CiteULike: Tag conservation

Tarnishing of silver in environments with sulphur contamination

Yang — 2007-01-17T21:53:57-00:00

Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 54, No. 1. (2007), pp. 21-26.

GLASS CORROSION ACROSS THE ALPS: A SURFACE STUDY OF CHEMICAL CORROSION OF GLASSES FOUND IN MARINE AND GROUND ENVIRONMENTS*

B Dal — 2005-06-23T14:26:17-00:00

Archaeometry, Vol. 47, No. 2. (May 2005), pp. 351-360.

Investigation into boiler corrosion on the historic vessel SL Dolly

IA Turnbull — 2005-07-16T12:41:33-00:00

Corrosion Engineering, Science and Technology, Vol. 40, No. 2. (June 2005), pp. 143-148.

Inhibition treatment of the corrosion of lead artefacts in atmospheric conditions and by acetic acid vapour: use of sodium decanoate

E Rocca — 2004-12-28T17:59:39-00:00

Corrosion Science, Vol. 46, No. 3. (March 2004), pp. 653-665.

A comparative study on the corrosion behaviour of simulated archaeological iron in Cl-, NO3- and HSO3- bearing pollutants

Xia Cao — 2005-06-22T12:12:26-00:00

Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 52, No. 4. (April 2005), pp. 207-213.

Noncoding sequences conserved in a limited number of mammals in the SIM2 interval are frequently functional.

KA Frazer — 2008-02-12T15:16:05-00:00

Genome Res, Vol. 14, No. 3. (March 2004), pp. 367-372.

Cross-species DNA sequence comparison is a fundamental method for identifying biologically important elements, because functional sequences are evolutionarily conserved, wheres nonfunctional sequences drift. A recent genome-wide comparison of human and mouse DNA discovered over 200,000 conserved noncoding sequences with unknown function. Multispecies DNA comparison has been proposed as a method to prioritize these conserved noncoding sequences for functional analysis based on the hypothesis that elements present in many species are more likely to be functional than elements present in limited numbers of species. Here, we perform a comparative analysis of the single-minded 2 (SIM2) gene interval on human chromosome 21 with horse, cow, pig, dog, cat, and mouse DNA. We classify conserved sequences based on the number of mammals in which they are present, and experimentally test sequences in each class for function. As hypothesized, conserved sequences present in many mammals are frequently functional. Additionally, we demonstrate that sequences conserved in a limited number of mammals are also frequently functional. Examination of genomic deletions in chimpanzee and rhesus macaque DNA showed that several putatively functional conserved noncoding human sequences were absent in these primates. These findings suggest that functional conserved noncoding human sequences can be missing in other mammals, even closely related primate species.

Conservation of Orientation and Sequence in Protein Domain-Domain Interactions

Stephen Littler — 2005-06-27T17:04:15-00:00

Journal of Molecular Biology, Vol. 345, No. 5. (2005), pp. 1265-1279.

The repertoire of naturally occurring protein structures is usually characterised in structural terms at the domain level by their constituent folds. As structure is acknowledged to be an important stepping stone to the understanding of protein function, an appreciation of how individual domain interactions are built to form complete, functional protein structures is essential. A comprehensive study of protein domain interactions has been undertaken, covering all those observed in known structures, as well as those predicted to occur in 46 completed genome sequences from all three domains of life. In particular, we examine the promiscuity of protein domains characterised by SCOP superfamilies in terms of their interacting partners, the surface they use to form these interactions, and the relative orientations of their domain partners. Protein domains are shown to display a variety of behaviours, ranging from high promiscuity to absolute monogamy of domain surface employed, with both multiple and single domain partners. In addition, the conservation of sequence and volume at domain interface surfaces is observed to be significantly higher than at accessible surface in general, acting as a powerful potential predictor for domain interactions. We also examine the separation of interacting domains in protein sequence, showing that standard thresholds of 30 amino acid residues lead to a significant false positive rate, and an even more significant false negative rate of approximately 40%. These data suggest that there may be many more than the 2000 domain-domain interactions that have not yet been observed structurally, and we provide a top 30 hit-list of putative domain interactions which should be targeted.

Carbon-Negative Biofuels from Low-Input High-Diversity Grassland Biomass

David Tilman — 2007-01-12T22:00:22-00:00

Science, Vol. 314, No. 5805. (8 December 2006), pp. 1598-1600.

Biofuels derived from low-input high-diversity (LIHD) mixtures of native grassland perennials can provide more usable energy, greater greenhouse gas reductions, and less agrichemical pollution per hectare than can corn grain ethanol or soybean biodiesel. High-diversity grasslands had increasingly higher bioenergy yields that were 238% greater than monoculture yields after a decade. LIHD biofuels are carbon negative because net ecosystem carbon dioxide sequestration (4.4 megagram hectare-1 year-1 of carbon dioxide in soil and roots) exceeds fossil carbon dioxide release during biofuel production (0.32 megagram hectare-1 year-1). Moreover, LIHD biofuels can be produced on agriculturally degraded lands and thus need to neither displace food production nor cause loss of biodiversity via habitat destruction. 10.1126/science.1133306

