stocks in the food-limited, deep-sea benthic. Long time-series studies from the abyssal North Pacific and North Atlantic suggest that even seemingly stable deep-sea ecosystems may exhibit change in key ecological parameters on decadal time scales. The causes of these decadal changes remain enigmatic. Compared to the rest of the planet, the bulk of the deep sea will probably remain relatively unimpacted by human activities and climate change in the year 2025. However, increased pressure on terrestrial resources will certainly lead to an expansion of direct human activities in the deep sea, and to direct and indirect environmental impacts. Because so little is known about this remote environment, the deep-sea ecosystem may well be substantially modified before its natural state is fully understood.
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da Silva, Thaísy Emmanuelle Florentino, Rosangela Lessa, and Francisco Marcante Santana. "Current knowledge on biology, fishing and conservation of the blue shark (Prionace glauca)." Neotropical Biology and Conservation 16, no. 1 (January 21, 2021): 71–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/neotropical.16.e58691.
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The blue shark (Prionace glauca) is a large predator in marine ecosystems, figuring as the most common and abundant species in oceanic fisheries. For this reason, many studies on this species were conducted throughout its entire distribution range. However, no comparison has been made regarding the variability of the aspects addressed herein. Thus, the present study aims at analyzing the available information on P. glauca. This species constitutes between 85 and 90% of the total elasmobranchs caught by oceanic fisheries with pelagic longlines. Growth parameters reveal that individuals in the Atlantic Ocean show the highest asymptotic lengths when compared to those found in other oceans. Females present an average uterine fecundity of 30 embryos. Although it shows a diverse diet, it is mainly composed of teleost fish and cephalopods. Currently, the main threat to the species is commercial fishing, being listed in Brazil and worldwide, according to IUCN as Near Threatened. Regardless, information on crucial aspects, such as its population dynamics, are still scarce or unreliable for many areas. Despite the number of studies regarding its distribution, abundance, and biology, data for new stock assessments of P. glauca are still needed to improve the species’ management.
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Baldé, Bocar Sabaly, Patrice Brehmer, Saliou Faye, and Penda Diop. "Population Structure, Age and Growth of Sardine (Sardina pilchardus, Walbaum, 1792) in an Upwelling Environment." Fishes 7, no. 4 (July 21, 2022): 178. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/fishes7040178.
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Information on the biological parameters of exploited fish stocks facilitates the objective assessment and management of these living resources. The sardine (Sardina pilchardus) is considered as overexploited in northwest Africa. It is a key species of the Canaries current large marine ecosystem (CCLME) of the Atlantic Ocean due to its socioeconomic importance, as well as being a key intermediary species in marine food web. A massive decline in caught fish for Senegal over half a century is also reported (61,648 t in 1994 to 7486 t in 2017). Here, we analyzed the age and growth parameters of sardines in the Exclusive Economic Zone of northern Senegal. Maximum body size was 31 cm total length (TL). A growth performance index (φ′) and a growth rate coefficient (K) of 2.65 and 0.85, respectively, were determined, with this being the first record for this country. Sardines had higher asymptotic length (L∞, 30.5 cm TL) and age (6 years) in northern Senegal compared with Morocco (Atlantic Ocean) and the Mediterranean Sea. The asymptotic length found in Northern Senegal was also higher than in other part of the CCLME and Mediterranean Sea. This difference might be attributed to differences in the pelagic habitat, environmental factors, and/or fishing pressure. This study provides new insights towards establishing management measures, especially in data-poor fisheries and should act as an advocacy to increase sub-regional collaborations.
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Varkitzi, Ioanna, Alexandra Pavlidou, Maria Pantazi, Eleni Rousselaki, Georgios-Angelos Hatiris, Eirini Gratsia, Vasilios Kapsimalis, and Kalliopi Pagou. "Dumping of Dredge Spoil in the Pelagic Habitat: Focus on Trophic Status, Phytoplankton Diversity Responses and Generation of Blooms." Water 14, no. 15 (July 29, 2022): 2343. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w14152343.
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This study presents the impacts of dredge spoil dumping in the pelagic habitat during a 27-month monitoring survey in eastern Mediterranean coastal waters (Saronikos Gulf, Aegean Sea), with a focus on changes in trophic status and eutrophication levels, phytoplankton diversity and bloom dynamics. A number of environmental parameters and phytoplankton metrics were significantly influenced by the dumping operations, specifically phytoplankton diversity indices (number of species, Diatoms:Dinoflagellates ratio) and total abundance, Chlorophyll-a, light transmission, dissolved oxygen and inorganic nutrients, N:P ratio, and the Eutrophication Ιndex (a metric for trophic status assessment). Phosphates started to increase after the first year of dumping operations, shifting the N:P ratio to values lower than 10. A similarity cluster analysis highlighted that the phytoplankton community structure during the pre-dumping and the early-dumping period was clearly discriminated from the period during and after the dumping operations. A clear shift with an increase in the Diatoms:Dinoflagellates ratio was observed immediately after the initiation of dumping operations, which maximized in the dumping site after two years of operations. Diatoms dominated the phytoplankton communities, reaching ~ 95% relative abundance in the dumping site. High biomass producers or potentially toxic diatom species proliferated forming blooms. Pseudo-nitzschia multiseries was the most frequent potentially toxic species. A multivariate analysis (RDA) highlighted that among a suite of phytoplankton metrics plotted against stressors relevant to dumping, the Eutrophication Index, Chlorophyll-a, the diversity index Diatoms:Dinoflagellates ratio and the abundance of the potentially toxic diatom P. multiseries emerged as the most suitable to reflect the responses of phytoplankton communities to dumping. Dredge spoil dumping at sea poses pressures to ecosystem components addressed by the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) monitoring programs. In such a context, this study further supports the role of phytoplankton diversity and blooms as sensitive monitoring elements for the environmental status assessment and dumping management in coastal waters.
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Sarr, Ousmane, Richard Kindong, and Siquan Tian. "Knowledge on the Biological and Fisheries Aspects of the Japanese Sardine, Sardinops melanostictus (Schlegel, 1846)." Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 9, no. 12 (December 9, 2021): 1403. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/jmse9121403.
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Japanese sardine (Sardinops melanostictus) is a significant small pelagic fish and a valuable resource that plays an essential ecological role in the marine ecosystem. It is present in the far Eastern Asian maritime waters, including the Pacific Ocean, Sea of Japan, and the East China Sea. Encircling nets, particularly purse seines, are the most used fishing equipment to catch this species. Their fishing grounds are located entirely in coastal areas. Japanese sardine catches have shown varying trends over the last five decades, with a high frequency of captures occurring in the 1980s before collapsing in the early 1990s. The economic and ecological importance of this species has prompted much research, which provided additional information about their spawning migration, distribution, fisheries, and biology. This research was mostly undertaken in the Sea of Japan and its adjacent waters spanning in the north Pacific Ocean. Despite all this research and the importance of this species in its habitats and in commercial fisheries, there is a lack of a recent review presenting the status of global fisheries and biological information for this species. This paper summarizes and updates information on the global geographical distribution, biological aspects, trends in catches, stock fluctuations and assessment, and management measures of the Japanese sardine population. This paper also summarizes information related to the influence of environmental factors on the occurrence of this species and also identifies information gaps. Further research directions are also discussed in this work, which may help improve the knowledge of Japanese sardine and establish rational management measures for their conservation.
