Marine Reserves PowerPoint

INTEGRATE MODULESSUSTAINING OUR OCEANSUnit 5 Oceans In Protection – Marine Protected Areas

What is a ‘Marine Protected Area’ versus a ‘Marine Reserve’?

A Marine Protected Area (MPA) is “any area of the marine environment that has been reserved by federal, state, territorial, tribal, or local laws or regulations to provide lasting protection for part or all of the

natural and cultural resources therein.” A Marine Reserve is a type of marine

protected area that has legal protection against fishing or development.

While all Marine Reserves are MPAs, not all MPAs are marine reserves.

How Marine Reserves and Networks Protect Oceans

Because disturbance to the bottom is not allowed, bottom habitats are diverse and healthy

Fish and invertebrates grow older and bigger and produced more young

Some adults, juveniles and larvae move out of the reserve and reproduce elsewhere. This spillover helps outside fisheries to thrive.

Networks of marine reserves that protect different habitats can also protect species at various life stages.

Networks can provide insurance against environmental catastrophes.

Reserves have more biomass (abundance of plants and animals), and density (number of plants and animals per given area) and diversity (number of species).

Marine Reserves

If the ocean is like a debit account where everybody withdraws but nobody makes a deposit, marine reserves are savings accounts that produce compound interest.

Simulated Marine Reserve Before and After Protection Enforcement

Benefits of Marine Protected Areas

-Protect entire ecosystems; habitat and ecosystem function from destructive human activity

- 3 levels of biodiversity protection: ecosystem, species and genetic

- Provide resilience to protect against potentially damaging external impacts, such as global warming and ocean acidification

Species benefits include increases in the diversity, density, biomass, body size and reproductive potential of fishery and other species within their boundaries.

Far Reaching Effects of Marine Reserves

Primary Effect –More Lobsters

0.12/m2 0.002/m2

Predator = Lobster

Prey = Urchin

2.4/m2 32.8/m2

Giant Kelp

26% Cover

5% Cover

Reserve Fished Area

Secondary Effect –

Fewer Urchins

Cascade Effect –More Kelp Cover

In the Anacapa Marine Reserve off California, marine lobsters keep their urchin prey in check, enabling kelp beds to flourish. Data: Behrens and Lafferty (2004). Marine Ecology Progress Series. Infographic by Michelle Kinzel, 2015.

Global Distribution of Marine Protected Areas

Scientific Data – Extent of Kelp Cover

Inside ReserveOutside Reserve

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Relative Change In Kelp Abundance

Ab

un

dan

ce (T

imes

Incr

ease

)

13 X Increase4 X Increase

Data: Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies. 2008. Airamé, S. and J. Ugoretz (Eds.). Channel Islands Marine Protected Areas: First 5 Years of Monitoring: 2003–2008.

Scientific Data - Biomass

Piscivore

Carnivore

Planktivore

Herbivore

-1.5 -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3

2.6

1.3

1.02

-1.1 X

Ratio of Fish Biomass Inside Reserve Versus Outside Reserve

Negative value means biomass was greater outside reserve

X - times more

X - times more

X - times more

times more

Biomass = the mass of living biological organisms in a given area or ecosystem at a given time

Data: USFWS, 2008

Scientific Data – Carapace Length of Lobsters

2.5 3

3.5 4

4.5 5

5.5

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Inside ReserveOuside Reserve

Legal Size Lobster = 3.25 inches carapace

Carapace Length (inches)

**Greater %age of smaller carapaces

**Greater %age of Larger

Carapaces

Data: USFWS, 2009

Perc

en

tage o

f each

siz

e c

lass

Scientific Data – Age Structure of Population/ Size Class Distribution

= 100,000 young

45 cm30 cm 60 cm

1.33 milli

on

3.4 milli

on

360,000

.36 kg 1.3 kg 3.1 kg

Scientific Data – Fish Density (Number Fish per

given area)

Shee

phea

d

Ling

cod

Rockfi

sh

Seno

rita

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.15

0.5 0.5

0.20.11

0.02

0.3

0.6

Inside ReserveOutside Reserve

Why would this partic-ular species of fish be found in greater abundance outside the reserve? Outside protection?

Fish Species

Nu

mb

er

of

Fis

h p

er

100m

2

Data: USFWS, 2008.

Scientific Data – Lobster Density

In ReserveNear

Reserve Far From Reserve

(+2 miles)

0

2

4

6

7

1.7 2.3

Lobster Density

Lobster Density

Location Relative to Reserve

Nu

mb

er

Lob

ste

rs P

er

Trap

Data: USFWS, 2008

Scientific Data – Abundance and Spill Over Effect

Fish Responses to Marine Reserves

Greater Abundace Inside ReserveGreater Abundance Outside Reserve

Data: Micheli, et al. (2004). Ecological Applications.

61%39%

Scientific Data – Fish Dispersal, Evidence of

Spillover Effect

Snapper

Rabbitfish

Seatrout

Lingcod

Black Drum

Snook

0 100 200 300 400 500 600

1

4

10

100

110

500

Distance Traveled

Distance Traveled

Maximum Distance Traveled From Marine Reserve (miles)

Fis

h S

pecie

s

Data: Kaunda-Arara and Rose, 2004.

Scientific Data – Larval Dispersal

Seaweeds 0.01 5 km

Invertebrates (Plankton) 0.015 500 km

Fishes 1 800 km

The estimated distance traveled by larval before settling in their adult habitats.

Activity - Design A Marine Reserve