Marine Reserves are Necessary but not Sufficient for Marine Conservation

Gary Allison — 2008-03-18T02:34:34-00:00

The intensity of human pressure on marine systems has led to a push for stronger marine conservation efforts. Recently, marine reserves have become one highly advocated form of marine conservation, and the number of newly designated reserves has increased dramatically. Reserves will be essential for conservation efforts because they can provide unique protection for critical areas, they can provide a spatial escape for intensely exploited species, and they can potentially act as buffers against some management miscalculations and unforeseen or unusual conditions. Reserve design and effectiveness can be dramatically improved by better use of existing scientific understanding. Reserves are insufficient protection alone, however, because they are not isolated from all critical impacts. Communities residing within marine reserves are strongly influenced by the highly variable conditions of the water masses that continuously flow through them. To a much greater degree than in terrestrial systems, the scales of fundamental processes, such as population replenishment, are often much larger than reserves can encompass. Further, they offer no protection from some important threats, such as contamination by chemicals. Therefore, without adequate protection of species and ecosystems outside reserves, effectiveness of reserves will be severely compromised. We outline conditions under which reserves are likely to be effective, provide some guidelines for increasing their conservation potential, and suggest some research priorities to fill critical information gaps. We strongly support vastly increasing the number and size of marine reserves; at the same time, strong conservation efforts outside reserves must complement this effort. To date, most reserve design and site selection have involved little scientific justification. They must begin to do so to increase the likelihood of attaining conservation objectives.

The World Watch List for Domestic Animal Diversity in the context of conservation and utilisation of poultry biodiversity

S Weigend — 2008-03-06T09:50:21-00:00

World's Poultry Science Journal, Vol. 58, No. 04., pp. 411-430.

In 1995, the Member Governments of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations resolved that their Secretariat would develop the Global Strategy for the Management of Farm Animal Genetic Resources for country use. One of the sub-elements of this strategy is the establishment of a Global Databank for Farm Animal Genetic Resources. A snapshot of this Global Databank was analysed and synthesized in form of an extensive inventory known as the World Watch List for Domestic Animal Diversity (WWL-DAD). The 3rd edition (WWL-DAD:3) based on data collected up to November 1999 contains per-country reports for 16 mammalian and 14 avian species including a total of 6379 breed entries. Breed data recorded for 14 avian species encompasses only 16% (1049) of total breed entries. The majority (89%) of avian breeds recorded falls into one of the five major avian species: chicken (71%), duck (8%), goose (6%), turkey (3%) and muscovy duck (2%). For chicken, turkey and goose, most breeds are recorded in Europe, but largest number of duck breeds is found in Asia and the Pacific region. The proportional share of the global population size is greatest for Asia and the Pacific region for all major avian species except turkey, for which most records were from Europe. Of the 938 avian breeds of the five species, 460 (49%) breeds have been classified as being at risk of loss, whereas for 182 breeds (19%) no population data were available. Availability of recorded data differs considerably between regions and classification of breeds into the different risk status categories refers only to population within a given country. Therefore, data cannot be interpreted in a global way and the identification of breeds with highest risk of loss is complicated due to overlap of records of the same breed in different countries as well as missing data. Next steps should consequently be the strengthening of surveying and data collection activities, the improvement of breed data quality and the assessment of between breed variation by modern molecular tools as outlined in the FAO's proposed project on Maintenance of Domestic Animal Genetic Diversity (MoDAD).

Biodiversity conservation, traditional agriculture and ecotourism: Land cover/land use change projections for a natural protected area in the northeastern Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Eduardo García-Frapolli — 2008-07-24T23:57:53-00:00

Landscape and Urban Planning, Vol. 83, No. 2-3. (19 November 2007), pp. 137-153.

In addition to preserving ecosystems and biodiversity, natural protected areas (NPAs) in Mexico are homelands for people, largely indigenous, who traditionally base their resource management on a multiple use strategy. We analyzed land use and land cover changes in the Otoch Ma'ax Yetel Kooh NPA in the northeastern Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, where Yucatec Maya recently incorporated ecotourism to their set of economic activities. We evaluated changes in land use using vegetation maps from 1999 to 2003 and predicted vegetation cover in 2011 by developing a cellular automata and Markovian chains model. We observed slight increases in the area covered by medium stages of secondary succession, while new milpa plots appeared in areas of all succession stages. We used three scenarios to predict land cover in 2011: (a) milpa agriculture implemented at the same rate; (b) milpa agriculture decreases due to the growing demand of ecotourism; and (c) milpa agriculture disappears due to parceling of communally owned land. All scenarios predict slight increases in the area covered by secondary succession at the expense of milpas or younger stages of succession, with no major differences between the three predictive scenarios. Our results provide guidelines for managing the NPA, suggesting that biodiversity conservation, traditional agriculture and ecotourism are compatible activities.

ConSite: web-based prediction of regulatory elements using cross-species comparison.

A Sandelin — 2006-02-10T08:18:14-00:00

Nucleic Acids Res, Vol. 32, No. Web Server issue. (1 July 2004)

ConSite is a user-friendly, web-based tool for finding cis-regulatory elements in genomic sequences. Predictions are based on the integration of binding site prediction generated with high-quality transcription factor models and cross-species comparison filtering (phylogenetic footprinting). By incorporating evolutionary constraints, selectivity is increased by an order of magnitude as compared to single-sequence analysis. ConSite offers several unique features, including an interactive expert system for retrieving orthologous regulatory sequences. Programming modules and biological databases that form the foundation of the ConSite service are freely available to the research community. ConSite is available at http:/www.phylofoot.org/consite.