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Verity, Peter G., Victor Smetacek, and Theodore J. Smayda. "Status, trends and the future of the marine pelagic ecosystem." Environmental Conservation 29, no. 2 (June 2002): 207–37. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0376892902000139.
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Globally, humans impact environments and ecosystems faster than they become aware of their effects. The marine pelagic ecosystem includes a tremendously large and diverse environment, which might accordingly be considered to be resilient to externally forced changes, whether from humans or climate. This review considers that general hypothesis by pursuing two objectives. The first is to document the current status of and recent anthropogenic impacts on the marine pelagic ecosystem, with emphasis on the epipelagic zone (0-200 m) where organisms are concentrated and human impacts have been greatest. It shows that humans have proven capable of assuming the role of top carnivore in pelagic ecosystems where living resources are attractive and financially amenable to exploitation, and that overexploitation is the rule under such circumstances. Other anthropogenic activities associated with changes in various marine pelagic ecosystems, such as increased diseases, mortalities, extinctions, habitat invasions, and species replacements, function as sentinels and indicate that portions of the pelagic ecosystem are under considerable stress. It is argued that, without attention, these problems can be expected to worsen up to the year 2025 and beyond. In addition to a comprehensive evaluation of status and trends relating to conservation of the marine pelagic ecosystem, a second major objective is to evaluate whether current paradigms of ecosystem function are sufficient to improve the ability of the scientific community to predict future changes and to recommend relevant management strategies. This review differs from previous ones by proposing that current conceptual models have failed to provide the basis for accurately predicting patterns and features of pelagic communities, notably why specific organisms occur where and when they do. It is argued that predation pressure is shaped by natural selection in the sea as on land, and that it influences organism behaviour, life history strategy and morphology, all of which determine marine pelagic ecosystem structure, and therefore should be used to interpret function. From this perspective, attempting to understand present patterns and predict the future of marine pelagic ecosystems, without understanding the intertwined roles of evolution and predation in forging contemporary pelagic communities, is a hopeless endeavour. It is proposed that both perspectives, resource availability and predation pressure, be incorporated into a revised paradigm of pelagic ecosystem structure and function, a necessity if policies are to predict anthropogenic impacts and environmental conservation is to be effective.
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Hunsicker, Mary E., Carrie V. Kappel, Kimberly A. Selkoe, Benjamin S. Halpern, Courtney Scarborough, Lindley Mease, and Alisan Amrhein. "Characterizing driver-response relationships in marine pelagic ecosystems for improved ocean management." Ecological Applications 26, no. 3 (April 2016): 651–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/14-2200.
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Fossi, Maria Cristina, Silvia Casini, Ilaria Caliani, Cristina Panti, Letizia Marsili, Aldo Viarengo, Roberto Giangreco, et al. "The role of large marine vertebrates in the assessment of the quality of pelagic marine ecosystems." Marine Environmental Research 77 (June 2012): 156–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2012.03.003.
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Everson, Inigo. "Southern Ocean pelagic ecosystems: the era of conservation." Archives of Natural History 32, no. 2 (October 2005): 301–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.3366/anh.2005.32.2.301.
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The decline of the great whales by the early 1960s allied to the emergence of the “new order” of ocean governance under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which limited the availability of some of the most productive fishing grounds by placing them under Coastal state jurisdiction, meant that many traditional fishing nations were looking to alternative targets. Antarctic krill, which in the era of Discovery Investigations had been studied as the whale food, now became a target for commercial fishing along with some fin fish species. Major concerns were expressed at the potential difficulties that might arise, not just for krill but also dependent species, should over-fishing on krill occur. This led to the Biological Investigations of Marine Antarctic Systems and Stocks (BIOMASS) and subsequently to the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). Implementing an ecosystem approach by CCAMLR, the first to be included in any fisheries convention, has provided challenges. More recently the questions of surveillance and monitoring of the fleets in the lucrative toothfish fishery has been the major concern. Developments in fishing, monitoring and the provision of scientific advice for management are discussed.
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Kavanaugh, Maria T., Matthew J. Oliver, Francisco P. Chavez, Ricardo M. Letelier, Frank E. Muller-Karger, and Scott C. Doney. "Seascapes as a new vernacular for pelagic ocean monitoring, management and conservation." ICES Journal of Marine Science 73, no. 7 (July 1, 2016): 1839–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsw086.
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Abstract For terrestrial and marine benthic ecologists, landscape ecology provides a framework to address issues of complexity, patchiness, and scale—providing theory and context for ecosystem based management in a changing climate. Marine pelagic ecosystems are likewise changing in response to warming, changing chemistry, and resource exploitation. However, unlike spatial landscapes that migrate slowly with time, pelagic seascapes are embedded in a turbulent, advective ocean. Adaptations from landscape ecology to marine pelagic ecosystem management must consider the nature and scale of biophysical interactions associated with organisms ranging from microbes to whales, a hierarchical organization shaped by physical processes, and our limited capacity to observe and monitor these phenomena across global oceans. High frequency, multiscale, and synoptic characterization of the 4-D variability of seascapes are now available through improved classification methods, a maturing array of satellite remote sensing products, advances in autonomous sampling of multiple levels of biological complexity, and emergence of observational networks. Merging of oceanographic and ecological paradigms will be necessary to observe, manage, and conserve species embedded in a dynamic seascape mosaic, where the boundaries, extent, and location of features change with time.
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Österblom, Henrik, and Carl Folke. "Globalization, marine regime shifts and the Soviet Union." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 370, no. 1659 (January 5, 2015): 20130278. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2013.0278.
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Regime shifts have been observed in marine ecosystems around the world, with climate and fishing suggested as major drivers of such shifts. The global and regional dynamics of the climate system have been studied in this context, and efforts to develop an analogous understanding of fishing activities are developing. Here, we investigate the timing of pelagic marine regime shifts in relation to the emergence of regional and global fishing activities of the Soviet Union. Our investigation of official catch statistics reflects that the Soviet Union was a major fishing actor in all large marine ecosystems where regime shifts have been documented, including in ecosystems where overfishing has been established as a key driver of these changes (in the Baltic and Black Seas and the Scotian Shelf). Globalization of Soviet Union fishing activities pushed exploitation to radically new levels and triggered regional and global governance responses for improved management. Since then, exploitation levels have remained and increased with new actors involved. Based on our exploratory work, we propose that a deeper understanding of the role of global fishing actors is central for improved management of marine ecosystems.
