Quantitative criteria for choosing targets and indicators for sustainable use of ecosystems

Rossberg, Axel G.; Uusitalo, Laura; Berg, Torsten; Zaiko, Anastasija; Chenuil, Anne; Uyarra, María C.; Borja, Ángel; Lynam, Christopher P.

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2016.08.005

Cited by 62 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Several holistic indicators are usable (Greenstreet and Rogers, 2006;Salas et al, 2006;Teixeira et al, 2016), including diversity measures, thermodynamicallyderived functions (Jørgensen and Mejer, 1979), tropho-dynamic indexes (Tudela et al, 2005), and others more or less specific for exploited marine ecosystems . Research actions are urgently needed to define those suites of indicators capable of establishing the appropriate reference levels to guide management strategies to recover the increasingly collapsed fish populations in our seas (Rossberg et al, 2017).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

North East Atlantic vs. Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas as Fisheries Management Tool

2017

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The effectiveness of management initiatives implemented in the context of the European Common Fisheries Policy has been questioned, especially with regard to the Mediterranean. Some of the analyses made to compare the fishing activity and management measures carried out in the North East Atlantic and in the Mediterranean do not take into account some of the differentiating peculiarities of each of these regions. At the same time, they resort to traditional fisheries management measures and do not discuss the role of marine protected areas as a complementary management tool. In this respect, the apparent failure of marine protected areas in the North-East Atlantic compared with the same in the Mediterranean is challenging European fishery scientists. Application of the classical holistic view of ecological succession to the functioning of fishery closures and no-use areas highlights the importance of combining both management regimes to fully satisfy both fishery-and biodiversity-oriented goals. We advocate that an optimal management strategy for designing an MPA to protect biodiversity and sustain fishing yields consists of combining a network of no-use areas (close to their mature state) with fish boxes (buffer zones maintained by fishing disturbance in a relatively early successional stage, where productivity is higher), under a multi-zoning scheme. In this framework, the importance of no-use areas for fisheries is based on several observations: (1) They preserve biological diversity at regional scale, at all levels-specific, habitat/seascape, and also genetic diversity and the structure of populations, allowing natural selection to operate. (2) They permit the natural variability of the system to be differentiated from the effects of regulation and to be integrated in appropriate sampling schemes as controls. (3) They maintain the natural size and age structure of the populations, hence maximizing potential fecundity, allowing biomass export to occur from core to regulated areas, dampening the fluctuations derived from deviations from the theoretical optimal effort in the fishing zone.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

North East Atlantic vs. Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas as Fisheries Management Tool

2017

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“…A number of studies have shown how ecosystem modeling could support the assessment of different ecosystem components and pressures in several marine regions and also where models require further development (Hyder et al, 2015;Piroddi et al, 2015a;Tedesco et al, 2016;Rossberg et al, 2017). Here we advance on this body of work and demonstrating that modeling is not only useful for the assessment of components, but throughout the entire assessment cycle of the MSFD (Figure 1).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Uses of Innovative Modeling Tools within the Implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive

et al. 2016

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In Europe and around the world, the approach to management of the marine environment has developed from the management of single issues (e.g., species and/or pressures) toward holistic Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) that includes aims to maintain biological diversity and protect ecosystem functioning. Within the European Union, this approach is implemented through the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD, 2008/56/EC). Integrated Ecosystem Assessment is required by the Directive in order to assess Good Environmental Status (GES). Ecological modeling has a key role to play within the implementation of the MSFD, as demonstrated here by case studies covering a range of spatial scales and a selection of anthropogenic threats. Modeling studies have a strong role to play in embedding data collected at limited points within a larger spatial and temporal scale, thus enabling assessments of pelagic and seabed habitat. Furthermore, integrative studies using food web and ecosystem models are able to investigate changes in food web functioning and biological diversity in response to changes in the environment and human pressures. Modeling should be used to: support the development and selection of specific indicators; set reference points to assess state and the achievement of GES; inform adaptive monitoring programs and trial management scenarios. The modus operandi proposed shows how ecological modeling could support the decision making process leading to appropriate management measures and inform new policy.

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“…In general, we found SDT to be a robust and scientifically sound strategy for setting threshold values for indicators (Chuševė et al, 2016). Finally, we introduced a new approach to set indicator targets in relation to ecosystem resilience (i.e., the ability to recover rapidly and predictably from pressures) and to select indicators and their target ranges (Rossberg et al, 2017). This approach is a specific, quantitative interpretation of the concepts of GES and sustainable use in terms of indicators and associated targets.…”

Section: Development Of New Indicatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bridging the Gap Between Policy and Science in Assessing the Health Status of Marine Ecosystems

Elliott¹,

Austen²,

Berg³

et al. 2016

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Quantitative criteria for choosing targets and indicators for sustainable use of ecosystems

Abstract: Graphical abstract

Cited by 62 publications

References 58 publications

North East Atlantic vs. Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas as Fisheries Management Tool

North East Atlantic vs. Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas as Fisheries Management Tool

Uses of Innovative Modeling Tools within the Implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive

Bridging the Gap Between Policy and Science in Assessing the Health Status of Marine Ecosystems

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