Economics of Overexploitation Revisited

RQ Grafton — 2007-12-07T13:50:09-00:00

Science, Vol. 318, No. 5856. (7 December 2007), 1601.

About 25% of the world's fisheries are depleted such that their current biomass is lower than the level that would maximize the sustained yield (MSY). By using methods not previously applied in the fisheries conservation context, we show in four disparate fisheries (including the long-lived and slow-growing orange roughy) that the dynamic maximum economic yield (MEY), the biomass that produces the largest discounted economic profits from fishing, exceeds MSY. Thus, although it is theoretically possible that maximizing discounted economic profits may cause stock depletions, our results show there is a win-win: In many fisheries at reasonable discount rates and at current prices and costs, larger fish stocks increase economic profits. An MEY target that exceeds MSY and transfers from higher, future profits to compensate fishers for the transition costs of stock rebuilding would help overcome a key cause of fisheries overexploitation, industry opposition to lower harvests. 10.1126/science.1146017

Considering evolutionary processes in conservation biology

Keith Crandall — 2008-03-17T22:02:26-00:00

Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Vol. 15, No. 7. (1 July 2000), pp. 290-295.

Conservation biologists assign population distinctiveness by classifying populations as evolutionarily significant units (ESUs). Historically, this classification has included ecological and genetic data. However, recent ESU concepts, coupled with increasing availability of data on neutral genetic variation, have led to criteria based exclusively on molecular phylogenies. We argue that the earlier definitions of ESUs, which incorporated ecological data and genetic variation of adaptive significance, are more relevant for conservation. Furthermore, this dichotomous summary (ESU or not) of a continuum of population differentiation is not adequate for determining appropriate management actions. We argue for a broader categorization of population distinctiveness based on concepts of ecological and genetic exchangeability (sensu Templeton).

How Closely Correlated Are Molecular and Quantitative Measures of Genetic Variation? A Meta-Analysis

David Reed — 2008-03-17T22:00:46-00:00

Evolution, Vol. 55, No. 6. (2001), pp. 1095-1103.

The ability of populations to undergo adaptive evolution depends on the presence of quantitative genetic variation for ecologically important traits. Although molecular measures are widely used as surrogates for quantitative genetic variation, there is controversy about the strength of the relationship between the two. To resolve this issue, we carried out a meta-analysis based on 71 datasets. The mean correlation between molecular and quantitative measures of genetic variation was weak (r = 0.217). Furthermore, there was no significant relationship between the two measures for life-history traits (r = -0.11) or for the quantitative measure generally considered as the best indicator of adaptive potential, heritability (r = -0.08). Consequently, molecular measures of genetic diversity have only a very limited ability to predict quantitative genetic variability. When information about a population's short-term evolutionary potential or estimates of local adaptation and population divergence are required, quantitative genetic variation should be measured directly.

Spatial analysis of genetic diversity as a tool for plant conservation

Adrian Escudero — 2008-03-17T21:43:14-00:00

Biological Conservation, Vol. 113, No. 3. (October 2003), pp. 351-365.

Development of suitable approaches to the analysis of genetic diversity in a spatial context, where factors such as pollination, seed dispersal, breeding system, habitat heterogeneity and human influence are appropriately integrated, can provide new insights in the understanding of the mechanisms of maintenance and dynamics of populations. In this sense, it is important to recognise that patterns and processes may take place at different scales at the same time, and that the scales of a study must be chosen in accordance with the objectives pursued. Apart from conventional approaches to genetic structure, spatial autocorrelation and related techniques, such as Mantel test, correlograms, Mantel correlograms, join-counts, variograms and point pattern analysis, can detect and characterise the existence of spatial genetic structures and lead the way to discussing the environmental and biological factors responsible for them. An alternative way of including spatial variability in modelling approaches that deal with genetic patterns or processes is through the use of constrained ordinations. Although scarcely used at present, these methodologies have great applicability in conservation biology and can lead a way to an effective integration of genetic, demographic and ecological perspectives.

The Relation of Growth to Heterozygosity in Pitch Pine

Thomas Ledig — 2008-03-29T18:38:02-00:00

Evolution, Vol. 37, No. 6. (1983), pp. 1227-1238.

Within some populations, mean annual growth rate was greater for trees heterozygous at a high proportion of their isozyme loci than for relatively homozygous trees. The strength of the heterozygosity-growth relationship varied from strongly positive in the oldest stands to negative in the youngest. The regression coefficient relating growth to heterozygosity was strongly correlated with age (r = .85). Because of the record left by the annual rings, tree growth at various past ages can be related to heterozygosity, and within most stands the relationship between growth rate and heterozygosity increased as trees aged. Apparently, the superiority of heterozygotes is not expressed in young stands. The delayed expression of heterozygote superiority may reflect the greater homeostasis of heterozygotes in the face of year-to-year climatic variation, or the accentuation of differences by competition between heterozygotes and homozygotes as the canopy closes. In fact, the heterozygosity-growth relationship was strongest in the least predictable environments (r = 69), as measured by the standard deviation of mean monthly maximum temperatures over years of record. But competition may also be involved because heterozygote superiority was most strongly expressed in the densest stands (r = .28). The failure of previous investigations to find correlations may result from scoring too few loci to adequately characterize heterozygosity, or to sampling populations in which competition was not strongly expressed. The relationship of growth to heterozygosity appears explicable with reference to age, stand structure, and climatic variability There was no heterosis associated with any single locus, suggesting that depression of growth in homozygotes is a result of linked deleterious recessives. Deleterious recessives are in high frequency in most conifers. Homozygosity in pitch pine probably identifies individuals carrying chromosome segments identical by descent from recent ancestors, and apparent heterozygote superiority may actually measure inbreeding depression in homozygotes. Homeostasis in forest trees has been measured by the inverse of variability in ring width or annual increment. For pitch pine there was no consistent relationship of variability to heterozygosity, perhaps because of random error and because variability in annual increment is not a cumulative characteristic like mean annual increment.