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Hughes, Julian M., John Stewart, Jeremy M. Lyle, Jaime McAllister, Jerom R. Stocks, and Iain M. Suthers. "Latitudinal, ontogenetic, and historical shifts in the diet of a carnivorous teleost, Arripis trutta, in a coastal pelagic ecosystem altered by climate change." Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 70, no. 8 (August 2013): 1209–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2013-0083.
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Changes to the global climate are driving alterations to boundary current-influenced marine ecosystems. The diet of a pelagic teleost, Arripis trutta, was examined in the East Australian Current (EAC)-dominated coastal waters of southeastern (SE) Australia. The diet of A. trutta was dominated by pelagic baitfish, primarily Australian sardine (Sardinops sagax) and scads (Trachurus spp.). Diet varied substantially with both latitude and season linked to variability in the distribution and abundance of key prey species. An ontogenetic diet shift occurred, with crustaceans and polychaetes making up a large proportion of the diet of small fish compared with the dominance of baitfish at larger sizes. The diet of A. trutta has undergone a dramatic shift from one dominated by krill (Nyctiphanes australis) historically to baitfish today. This change is consistent with a well-documented regime shift caused by the increasing intensity of the EAC on coastal SE Australian waters. Understanding the temporal dynamics of this ecosystem is crucial for management of coastal fisheries and also for understanding the impacts of climate change on boundary current-dominated marine ecosystems worldwide.
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Cambra, Marta, Frida Lara-Lizardi, César Peñaherrera-Palma, Alex Hearn, James T. Ketchum, Patricia Zarate, Carlos Chacón, Jenifer Suárez-Moncada, Esteban Herrera, and Mario Espinoza. "A first assessment of the distribution and abundance of large pelagic species at Cocos Ridge seamounts (Eastern Tropical Pacific) using drifting pelagic baited remote cameras." PLOS ONE 16, no. 11 (November 18, 2021): e0244343. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0244343.
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Understanding the link between seamounts and large pelagic species (LPS) may provide important insights for the conservation of these species in open water ecosystems. The seamounts along the Cocos Ridge in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) ocean are thought to be ecologically important aggregation sites for LPS when moving between Cocos Island (Costa Rica) and Galapagos Islands (Ecuador). However, to date, research efforts to quantify the abundance and distribution patterns of LPS beyond the borders of these two oceanic Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been limited. This study used drifting-pelagic baited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS) to investigate the distribution and relative abundance of LPS at Cocos Ridge seamounts. Our drifting-pelagic BRUVS recorded a total of 21 species including elasmobranchs, small and large teleosts, dolphins and one sea turtle; of which four species are currently threatened. Depth of seamount summit was the most significant driver for LPS richness and abundance which were significantly higher at shallow seamounts (< 400 m) compared to deeper ones (> 400m). Distance to nearest MPA was also a significant predictor for LPS abundance, which increased at increasing distances from the nearest MPA. Our results suggest that the Cocos Ridge seamounts, specifically Paramount and West Cocos which had the highest LPS richness and abundance, are important aggregation sites for LPS in the ETP. However, further research is still needed to demonstrate a positive association between LPS and Cocos Ridge seamounts. Our findings showed that drifting pelagic BRUVS are an effective tool to survey LPS in fully pelagic ecosystems of the ETP. This study represents the first step towards the standardization of this technique throughout the region.
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Sherman, Kenneth. "Sustaining the world's large marine ecosystems." ICES Journal of Marine Science 72, no. 9 (September 15, 2015): 2521–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsv136.
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Abstract In this essay, I review nearly six decades of a career in marine science and fisheries considering scientific contributions, successes, failures, and changes in my field of practice. My body of work has been in plankton research to support fisheries assessments, and in ecosystems programme development and implementation. I describe my early studies on Pacific plankton oceanography in relation to fisheries assessment, and subsequent studies of plankton oceanography and fisheries in relation to coastal ocean fisheries and management. Early in my career, realizing that applications of my published results and those of other fisheries ecologists were generally not included in fish stock assessments, I participated in a national planning group that introduced a system for marine resources monitoring, assessment, and prediction (MARMAP) that included primary productivity, ichthyoplankton, zooplankton, and oceanographic assessments as important components for large-scale fisheries ecology assessment. I joined with European colleagues in ICES to advance fisheries ecology studies in fish stock assessments in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1983, I conceived with Professor Lewis Alexander of the University of Rhode Island a system for assessing and managing marine resources within the spatial domain of ecologically delineated large marine ecosystems (LMEs). On behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and in partnership with developing countries, international financial organizations, UN agencies, and NGOs, I am currently contributing scientific and technical advice to a global network of assessment and management projects in 22 LMEs with 110 developing countries and $3.1 billion in financial support. The participating countries are applying a modular framework of natural science and social science indicators for assessing the changing states of LMEs. I conclude the essay with a retrospective viewpoint on my career and changes over half a century of practicing the application of marine science in relation to sustaining the goods and services of the ocean Commons.
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Jech, J. Michael, and Ian H. McQuinn. "Towards a balanced presentation and objective interpretation of acoustic and trawl survey data, with specific reference to the eastern Scotian Shelf." Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 73, no. 12 (December 2016): 1914–21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2016-0113.
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A debate has developed over the ecosystem consequences following the collapse of Atlantic cod throughout the coastal waters of eastern Canada. The explosive increase in pelagic fish abundance in scientific bottom-trawl catches on the eastern Scotian Shelf has been interpreted as being due to either (i) a “pelagic outburst” of forage fish abundance resulting from predator release or conversely (ii) a change in pelagic fish vertical distribution leading to a “suprabenthic habitat occupation” thereby increasing their availability to bottom trawls. These two interpretations have diametrically opposing ecological consequences and suggest different management strategies for these important forage fish species. We argue that an objective evaluation of the available evidence supports the hypothesis that the abundance of forage fish has not increased in response to the demise of cod and other top predators, and the reliance on a single sampling gear with low catchability has biased and will continue to bias the interpretation of demographic trends of pelagic fish populations. We advocate that multiple sampling technologies providing alternative perspectives are needed for the monitoring and management of the various trophic levels if we are to achieve a balanced and objective understanding of marine ecosystems.
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Link, Jason S., Jon K. T. Brodziak, Steve F. Edwards, William J. Overholtz, David Mountain, Jack W. Jossi, Tim D. Smith, and Michael J. Fogarty. "Marine ecosystem assessment in a fisheries management context." Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 59, no. 9 (September 1, 2002): 1429–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f02-115.
