Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve

16 Aug, 09 AM - 18 Aug, 04 AM

Our ultimate goal is to devise science-based conservation and management measures for two key Mediterranean areas (the northern Thyrrenian Sea, and the Adriatic Sea), and work with academic scientists, government agencies, local MPA authorities, and NGOs to make progress towards effective implementation of these policies. Through support from the Mediterranean Reserve Managers International Cooperative (MRMIC) Fellowship, participants in these activities within Italy will visit Monterey, California, to work collaboratively with Fiorenza Micheli (Professor of Biological Sciences at Stanford University) and William Douros (West Coast regional director for the National Marine Sanctuary Program) to identify the key elements of reserves monitoring, and of organizations charged with the management of the already established Pelagos Sanctuary (Thyrrenian) and a proposed new sanctuary in the northern Adriatic Sea. The Mediterranean Sea, the largest and deepest enclosed sea on earth, is a hotspot of terrestrial and marine biodiversity (Coll et al. 2011). At the same time, human pressure on Mediterranean marine and coastal ecosystems is tremendously high, with intense fishing (Coll et al. 2011), densely populated coastlines (470 million people in 2010 in the Mediterranean countries, supplemented by an additional 220 million tourists that are projected to double by 2025; UNEP 2005), extremely high numbers of invasive species (Molnar et al. 2008), and climate change (Lejeusne et al. 2010). Recent analyses of the cumulative impacts of human activities in the Mediterranean have ranked its ecoregions among the most heavily impacted worldwide (Halpern et al. 2008) and have characterized this marine region as ‘under siege’ (Coll et al. 2011). Such intense pressure has resulted in major alterations of Mediterranean ecosystems and widespread conflict among marine users (Lotze et al. 2007, Airoldi and Beck 2007, Abdulla et al. 2008, Ferretti et al. 2008). Compared to other marine regions, the Mediterranean has a high density of MPAs. As of 2008, 94 MPAs covering 4% of the Mediterranean (0.4%, if the offshore Pelagos Sanctuary is excluded) were established (Abdulla et al. 2008). More MPAs are planned, as all the Mediterranean nations have ratified the Convention for Biological Diversity and have agreed to its target of 10% protected by 2012. However, a majority of MPAs fail to achieve their conservation goals. Decline in key habitat and species is reported for a majority of Mediterranean MPAs (Abdulla et al. 2008). This is partly explained by widespread inadequate capacity: nearly two thirds of MPAs lack management plans and have insufficient infrastructure and resources (Abdulla et al. 2008). This includes the Pelagos Sanctuary, an 87,500 km2 marine protected area (53% of which is beyond national waters) located between southeastern France, Monaco, and northwestern Italy, established in 1999 by Italy, France and Monaco (Notarbartolo di Sciara et al. 2008). Despite the important achievement and precedent of successfully establishing such a large protected area through an international agreement, to date, Pelagos still lacks a management plan and an MPA authority responsible for its development and implementation (Notarbartolo di Sciara 2009). However, we believe there is great potential for positive change. Important coordination efforts are taking place under the ACCOBAMS agreement (the 2001Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black and Mediterranean Sea, and Contiguous Atlantic Area), which was established under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS). Seventeen MPAs for cetaceans conservation have been proposed by the scientific committee of ACCOBAMS. There are also unprecedented opportunities through the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD 2008), the ongoing activities under UNEP’s Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP), and various international, national and local-level efforts, including the existing and planned MPAs. Finally, improved governance of MPA organizations is key to their efficacy. Existing organizational models and lessons learnt from successful MPAs (Micheli and Niccolini, in prep.) could guide governance improvements in less effective or future MPAs. Meeting the challenges and leveraging these opportunities will require continued progress in continued capacity building and support of marine scientists and practitioners operating within the Mediterranean region. The goal of the activities proposed through this application is to provide opportunities for Italian scientists directly involved in the science and management of MPAs to collaborate with colleagues based in California (Micheli and Douros). Through the fellowship, Italian scientists will visit and work collaboratively with Micheli and Douros in reviewing (1) MPA monitoring and assessments underway in California, (2) the management plan for the MBNMS, and (3) the organizational structure and functioning of MPA authorities in California. During their stay in California, Italian collaborators and US partners will also visit California MPAs that are part of the University of California National Reserve System: Bodega Marine Reserve (director: Suzanne Olyarnik, research coordinator: Jackie Sones) Big Creek Reserve (reserve manager: Mark Readdie), and Scripps Coastal Reserve (academic coordinator: Isabelle Kay). Micheli, Niccolini, and Fraschetti have been conducting research and collaborating with the managers of several Italian MPAs (including the Tavolara-Punta Coda Cavallo, Tuscan Archipelago, Cinque Terre, Tremiti, Torre Guaceto and Porto Cesareo MPAs). Through the visits and interaction with staff of NRS reserves, the participants in this project will learn about research and management conducted here in California, and will present on their approaches in the Italian MPAs. Lessons learnt will be incorporated in the research plan for COCONET (see below), and in ongoing activities within the Italian MPAs listed above (e.g., planned zoning of uses within some of these MPAs).

Visit #29454 @Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve

Approved

Under Project # 25757 | Research

Mediterranean Reserve Managers International Cooperative (MRMIC) Fellowship application: Enhancing the capacity of Mediterranean marine protected areas (MPAs)

other - Unaffiliated with any institution

Reservation Members(s)

Group of 2 Other Aug 16 - 18, 2012 (3 days)
Federico Niccolini Aug 16 - 18, 2012 (3 days)

Reserve Resources(s) | Create Invoice

Whale Point Researcher Cabin 3 Aug 16 - 18, 2012