Heterozygosity and Fitness: No Association in Scots Pine

O Savolainen — 2008-03-29T18:33:04-00:00

Genetics, Vol. 140, No. 2. (1 June 1995), pp. 755-766.

Special Section: Implementation and Management of Marine Protected Areas

Carolyn Lundquist — 2005-11-30T17:53:06-00:00

Conservation Biology, Vol. 19, No. 6. (December 2005), pp. 1699-1700.

A Synthesis of Marine Conservation Planning Approaches

Heather Leslie — 2005-11-30T17:53:06-00:00

Conservation Biology, Vol. 19, No. 6. (December 2005), pp. 1701-1713.

A Brief History of Biodiversity Conservation in Brazil

Russell Mittermeier — 2005-06-05T06:32:55-00:00

Conservation Biology, Vol. 19, No. 3. (June 2005), pp. 601-607.

Coral decline threatens fish biodiversity in marine reserves

Geoffrey Jones — 2006-10-24T13:33:04-00:00

PNAS, Vol. 101, No. 21. (25 May 2004), pp. 8251-8253.

The worldwide decline in coral cover has serious implications for the health of coral reefs. But what is the future of reef fish assemblages? Marine reserves can protect fish from exploitation, but do they protect fish biodiversity in degrading environments? The answer appears to be no, as indicated by our 8-year study in Papua New Guinea. A devastating decline in coral cover caused a parallel decline in fish biodiversity, both in marine reserves and in areas open to fishing. Over 75% of reef fish species declined in abundance, and 50% declined to less than half of their original numbers. The greater the dependence species have on living coral as juvenile recruitment sites, the greater the observed decline in abundance. Several rare coral-specialists became locally extinct. We suggest that fish biodiversity is threatened wherever permanent reef degradation occurs and warn that marine reserves will not always be sufficient to ensure their survival. 10.1073/pnas.0401277101

Conservation of Marine and Coastal Biodiversity in Brazil

Antoni Amaral — 2005-06-05T06:32:55-00:00

Conservation Biology, Vol. 19, No. 3. (June 2005), pp. 625-631.

Conservation of Coral Reefs after the 1998 Global Bleaching Event

Tom Goreau — 2006-10-24T13:06:35-00:00

Conservation Biology, Vol. 14, No. 1. (2000), pp. 5-15.

Special Section: Brazilian Conservation: Challenges and Opportunities

Katrina Brandon — 2006-10-24T13:00:38-00:00

Conservation Biology, Vol. 19, No. 3. (2005), pp. 595-600.

A Hierarchical Ecological Approach to Conserving Marine Biodiversity

Mark Zacharias — 2006-10-24T12:48:20-00:00

Conservation Biology, Vol. 14, No. 5. (2000), pp. 1327-1334.