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We examined a suite of abiotic, biotic, and human metrics for the northeast U.S. continental shelf ecosystem at the aggregate, community, and system level (>30 different metrics) over three decades. Our primary goals were to describe ecosystem status, to improve understanding of the relationships between key ecosystem processes, and to evaluate potential reference points for ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM). To this end, empirical indicators of ecosystem status were examined and standard multivariate statistical methods were applied to describe changes in the system. We found that (i) a suite of metrics is required to accurately characterize ecosystem status and, conversely, that focusing on a few metrics may be misleading; (ii) assessment of ecosystem status is feasible for marine ecosystems; (iii) multivariate points of reference can be determined for EBFM; and (iv) the concept of reference directions could provide an ecosystem level analog to single-species reference points.
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Murawski, Steven A., John H. Steele, Phillip Taylor, Michael J. Fogarty, Michael P. Sissenwine, Michael Ford, and Cynthia Suchman. "Why compare marine ecosystems?" ICES Journal of Marine Science 67, no. 1 (August 30, 2009): 1–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsp221.
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Abstract Murawski, S. A., Steele, J. H., Taylor, P., Fogarty, M. J., Sissenwine, M. P., Ford, M., and Suchman, C. 2010. Why compare marine ecosystems? – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 1–9. Effective marine ecosystem-based management (EBM) requires understanding the key processes and relationships controlling the aspects of biodiversity, productivity, and resilience to perturbations. Unfortunately, the scales, complexity, and non-linear dynamics that characterize marine ecosystems often confound managing for these properties. Nevertheless, scientifically derived decision-support tools (DSTs) are needed to account for impacts resulting from a variety of simultaneous human activities. Three possible methodologies for revealing mechanisms necessary to develop DSTs for EBM are: (i) controlled experimentation, (ii) iterative programmes of observation and modelling (“learning by doing”), and (iii) comparative ecosystem analysis. We have seen that controlled experiments are limited in capturing the complexity necessary to develop models of marine ecosystem dynamics with sufficient realism at appropriate scales. Iterative programmes of observation, model building, and assessment are useful for specific ecosystem issues but rarely lead to generally transferable products. Comparative ecosystem analyses may be the most effective, building on the first two by inferring ecosystem processes based on comparisons and contrasts of ecosystem response to human-induced factors. We propose a hierarchical system of ecosystem comparisons to include within-ecosystem comparisons (utilizing temporal and spatial changes in relation to human activities), within-ecosystem-type comparisons (e.g. coral reefs, temperate continental shelves, upwelling areas), and cross-ecosystem-type comparisons (e.g. coral reefs vs. boreal, terrestrial vs. marine ecosystems). Such a hierarchical comparative approach should lead to better understanding of the processes controlling biodiversity, productivity, and the resilience of marine ecosystems. In turn, better understanding of these processes will lead to the development of increasingly general laws, hypotheses, functional forms, governing equations, and broad interpretations of ecosystem responses to human activities, ultimately improving DSTs in support of EBM.
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Kharytonova, Y. V., M. V. Nabokin, M. M. Mgeladze, P. A. Vadachkoria, and V. G. Dyadichko. "Current state and long-term changes in the mesozooplankton community of the Ukrainian and Georgian parts of the Black Sea as indicators of its ecological status." Biosystems Diversity 29, no. 1 (February 25, 2021): 47–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.15421/012107.
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Water quality assessment is a key task of any measures in the field of water use, environmental management and protection. Thus, it is necessary to conduct systematic monitoring to assess the ecological state in the marine waters and to develop a strategy for its recovery. Anthropogenic impacts of various types leading to eutrophication and pollution of the Black Sea are changing the main characteristics of all components of the aquatic ecosystem. Zooplankton plays a key role in the pelagic food web. This article presents the results of the research on the state of zooplankton which was conducted during the Ukrainian-Georgian expedition in the framework of the international project “Emblas-plus” during 2016, 2017 and 2019. The ecological quality class of the investigated Black Sea waters was determined by the zooplankton integrated index (IZI). In Ukrainian waters in total, 49 taxa of zooplankton were registered. In 2017 taxonomic composition of zooplankton was more diverse (36 taxa in 2016, 35 in 2019). In Georgian waters in 2019, 40 taxa of mesozooplankton were registered, most of them are widespread forms in the Black Sea. The most diverse group is Crustacea (Cladocera and Copepoda).The most prevalent crustaceans were the eurythermic species, an important representative of forage zooplankton – Acartia (Acartiura) clausi Giesbrecht, 1889 and two thermophilic species of Calanoida – Acartia (Acanthacartia) tonsa Dana, 1849 and Centropages ponticus Karavaev, 1895. In Ukrainian waters average abundance and biomass of zooplankton in 2019 was similar to those in 2016 and much higher than in 2017. Dominant taxa and spatial distribution of zooplankton in 2019 were similar to those in 2016 and 2017. Average biomass of forage zooplankton in 2019 was approximately 10 times higher than in 2016 and 2017. In the Georgian coastal waters annual average abundance and biomass of mesozooplankton decreased, due to a sharp decline in the abundance of Noctiluca scintillans (Macartney) Kofoid & Swezy, 1921. It was found that at most of the stations the dominant role in the formation of zooplankton biomass was played by the organisms of forage zooplankton. By the IZI index, the subdivision Northwestern Black Sea Bays had “Good”, “Poor” and “Moderate” water quality in spring, summer and autumn respectively. The subdivision’s deepwater shelf and shallow shelf had “Bad” water quality. The subdivision Danube-Dnieper interfluve coastal waters had “High” water quality. The Danube Avandelta area had “High”, “Good” and “High” water quality in spring, summer and autumn respectively. The best ecological class status was in 2019 and the worst – in 2016. The main tendencies in changes in the mesozooplankton community in the Black Sea are decrease in the percentage of N. scintillans in the total zooplankton biomass and increase in the percentage of Copepoda. Those tendencies indicate decrease in the pressure of the negative eutrophication factor and show positive changes in the forage base of commercial planktophagous fish and the ecological status of the Black Sea waters.
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Nayak, Shailesh. "On the Challenge of Plastic Wastes and Litter in Oceans: Some Policy Reflections." Environmental Policy and Law 51, no. 4 (August 16, 2021): 235–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/epl-210048.
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The increasing pollution in oceans, especially of the plastics litter, has degraded health of the oceans in many parts of the world. As plastic degrade very slowly, its accumulation in oceans expected to rise exponentially in coming decades and critically affect marine ecosystems, ocean fauna and humans. Microplastics, generated due to mechanical breakdown of plastic waste, is particularly affecting the pelagic ecosystems and can even alter them. It is necessary to generate and update scientific knowledge about production, transport, sinks of plastics and their impacts, develop innovative approaches to manage plastic waste, and bringing awareness about effects of plastic pollution to communities. The issue of plastic pollution needs be tackled at local as well as regional levels through effective policy and multi-national cooperation.
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Spitz, J., T. Chouvelon, M. Cardinaud, C. Kostecki, and P. Lorance. "Prey preferences of adult sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax in the northeastern Atlantic: implications for bycatch of common dolphin Delphinus delphis." ICES Journal of Marine Science 70, no. 2 (January 15, 2013): 452–61. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fss200.
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Abstract Spitz, J., Chouvelon, T., Cardinaud, M., Kostecki, C., and Lorance, P. 2013. Prey preferences of adult sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax in the northeastern Atlantic: implications for bycatch of common dolphin Delphinus delphis – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 70: 452–461. In the northeastern Atlantic, adult sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) is one of largest fish living on the shelf, and this species has important commercial value. However, pelagic trawl fisheries that target sea bass have negative operational interactions with common dolphins (Delphinus delphis). Our goal was to determine the diet of adult sea bass in the Bay of Biscay from stomach-content and stable-isotope analyses, and explore the dietary overlap between sea bass and common dolphins. We found that sea bass primarily target small pelagic fish, most notably mackerel (Scomber scombrus), scads (Trachurus spp.), anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus), and sardine (Sardina pilchardus). These four species also dominated the diets of common dolphins. This overlap in feeding preferences could increase the risk of dolphins being caught by trawl fisheries while feeding among sea bass, and may be an underlying mechanism to explain the high rate of common dolphin bycatch observed in the pelagic trawl fishery for sea bass in the Bay of Biscay. Understanding the foraging ecology and trophic interactions of predator species is an essential step for identifying and resolving management issues in the northeastern Atlantic and other marine ecosystems.
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Malyarenko, N. L. "Risk-oriented approach as a research method for the effect of man-made underwater noise upon marine ecosystems." Transactions of the Krylov State Research Centre 4, no. 402 (October 14, 2022): 126–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.24937/2542-2324-2022-4-402-126-140.
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Object and purpose of research. This paper discusses the effect of man-made underwater noise upon marine ecosystems. The purpose was to investigate the international practice of applying the risk-oriented approach to determination of environmental impact for man-made underwater noise in terms of marine ecosystems, as well as to discuss the introduction of risk management tools and conceptual models of ecosystem-based management of man-made underwater noise, including the Arctic areas. Subject matter and methods. This paper is based upon the methodical materials developed by KSRC, international risk management standards, as well as Russian and foreign publications in this field. The study relies on system analysis methods. Main results. The study analysed the results of international investigations regarding the assessment of man-made underwater noise effect upon marine ecosystems using the methodology of environmental risk management. It also discussed conceptual approaches to the assessment of marine noise pollution. As a case study, this paper discussed a regional environmental risk assessment in terms of shipping noise effect upon whales. The study concludes that risk-based and ecosystem-oriented approaches are possible and practicable to apply in man-made underwater noise management so as to preserve biodiversity and environmental status of Russian seas. Conclusion. International projects and programs rely on risk-based assessments in their approaches to the investigation of man-made underwater noise effect upon marine ecosystems. Russia needs its own scientific basis for man-made underwater noise management based on the methodology and practice of risk-oriented approach.
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KIYOTA, MASASHI. "Issues, assessment and management of bottom fishing impacts on vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs)." NIPPON SUISAN GAKKAISHI 85, no. 6 (November 15, 2019): 562–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.2331/suisan.18-00057.
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Pattiasina, Selfinus, and Fatmawati Marasabessy. "Assessment of Coral Reef Condition and Management Strategy in the Biak Timur Watershed, Biak Numfor." Agrikan: Jurnal Agribisnis Perikanan 13, no. 2 (January 18, 2021): 517–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.29239/j.agrikan.13.2.517-525.
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This study aims to assess the condition of the coral reef ecosystem in East Biak waters and formulate a strategy for optimal and sustainable management of coral reef ecosystems in the waters of East Biak, Biak Numfor Regency. Data and information were collected through the application of various methods, namely field surveys using transect techniques, interviews using questionnaires and document tracing. The data analysis method consisted of analyzing the condition of the coral reef ecosystem, SWOT analysis. The results showed that the waters of East Biak had very varied coral reef ecosystem conditions with a range of 22 - 85% with an average percentage of coral cover of 68.78% and when compared to the percentage of coral cover in 2018 there was an increase of 12%, although found in some location has decreased. In the management of coral reef ecosystems in this area there is support from the government, but due to budget constraints, the management has not been carried out optimally. From the analysis, several management alternatives are recommended, namely; (1) Optimizing coral reef management through; zoning arrangements for coastal and marine areas, increasing community, private and government participation in coral reef management and strengthening regional regulations; (2) Conservation and rehabilitation of coral reef ecosystems through; strengthening regional marine conservation areas, carrying out conservation and rehabilitation of coral reef ecosystems, regulating fish utilization activities in the area, integrated law enforcement and strengthening community-based monitoring and supervision systems; and (3) Increasing the quality of life of the community through; public awareness of the importance of coral reefs, community empowerment, repositioning of community livelihoods and developing technology for the utilization of marine biological resources that are effective and environmentally friendly.
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Maureaud, Aurore, Dorothee Hodapp, P. Daniël van Denderen, Helmut Hillebrand, Henrik Gislason, Tim Spaanheden Dencker, Esther Beukhof, and Martin Lindegren. "Biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationships in fish communities: biomass is related to evenness and the environment, not to species richness." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 286, no. 1906 (July 10, 2019): 20191189. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.1189.
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The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) is a topic of considerable interest to scientists and managers because a better understanding of its underlying mechanisms may help us mitigate the consequences of biodiversity loss on ecosystems. Our current knowledge of BEF relies heavily on theoretical and experimental studies, typically conducted on a narrow range of spatio-temporal scales, environmental conditions, and trophic levels. Hence, whether a relationship holds in the natural environment is poorly understood, especially in exploited marine ecosystems. Using large-scale observations of marine fish communities, we applied a structural equation modelling framework to investigate the existence and significance of BEF relationships across northwestern European seas. We find that ecosystem functioning, here represented by spatial patterns in total fish biomass, is unrelated to species richness—the most commonly used diversity metric in BEF studies. Instead, community evenness, differences in species composition, and abiotic variables are significant drivers. In particular, we find that high fish biomass is associated with fish assemblages dominated by a few generalist species of a high trophic level, who are able to exploit both the benthic and pelagic energy pathway. Our study provides a better understanding of the mechanisms behind marine ecosystem functioning and allows for the integration of biodiversity into management considerations.
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Minicheva, Galyna, Viktor Demchenko, and Yevhen Sokolov. "Integrative ecological management of coastal marine and limans ecosystems of Ukraine." E3S Web of Conferences 255 (2021): 01008. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202125501008.