A number of ecological models have been developed to provide an understanding of the various biotic and abiotic components required to conserve biodiversity and to reconcile objectives and methods between those interested in the conservation of species (e.g., population management) and those advocating the conservation of spaces (e.g., protected areas). One of the better known efforts-pioneered in the Pacific Northwest of the United States-is a hierarchical ecological framework that separates biodiversity into compositional, structural, and functional attributes at the genetic, population, community-ecosystem, and landscape levels of organization. We present an adaptation of this terrestrial framework consistent with the ecological function of marine environments. Our adaptation differs in its treatment of the community and ecosystem levels of organization. In our marine framework, the community level denotes predominantly the biotic community components of biodiversity, and the ecosystem level-consistent with marine terminology-denotes predominantly physical and chemical components. The community and ecosystem levels are further separated into those attributes based on ecological structures such as depth or species richness and those based on ecological processes such as water motion or succession. The distinction between the biotic (genetic, population, and community) and abiotic (ecosystem) is required because the biological components of biodiversity such as competition or predation are often more difficult to observe than the abiotic components such as upwellings, substratum, or temperature. As a result, efforts to conserve marine biodiversity are often dependent on the observable abiotic (ecosystem) components, which can be used as surrogates for the identification and monitoring of biotic (community) components. We used our hierarchical framework to identify and suggest how conservation strategies could be implemented in marine environments depending on whether existing data are to be used or new data are to be collected. Estrategia Ecologica por Jerarquias para Conservar la Biodiversidad Marina Resumen: Se ha desarrollado una gran cantidad de modelos ecologicos para entender los diversos componentes bioticos y abioticos requeridos para conservar la biodiversidad y reconciliar objetivos y metodos entre aquellas personas interesadas en la conservacion de especies ( por ejemplo, manejo poblacional) y aquellas que abogan por la conservacion de espacios ( por ejemplo, areas protegidas). Uno de los esfuerzos mas conocidos-iniciado en el oceano Pacifico del noroeste de los Estados Unidos-es un marco ecologico y jerarquico que separa la biodiversidad en atributos estructurales, funcionales y de composicion a niveles de organizacion genetica, de poblacion, de comunidad/ecosistema y de paisaje. Presentamos una adaptacion de este marco de trabajo terrestre, consistente con la funcion ecologica de ambientes marinos. Nuestra adaptacion difiere en el tratamiento de los niveles de organizacion de comunidad y ecosistema. En nuestro marco marino, el nivel de comunidad denota predominantemente los componentes bioticos comunitarios de la biodiversidad, y el nivel de ecosistema-consistente con la terminologia marina-denota predominantemente los componentes fisicos y quimicos. Los niveles de comunidad y ecosistema son separados aun mas en aquellos atributos basados en estructuras ecologicas tales como la profundidad y la riqueza de especies y aquellos basados en procesos ecologicos tales como el movimiento del agua y la sucesion. La distincion entre lo biotico (genetico, poblacion y comunidad) y lo abiotico (ecosistema) se requiere puesto que los componentes biologicos de la biodiversidad, tales como la competencia o la depredacion son a menudo mas dificiles de observar que los componentes abioticos tales como las corrientes de ascendencia, el substrato o la temperatura. Como resultado, los esfuerzos para conservar la biodiversidad marina dependen frecuentemente de los componentes abioticos observables (ecosistema), los cuales pueden ser usados como substitutos para la identificacion y el monitoreo de componentes bioticos (comunidad). Utilizamos un marco conceptual jerarquico para identificar y sugerir la manera en que las estrategias de conservacion podrian ser implementadas en ambientes marinos dependiendo de la existencia de datos a utilizar, o de la necesidad de colectar nuevos datos.

Better Policy and Management Decisions through explicit Analysis of Uncertainty: New Approaches from Marine Conservation

Katherine Ralls — 2006-10-24T12:45:39-00:00

Conservation Biology, Vol. 14, No. 5. (2000), pp. 1240-1242.

Incorporating Uncertainty into Management Models for Marine Mammals

Barbara Taylor — 2006-10-24T12:44:40-00:00

Conservation Biology, Vol. 14, No. 5. (2000), pp. 1243-1252.

Good management models and good models for understanding biology differ in basic philosophy. Management models must facilitate management decisions despite large amounts of uncertainty about the managed populations. Such models must be based on parameters that can be estimated readily, must explicitly account for uncertainty, and should be simple to understand and implement. In contrast, biological models are designed to elucidate the workings of biology and should not be constrained by management concerns. We illustrate the need to incorporate uncertainty in management models by reviewing the inadequacy of using standard biological models to manage marine mammals in the United States. Past management was based on a simple model that, although it may have represented population dynamics adequately, failed as a management tool because the parameter that triggered management action was extremely difficult to estimate for the majority of populations. Uncertainty in parameter estimation resulted in few conservation actions. We describe a recently adopted management scheme that incorporates uncertainty and its resulting implementation. The approach used in this simple management scheme, which was tested by using simulation models, incorporates uncertainty and mandates monitoring abundance and human-caused mortality. Although the entire scheme may be suitable for application to some terrestrial and marine problems, two features are broadly applicable: the incorporation of uncertainty through simulations of management and the use of quantitative management criteria to translate verbal objectives into levels of acceptable risk. Incorporacion de la Incertidumbre en Modelos de Manejo para Mamiferos Marinos Resumen: Los modelos buenos de manejo y los modelos buenos para el conocimiento de la biologia difieren en su filosofia basica. Los modelos de manejo pueden facilitar las decisiones de manejo a pesar de la gran cantidad de incertidumbre sobre las poblaciones manejadas. Estos modelos pueden estar basados en parametros que pueden ser facilmente estimados, la mayoria considera explicitamente la incertidumbre y deberian ser simples de entender e implementar. En contraste, los modelos biologicos son disenados para elucidar el funcionamiento de la biologia y no son restringidos por asuntos de manejo. En este trabajo ejemplificamos la necesidad de incorporar la incertidumbre en los modelos de manejo mediante la revision de la incompetencia en el uso de modelos biologicos convencionales en el manejo de mamiferos marinos en los Estados Unidos. En el pasado el manejo se basaba en un modelo simple que a pesar de poder representar las dinamicas poblacionales adecuadamente, fallaba como una herramienta de manejo debido a que el parametro que desencadenaba las acciones de manejo era extremadamente dificil de estimar para la mayoria de las poblaciones. La incertidumbre en la estimacion de parametros resulto en pocas acciones de conservacion. Describimos un esquema de manejo recientemente adoptado que incorpora la incertidumbre y su implementacion resultante. La metodologia usada en este esquema simple de manejo, el cual ha sido probado usando modelos de simulacion, incorpora la incertidumbre y determina el monitoreo de la abundancia y la mortalidad causada por humanos. A pesar de que el esquema completo puede ser adecuado para aplicarse a problemas tanto terrestres como marinos, pocas caracteristicas son ampliamente aplicables: la incorporacion de la incertidumbre mediante simulaciones de manejo y el uso de criterios cuantitativos de manejo para traducir objetivos verbales en niveles aceptables de riesgo.