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Based on the experience of managing coastal marine, and limans ecosystems of Ukraine, the theoretical scheme of Integrative Ecological Management is considered. The scheme includes the “Basic Diagnostic” block for which the key tools are: Basin Assessment, Ecosystem Approach and Ecosystem Services. Geo-information Technologies are demonstrated in order to assess the catchment areas of some limans and coastal marine ecosystems of Ukraine. With the ecosystem approach, it is necessary to use functional indicators for assessing autotrophic, heterotrophic and decomposer communities of the ecosystem, the bind of which is associated with Ecological Status of the water body. It is indicated that an important goal of environmental management is reducing the intensity of anthropogenic flows of substance and energy, which cause destruction of the ecological balance and devaluation of ecosystem services. For the second block of the scheme - “Decision Making” it is proposed to use Priority Management Algorithm principle as an effective tool which allows to achieve the target maximum at minimal cost. At the final stage of the “Target Result”, recommendations that are offered to stakeholders at the local, regional and national level must achievement the main objectives of the Integrative Ecological Management of coastal marine ecosystems and limans.
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Chang, N. N., J. C. Shiao, G. C. Gong, S. J. Kao, and C. H. Hsieh. "Contributions of riverborne inorganic and organic matters to the benthic food web in the East China Sea as inferred from stable isotope ratios." Biogeosciences Discussions 10, no. 1 (January 24, 2013): 1051–81. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bgd-10-1051-2013.
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Abstract. Coastal areas adjoining rivers are nourished by both the riverborne nutrients and organic matters. Annually, the East China Sea (ECS) receives large quantities of particulate organic carbon transported from the Changjiang (Yangtze River), as well as nutrients, which have brought about high primary production in the ECS. This study evaluated the respective contributions of terrigenous organic matters (allochthonous food source) and nutrient-induced marine production (autochthonous food source) to the ECS benthic ecosystem by analyzing the stable isotope compositions for zooplankton, benthic crustacea and demersal fish. Zooplankton exhibited consistently higher δ13C values (−21.31‰ ~ −19.22‰) in the inner shelf than in the outer shelf. The δ13C signals of fish (−19.64‰ ~ −13.46‰) and crustacea (−18.87‰ ~ −15.00‰) showed strong reliance on the marine production across the ECS continental shelf, regardless of distance from the shore. Moreover, the benthic crustacea and fish exhibited significantly higher δ13C values in the highly productive inshore sites and the δ13C values decreased seawards, implying a higher intrusion of atmospheric CO2 and lower photosynthetic fractionation due to algal blooming in the inner shelf. The δ13C values of fish also showed significant positive correlations with the concentration of surface chlorophyll a and nitrogen. Riverborne nutrients closely linked marine benthic consumers to the terrestrial watershed and tightly coupled the pelagic and benthic ecosystems in the ECS. The stable isotope compositions of benthic consumers can act as an indicator for pelagic trophic status. The future research combining analyses of stable isotope and community structure may improve assessment on the balance between contribution and risk of phytoplankton blooms.
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Gilau, Asmerom M., and Pierre Failler. "Economic assessment of sustainable blue energy and marine mining resources linked to African Large Marine Ecosystems." Environmental Development 36 (December 2020): 100548. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envdev.2020.100548.
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ELVIN, SANDRA S., and GAIL S. FRASER. "ADVANCING A NATIONAL STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE CANADIAN OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON CUMULATIVE EFFECTS." Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management 14, no. 03 (September 2012): 1250015. http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/s1464333212500159.
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Cumulative environmental effects from the offshore oil and gas industry in Canada are inadequately addressed in the Environmental Assessment process due to the complexity of analysis required to overcome unknowns with respect to offshore environments. Limited Environmental Assessments can lead to deleterious consequences for wildlife populations and their habitats dependent on offshore marine ecosystems, particularly as adverse effects become additive and synergistic. A Strategic Environmental Assessment generates guiding policies and programmes for future industrial activities, while taking environmental concerns from all and potential sources into consideration. To address the cumulative impacts of the offshore oil and gas industry in Canada's three marine regions, this paper advances the idea of a National Strategic Environmental Assessment to ensure the health of marine ecosystems is secured throughout present and future industrial activities sustainably.
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SALOMIDI, M., S. KATSANEVAKIS, A. BORJA, U. BRAECKMAN, D. DAMALAS, I. GALPARSORO, R. MIFSUD, et al. "Assessment of goods and services, vulnerability, and conservation status of European seabed biotopes: a stepping stone towards ecosystem-based marine spatial management." Mediterranean Marine Science 13, no. 1 (February 28, 2012): 49. http://dx.doi.org/10.12681/mms.23.
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The goal of ecosystem-based marine spatial management is to maintain marine ecosystems in a healthy, productive and resilient condition; hence, they can sustainably provide the needed goods and services for human welfare. However, the increasing pressures upon the marine realm threaten marine ecosystems, especially seabed biotopes, and thus a well-planned approach of managing use of marine space is essential to achieve sustainability. The relative value of seabed biotopes, evaluated on the basis of goods and services, is an important starting point for the spatial management of marine areas. Herein, 56 types of European seabed biotopes and their related goods, services, sensitivity issues, and conservation status were compiled, the latter referring to management and protection tools which currently apply for these biotopes at European or international level. Fishing activities, especially by benthic trawls, and marine pollution are the main threats to European seabed biotopes. Increased seawater turbidity, dredged sediment disposal, coastal constructions, biological invasions, mining, extraction of raw materials, shipping-related activities, tourism, hydrocarbon exploration, and even some practices of scientific research, also exert substantial pressure. Although some first steps have been taken to protect the European sea beds through international agreements and European and national legislation, a finer scale of classification and assessment of marine biotopes is considered crucial in shaping sound priorities and management guidelines towards the effective conservation and sustainability of European marine resources.
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Cabral, Camila Rodrigues, Leidiane Pereira Diniz, Alef Jonathan da Silva, Gustavo Fonseca, Luciana Silva Carneiro, Mauro de Melo Júnior, and Adriano Caliman. "Zooplankton species distribution, richness and composition across tropical shallow lakes: A large scale assessment by biome, lake origin, and lake habitat." Annales de Limnologie - International Journal of Limnology 56 (2020): 25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/limn/2020023.
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Assessing zooplankton biodiversity is essential to support freshwater management/conservation programs. Here, we investigated the zooplankton community structure from 180 shallow lakes in northeastern Brazil and analyzed them according to biome (Atlantic Forest or Caatinga), the origin of ecosystems (natural or man-made lakes), and habitat type (pelagic or littoral). Additionally, we provided an updated list of zooplankton species. We registered 227 species (137 Rotifera, 65 Cladocera, 25 Copepoda). The most common species of each major group among all lakes were the cladoceran Ceriodaphina cornuta, the rotifers Brachionus havanaensis and Lecane bulla, and the copepod Termocyclops decipiens. Species related to aquatic vegetation, as the Lecanidae rotifers and phytophilous cladocerans, were more frequent along Atlantic Forest biome and natural lakes. On the other hand, species that are bioindicators of eutrophic waters were more common at the Caatinga biome and man-made lakes. Atlantic Forest and Caatinga biomes had similar species richness, but different community compositions for all zooplankton groups, reinforcing the Caatinga significance for the Brazilian aquatic biodiversity. The type of habitat was the most important factor structuring species richness, with higher richness in the littoral region when compared to the pelagic. A result of many unique species of Cladocera and Rotifera associated with the aquatic vegetation were observed. The findings demonstrated that conservation/management plans cannot generalize zooplankton species distribution across different biomes, origins and even within a single lake, between the pelagic and littoral zones.
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Stockwell, Jason D., Thomas C. Weber, Adam J. Baukus, and J. Michael Jech. "On the use of omnidirectional sonars and downwards-looking echosounders to assess pelagic fish distributions during and after midwater trawling." ICES Journal of Marine Science 70, no. 1 (July 27, 2012): 196–203. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fss139.
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Abstract Stockwell, J. D., Weber, T. C., Baukus, A. J., and Jech, J. M. 2013. On the use of omnidirectional sonars and downwards-looking echosounders to assess pelagic fish distributions during and after midwater trawling. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 70:196–203. Small pelagic fish can play an important role in the structure and function of ecosystems, and there is increasing interest in their non-market value. At the scale of fish aggregations, however, the impact of fishing has received relatively little attention, with most effort devoted to impacts of vessel and gear avoidance on stock size estimates. We used concurrent deployment of a downwards-looking echosounder (Simrad ES60 system) and an omnidirectional sonar (Simrad SP90 system) during commercial pairtrawling operations for Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) in the Gulf of Maine to examine their potential for studying the impacts of fishing on herring aggregations. We compared a number of aggregation metrics to illustrate similarities and differences between the two systems, and then qualitatively examined their properties during and after pairtrawling events to illustrate potential applications. Our results suggest that using both downwards-looking and omnidirectional systems provides complementary information on fish aggregation metrics. Future applications of these systems in before–after–control-impact (BACI) designs may help inform management agencies when evaluating potential impacts of fishing at the time and space scales of pelagic fish aggregations.
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Bănaru, Daniela, and Mireille Harmelin-Vivien. "Trophic links and riverine effects on food webs of pelagic fish of the north-western Black Sea." Marine and Freshwater Research 60, no. 6 (2009): 529. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf08005.
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Improving the knowledge of trophodynamics in coastal marine ecosystems is important for fisheries management. The present study was designed to assess the influence of Danube River inputs on Romanian coastal marine food webs of the European sprat (Sprattus sprattus), the European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicholus) and the horse mackerel (Trachurus mediterraneus). Gut content analyses coupled with carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses described food web variations with fish size, season and distance from the Danube delta. Sprats fed on zooplankton, horse mackerel fed on polychaetes and small fish, and anchovies had an intermediate diet. The δ13C and δ15N ratios and mean trophic levels increased from sprats to anchovies and then to horse mackerel. Season strongly influenced the δ15N values of the three fishes, with lower values in spring than in autumn linked to higher Danube inputs into coastal waters in spring during the flooding period. Fish condition was related to diet and environmental factors, with higher conditions recorded in the north area in autumn and in the south area in spring. Danube River inputs influenced the diet, stable isotope ratios and condition of the main commercial pelagic migratory fishes of the north-western Black Sea.
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WANG, HANLING. "An Evaluation of the Modular Approach to the Assessment and Management of Large Marine Ecosystems." Ocean Development & International Law 35, no. 3 (July 2004): 267–86. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00908320490467332.
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Ojaveer, Henn, Bella S. Galil, Dan Minchin, Sergej Olenin, Ana Amorim, João Canning-Clode, Paula Chainho, et al. "Ten recommendations for advancing the assessment and management of non-indigenous species in marine ecosystems." Marine Policy 44 (February 2014): 160–65. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2013.08.019.
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Ward, Trevor J. "Indicators for assessing the sustainability of Australia's marine ecosystems." Marine and Freshwater Research 51, no. 5 (2000): 435. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf99052.
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Principles of integrated ecosystem-based management have been used to derive 61 potential environmental indicators for reporting on Australia’s marine and estuarine ecosystems. They are focused on tracking the condition of marine ecosystems in the face of a variety of uses and pressures, and are consistent with approaches used for assessment of public- and private-sector environmental activities, and with the international standard. The in icators cover issues in protected species, common habitats, renewable and non-renewable resources, water and sediment quality, and integrated management. Gaps in knowledge and technical capacity include: knowledge of the nature of the ecosystems is incomplete (ineffective indicators may be selected); scientific understanding of environmental issues is limited (the wrong cause may be identified); the resolving capacity of a monitoring programme cannot be determined (monitoring may falsely infer that no changes have occurred, or provide an answer to the wrong question); procedures for synthesis and aggregation of data across spatial, temporal and taxonomic scales, or for estimating uncertainty in national summaries are lacking; case-study trials, reference sites, and suitable interpretative models are needed; and an established procedure for revising and updating the indicators as new knowledge accrues, or if new issues arise, is lacking.
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Rogers, P. J., C. Huveneers, S. D. Goldsworthy, W. W. L. Cheung, G. K. Jones, J. G. Mitchell, and L. Seuront. "Population metrics and movement of two sympatric carcharhinids: a comparison of the vulnerability of pelagic sharks of the southern Australian gulfs and shelves." Marine and Freshwater Research 64, no. 1 (2013): 20. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/mf11234.
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The dusky shark Carcharhinus obscurus and the bronze whaler Carcharhinus brachyurus are large-bodied, marine predators that inhabit coastal and shelf waters of southern Australia. C. obscurus is considered to be among the most vulnerable pelagic sharks to overexploitation. This study focussed on population metrics and movement patterns of these sympatric species. Litters from two pregnant C. brachyurus were examined; these comprised 20 and 24 embryos, respectively. Tagging data indicated that 75% of whaler sharks tagged in this region by recreational fishers were juveniles, and 58% of recaptures occurred within 50 km of the tagging locations. Fishery catch samples comprised 99% juvenile C. brachyurus and C. obscurus. Our findings suggested that semi-protected gulf waters represented ecologically significant habitats of juveniles. A fuzzy-logic model showed that in terms of relative vulnerability to fishing, C. brachyurus ranked in the mid to lower end of the spectrum, when compared with six sympatric pelagic shark species, including the white shark, Carcharodon carcharias. Our findings emphasised a need for improvement to management measures for these carcharhinids, which are likely to play a significant role in the functioning of the temperate gulf and shelf ecosystems.
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Astles, K. L. "Linking risk factors to risk treatment in ecological risk assessment of marine biodiversity." ICES Journal of Marine Science 72, no. 3 (November 21, 2014): 1116–32. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsu207.