What was natural in the coastal oceans?

Jeremy Jackson — 2006-10-24T12:28:31-00:00

PNAS, Vol. 98, No. 10. (8 May 2001), pp. 5411-5418.

10.1073/pnas.091092898

Marine Protected Area Design and the Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Cetaceans in a Submarine Canyon

Sascha Hooker — 2006-10-24T12:13:57-00:00

Conservation Biology, Vol. 13, No. 3. (1999), pp. 592-602.

The Gully, the largest submarine canyon off the coast of eastern Canada, is currently under consideration as a marine conservation area, primarily because of the increasing interest in oil and gas production on the Scotian Shelf. Cetaceans, as a guild of abundant, large organisms that are relatively sensitive to such threats, provide a reliable means to determine the boundaries for a conservation area in this region. We compared the abundance of cetaceans between the Gully and other parts of the Scotian Shelf and Slope and found that abundance was higher in the Gully. We also assessed cetacean distribution and relative abundance within the Gully relative to search effort for several spatial and temporal parameters: depth, slope, sea surface temperature, and month. Distribution within the Gully was most strongly correlated with depth, but was also significantly correlated with sea surface temperature and month. Five of the 11 cetacean species commonly found in the Gully, and all those for which the Gully formed significant habitat on the Scotian Shelf, were concentrated in the deep (200-2000 m) mouth of the canyon. We suggest that a year-round marine protected area is necessary for the Gully. A core protection zone should be defined in the Gully based on depth and bounded by the 200-m isobath. A buffer zone around the core zone should be defined to provide protection from activities with further-reaching effects, such as noise, dredging, and chemical pollution. Diseno de Areas Marinas Protejidas y la Distribucion Espacial y Temporal de Cetaceos en un Canon Submarino Resumen: El canon submarino mas largo de la costa este de Canada, el Gully, esta actualmente bajo consideracion como area marina de conservacion, principlamente debido al creciente interes en la produccion de gas y aceites en la plataforma escocesa. Los cetaceos, como grupo de abundantes organismos grandes y relativamente sensibles a este tipo de amenazas, provee un medio confiable para determinar los limites de un area de conservacion para esta region. Comparamos la abundancia de cetaceos entre el Gully y otras partes de la plataforma y el talud escoceses y encontramos que la abundancia fue mayor en la region del Gully. Tambien evaluamos la distribucion de cetaceos y su abundancia relativa dentro del Gully en relacion con el esfuerzo de busqueda para diversos parametros especiales y temporales: profundidad, pendiente, temperatura de la superficie marina y mes. La distribucion dentro del Gully estuvo mas fuertemente corelacionada con la profundidad, pero tambien estuvo significativamente correlacionada con la temperatura de la superficie marina y el mes. Cinco de las 11 especies de cetaceos comunmente encontradas en el Gully y todas aquellas para las que el Gully representa un habitat significativo de la plataforma escocesa, se concentraron en la profunda boca del canon (200-2000 m). Sugerimos que se necesita un area protegida todo el ano para la region del Gully. Una zona de proteccion principal debe ser definida en el Gully en base a la profundidad y delimitada por la isobata de los 200 m. Una zona de amortiguamiento debe ser definida para proveer la proteccion contra actividades con efectos de largo alcance, como son el ruido, el dragado y la contaminacion quimica.

Sensitivity and Vulnerability in Marine Environments: an Approach to Identifying Vulnerable Marine Areas

Mark Zacharias — 2005-01-19T04:35:42-00:00

Conservation Biology, Vol. 19, No. 1. (February 2005), 86.

Sensitivity of Marine-Reserve Design to the Spatial Resolution of Socioeconomic Data

Elizabeth Richardson — 2006-07-26T02:24:12-00:00

Conservation Biology, Vol. 20, No. 4. (August 2006), pp. 1191-1202.

Rationale for a System of International Reserves for the Open Ocean

Claudia Mills — 2006-10-24T10:48:11-00:00

Conservation Biology, Vol. 12, No. 1. (1998), pp. 244-247.

Man's Role in Changing the Face of the Ocean: Biological Invasions and Implications for Conservation of Near-Shore Environments

James Carlton — 2006-10-24T10:40:23-00:00

Conservation Biology, Vol. 3, No. 3. (1989), pp. 265-273.