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Abstract Implementing marine ecosystem-based management at regional and small spatial scales is challenging due to the complexity of ecosystems, human activities, their interactions and multilayered governance. Ecological risk assessments (ERAs) of marine biodiversity are often used to prioirtise issues but only give broad guidance of how issues might be addressed in the form of strategies. However, at small and regional spatial scales marine natural resource managers have to make decisions within these strategies about how to manage specific interactions between human uses and ecological components. By using the transition between risk characterization and risk treatment in ERA for marine biodiversity tractable ways through the complexity can be found. This paper will argue that specific management and research actions relevant to smaller spatial scales can be developed by using the linkage between risk factors and risk treatment in ERA. Many risk factors require risk treatments that extend beyond the boundary of local agencies or sector responsibilities. The risk factor-treatment platform provides a practical way that these boundaries can be opened up by providing a scientifically based and transparent process to engage all actors who need to be involved in addressing the issues raised by an ERA. First, the principles of the mechanism will be described. Second, how the mechanism is constructed will be introduced using examples from an urban estuary. Application of the mechanism reveals three different types of risk factors (stressor, ecological, and knowledge gap) that can be used to develop specific management and research actions to treat risks. The systematic approach enables the dual complexities of marine ecosystems and multiple human pressures to be unravelled to identify and target issues effectively. The risk factor treatment linkage provides a platform to negotiate and develop effective management and research actions across jurisdictional, disciplinary, community and stakeholder boundaries.
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Fernández de Puelles, Maria Luz, and Juan Carlos Molinero. "Decadal changes in hydrographic and ecological time-series in the Balearic Sea (western Mediterranean), identifying links between climate and zooplankton." ICES Journal of Marine Science 65, no. 3 (February 28, 2008): 311–17. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsn017.
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Abstract Fernández de Puelles, M. L., and Molinero, J. C. 2008. Decadal changes in hydrographic and ecological time-series in the Balearic Sea (western Mediterranean), identifying links between climate and zooplankton. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 65: 311–317. We investigated possible relationships between climate, hydrography, and zooplankton abundance in the Balearic Sea (BS), during a 10-year survey period spanning January 1994 to December 2003. It was demonstrated that large-scale atmospheric variability in the North Atlantic (NA) Ocean acts as a driver of regional meteorological variations and hydrographic patterns in the BS. The results also revealed that the variability of copepods, appendicularians, cladocerans, siphonophores, doliolids, and ostracods is closely related to variations in water temperature recorded during strong anomalies of the NA climate (>1 s.d.). Although the time-series that we analysed cover a period that is relatively short for investigating climate effects on marine ecosystems, the statistical results reported were consistent enough to emphasize the NA’s climate effect on the BS. The cascade of links identified by these results should be considered and integrated into the assessment and modelling studies of pelagic ecosystem and biogeochemical fluxes in the western Mediterranean Sea.
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Alexeev, D. K., V. A. Shelutko, N. V. Zueva, E. V. Kolesnikova, E. S. Urusova, and E. A. Primak. "Research results in the field of applied and systems ecology at RSHU." HYDROMETEOROLOGY AND ECOLOGY. PROCEEDINGS OF THE RUSSIAN STATE HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL UNIVERSITY, no. 60 (2020): 306–24. http://dx.doi.org/10.33933/2074-2762-2020-60-306-324.
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The authors’ point of view on formation and development of applied ecology at RSHU is given. The article contains a brief overview of research results over the past 20 years in the field of applied ecology. The main directions of research of the Department of Applied and Systems Ecology are presented: consideration of features of environmental information during the processing of observation data, development of theory and methods of assessment of pollution in rivers and reservoirs, ecological and hydrometeorological problems of large cities and industrial areas, quality management of the urban environment, mathematical modeling of water body ecosystems, monitoring and assessment of the ecological status of marine ecosystems. The issues of international cooperation of the Department with foreign and Russian organizations are highlighted. One of the challenges that require making immediate decision in environment quality assessment is criterion selection for estimation the ecological condition, status or ambient quality standard. To solve this problem, it is proposed to use the method of integral assessment of the sustainability and health of marine and freshwater ecosystems, which can characterize the ecological status of the aquatic ecosystems as a whole. On the basis of synthesis of existing approaches to assessing the sustainability and ecosystem health, the choice of models and methods for their quantitative integral assessment is justified. An integral indicator of the sustainability of marine and freshwater ecosystems, as well as a training model-classification have been developed to calculate integral indices, which allow to classify various aquatic areas according to the classes of sustainability and ecosystem health. In addition, recommendations have been proposed to improve standard methods of water quality assessment based on hydrochemical data and to reduce environmental risk for sustainable development of urban areas.
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Che Din, Mohd Safuan, Nazli Aziz, Izarenah Md Repin, Xiong-Zhi Xue, Muhammad Ashraf Abdul Rahman, Zainudin Bachok, Nik Nurhazirah Nik Omar, Nor Hafzan Abd Rasid, and Wan Izatul Asma Wan Talaat. "Assessment of Governance and Ecological Status of Terengganu Marine Park, Malaysia: Toward Marine Spatial Planning." Sains Malaysiana 51, no. 12 (December 31, 2022): 3909–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2022-5112-04.
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Terengganu Marine Parks (TMP) is a 591.37 km2 marine protected area. TMP are popular tourist destinations that significantly generate revenue to the government and local businesses through tourism sector. However, the anthropogenic activities have contributed to TMP’s declining ecosystem health, particularly the coral reefs. Therefore, a sustainable ecosystem-based management is required to maintain the ecosystem. In this study, we identify issues related to the marine park’s governance, development on islands, tourist activities and coral health status in the TMP for assessing potential management strategy for conserving the ecosystem. The findings on management in TMP found that there is an overlapping in managing the marine park between the federal and state government. Unintegrated development to accommodate rising number of tourist and their activities in the marine parks are identified as the factors contributing towards degradation of the ecosystems. Relatively, reef areas close to these local pressures are in ‘poor’ condition, indicating that threats arising from the activities affecting the marine ecosystem. Hence, this study analyses the potentials in adopting Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) in the TMP for managing the conflict between user and the ecosystem. The Australian Great Barrier Reef Marine Park which applied the zoning of marine area is used as a benchmark to examine the best practices of MSP to govern the TMP. At present, we suggest using coral reef health status as an early alternative and best practice to provide different zoning criteria for strategic marine protected area (MPA) management for TMP.
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Payet, Rolph. "Research, assessment and management on the Mascarene Plateau: a large marine ecosystem perspective." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences 363, no. 1826 (January 15, 2005): 295–307. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2004.1494.
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Management of marine resources over the large ocean areas provides a great challenge, albeit one with hope for sustainable governance. Despite extensive studies in many of these large ocean areas, the interaction of physical and biological processes in large shallow mid–oceanic areas, such as the Mascarene Plateau in the Western Indian Ocean, is not yet well enough understood to influence management practices. The Mascarene Plateau arches across the Western Indian Ocean from the Seychelles down to Mauritius, with water depths up to 100 m. Such a large shallow mid–oceanic area supports a wide diversity of ecosystems with potential for exploitable resources. A recent marine research programme by the Royal Geographical Society of London led to the establishment of a research framework for long–term research and assessment of the Mascarene Plateau. This paper presents an extension to this approach, with a particular focus on the management, governance and socio–economics of this area.