Human activities, primarily the global movement of organisms associated with ocean-going vessels and with commercial fishery products, have lead to the redistribution of a vast number of marine organisms over the past five centuries. Most biological surveys postdated these transport events, so the distribution of many of these now cosmopolitan species has been interpreted as the result of natural processes, leading to underestimates of the role of humans in altering patterns of natural diversity and distribution of marine organisms along the coastal margins of the world Perceptions of the natural state of some systems versus their recent ecological alteration are illustrated by the National Estuarine Reserve Research System, within which many "natural" sanctuaries have been highly altered by exotic species The modern scale and rate of new human-mediated invasions in the ocean are difficult to recognize due to the lack of communication among scientists working with different groups of organisms, different habitats, and different regions. Available evidence suggests that introductions continue unabated on a large scale throughout the world Despite the existence since 1973 of a number of international conventions to control the movement of exotic marine organisms adequate control still occurs largely at the regional and local levels. La reorganizacion de una gran cantidad de organismos marinos en los Sultimos 5 siglos se debe a actividades humanus, especialmente a desplazamientos globales de organismos asociados con embarcaciones marinus y con productos pesqueros comerciales La mayoria de encuestas biologicas posfechan dichos eventos de transportacion, y por consecuencia se intetpreta la distribucion de muchas de estas especies, hoy cosmopolitas, como resultado de pcesos naturales, subestimando el rol humano en la alteracion de la diversidad natural y en la distribucion de organismos marinos en los margenes costeros del mundo. Se ilustran percepciones sobre el estado natural de algunos sistemas versus su reciente alteracion ecologica en el "NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESERVE RESEARCH SYSTEM," dentro del cual muchos santuarios "naturales" han sido fuertemente alterados por especies exoticas Debido a la falta de comunicacion entre los cientificos que trabajan con diferentes grupos de organismos, habitats y regiones, es drficil reconocer la escala y tasa de las invasiones recientes en los oceanos, causados por actividades humanas. Evidencias disponibles sugieren que las introducciones continuan en gran escala en todo el mundo. A pesar que desde 1973 se han establecido numerosas convenciones internacionales con el motivo de controlar el desplazamiento de otganismos exoticos marinos, un control adecuado solo ocurre en los niveles locales y regionales.

Saving the Sea: What We Know and What We Need to Know

Geerat Vermeij — 2006-10-24T10:36:22-00:00

Conservation Biology, Vol. 3, No. 3. (1989), pp. 240-241.

Using Spatially Explicit Data to Evaluate Marine Protected Areas for Abalone in Southern California

Laura Rogers-Bennett — 2006-10-24T10:24:05-00:00

Conservation Biology, Vol. 16, No. 5. (2002), pp. 1308-1317.

Abalone populations have declined dramatically in southern California. The white abalone ( Haliotis sorenseni) is now ( 2001) on the federal endangered species list. To aid in the restoration of white, pink ( H. corrugata), and green abalone ( H. fulgens), productive marine protected areas need to be selected. We used spatially explicit fishery data (1950-1995) to identify the most productive marine areas in southern California. To assess the role of existing marine protected areas we compared fishery-independent data (1983-2001) inside protected and fished areas. San Clemente Island produced the greatest cumulative catches of white, pink, and green abalone, the most white abalone per hectare of deep reef (25-65 m), and the most green abalone per kilometer of rocky shoreline. Santa Barbara Island, however, produced 10 times more pink abalone per hectare of kelp canopy, making this area an excellent candidate for restoration and protection. Pink abalone surveyed in the Kelp Forest Monitoring Program were most abundant at three sites surrounding Anacapa Island: (1) protected, (2) protected but less visible, and (3) fished. The protected sites, despite having lower abundances of pink abalone initially (1983), had significantly more abalone ( H = 9.0; df = 2; p = 0.011) than the nearby fished site over time. Size-frequency distributions revealed that the protected site had more (30%) commercial-size abalone (>=158 mm shell length) than the less visable site (6%) or the fished site (2%). Mean size was significantly larger at the protected site, yielding the highest estimate of biomass and potential egg production (2555 million eggs/site/year) of all the sites. Marine protected areas need to be selected and enforced so that abalone-restoration efforts can be enacted before remnant populations die. Restoration sites for a wide variety of depleted species can be selected based on previous levels of productivity identified by spatially explicit data. Utilizacion de Datos Espacialmente Explicitos para Evaluar Areas Marinas Protegidas para Abalon en California Meridional Resumen: Las poblaciones de abalon han declinado dramaticamente en California meridional. El abalon blanco ( Haliotis sorenseni) ahora (2001) esta en la lista federal de especies en peligro de extincion. Para ayudar a la restauracion del abalon blanco, el rosado ( H. corrugata) y el verde ( H. fulgens), se necesita seleccionar areas marinas protegidas productivas. Utilizamos datos de la industria pesquera (1950-1995) espacialmente explicitos para identificar las areas marinas mas productivas de California meridional. Para evaluar el papel de las areas marinas protegidas existentes comparamos datos independientes de la industria pesquera (1983-2001) dentro de areas protegidas y areas explotadas. La isla de San Clemente produjo las mayores capturas acumulativas de abalon blanco, rosado y verde, la mayor densidad de abalon blanco por hectarea de arrecife profundo (25-65 m), y la mayor densidad de abalon verde por kilometro de litoral rocoso. Sin embargo, la isla de Santa Barbara produjo 10 veces mas abalon rosado por hectarea de quelpo, haciendo esta area un candidato excelente para la restauracion y proteccion. Los abalones rosados examinados en el Programa de Monitoreo del Bosque de Quelpo fueron mas abundantes en tres sitios alrededor de la isla de Anacapa: (1) protegido, (2) protegido, pero menos visible y (3) explotado. Los sitios protegidos, a pesar de tener menor abundancia de abalon rosado inicialmente (1983), en el largo plazo tenian significativamente mas abalon ( H = 9.0; gl = 2; p = 0.011) que el sitio explotado proximo. La distribucion de frecuencias de tamano revelo que el sitio protegido tenia mas (30%) abalon de talla comercial (>=158 mm longitud de la concha) que el sitio no regulado (6%) o el sitio explotado (2%). La talla promedio era perceptiblemente mas grande en el sitio protegido, rindiendo la estimacion mas alta de biomasa y de produccion potencial de huevos (2555 millones de huevos/sitio/ano) comparadas con los otros sitios. Las areas marinas protegidas deben ser seleccionadas y reguladas para poder decretar esfuerzos de restauracion del abalon antes de que las poblaciones remanentes mueran. Los sitios de restauracion para una amplia variedad de poblaciones agotadas se pueden seleccionar con base en los niveles de la productividad anteriores identificados por datos espacialmente explicitos.

Zoning Marine Protected Areas through Spatial Multiple-Criteria Analysis: the Case of the Asinara Island National Marine Reserve of Italy

Ferdinando Villa — 2006-10-24T10:19:49-00:00

Conservation Biology, Vol. 16, No. 2. (2002), pp. 515-526.

As the role of marine protected areas as conservation tools becomes better understood and more sophisticated, their planning becomes more complicated. Systematic, objective approaches to site selection and design can help reconcile conflicting interests, represent stakeholders' viewpoints fairly and evenly, and extend the scope of planning studies from single reserves to networks. We illustrate the use of spatial multiple-criteria analysis for determining the suitability of marine areas for different uses and levels of protection. This technique couples geographic information systems (GIS) for land assessment and evaluation with a formal statement of the design priorities as seen from the different viewpoints of all involved stakeholders. The planning process, while staying focused on the main purposes of conservation and feasibility, involves all the main interest groups in the definition of priorities so that conflicts and tensions are kept under control. We used multiple-criteria analysis to integrate objective data with the contrasting priorities of different stakeholders in the planning of a marine protected area. The results of the analysis can be used to define an optimal spatial arrangement of different protection levels. As a case study, we developed a zoning plan for one of the first marine protected areas in Italy, the Asinara Island National Marine Reserve. Zonificacion de Areas Marinas Protegidas Mediante el Analisis de Criterios Espaciales Multiples: el Caso de la Reserva Nacional Marina de la Isla Asinara en Italia Resumen: Puesto que el papel de las areas marinas protegidas esta siendo mejor entendido y se esta volviendo mas sofisticado, la planeacion para abordar eficientemente estas areas se esta volviendo mas complicada para las personas que toman decisiones. Las metodologias sistematicas y objetivas para la seleccion de sitios y el diseno de reservas pueden ayudar a reconciliar los conflictos de intereses, representar los puntos de vista de los usuarios de manera equitativa y balanceada y extender la dimension de los estudios de planeacion para reservas individuales o en redes. Ilustramos el uso de un analisis de criterios espaciales multiples para determinar la viabilidad de areas marinas para diferentes usos y niveles de proteccion. Esta tecnica une sistemas de informacion geografica (GIS) para estimacion y evaluacion de suelos con una declaracion de prioridades de diseno tal y como es percibida por los diferentes usuarios involucrados. El proceso de planeacion, al mismo tiempo que se enfoca en los propositos principales de la conservacion y en su viabilidad, involucra a los principales grupos interesados en la definicion de prioridades de tal manera que los conflictos y tensiones pueden ser manejadas. Utilizamos el analisis de criterios espaciales multiples para integrar datos objetivos con las prioridades contrastantes de los diferentes usuarios en la planeacion de un area marina protegida. Los resultados del analisis pueden ser usados como una guia para definir arreglos espaciales optimos con diferentes niveles de proteccion. Como caso de estudio desarrollamos un plan de desarrollo de zonificacion para una de las areas marinas protegidas de Italia, la Reserva Nacional Marina de la Isla Asinara.

Using Biogeography to Help Set Priorities in Marine Conservation

Sara Lourie — 2006-10-24T10:03:18-00:00

Conservation Biology, Vol. 18, No. 4. (2004), pp. 1004-1020.

Biogeographic information has great potential to enhance systematic conservation planning, although it has yet to be routinely incorporated in marine situations. Fundamental differences between marine and terrestrial environments (physical, biological, and sociopolitical) mean that biogeographic data are harder to obtain for marine systems, biogeographic boundaries more difficult to define, and the outcomes of similar conservation approaches may differ. Despite these challenges, an understanding of spatial context, connections, and scales of processes is needed to set conservation priorities that ensure the representation and continued persistence of species and habitats within functioning ecosystems. As we discovered in our review, scientific knowledge of marine systems is increasing rapidly thanks to recent advances in genetics, remote sensing, and geographical information systems. Such knowledge and tools have important implications for marine planning. We also reviewed the degree to which biogeography is incorporated into current marine conservation projects at spatial scales ranging from global to local. Overall, initiatives are becoming more regional in scope and incorporating biogeographic data in an increasingly rigorous manner. However, initiatives that use few or no data are also on the rise and need to be treated with due caution. We recommend undertaking global and regional reviews within biogeographic frameworks; combining analytical approaches to determine biogeographic classifications and to define a range of potential conservation areas with stakeholder involvement to set priorities; understanding contemporary processes that maintain species distributions; and acquiring knowledge of historical distributions to provide appropriate baselines for current conservation. The urgent need for marine conservation, however, means that planning should proceed with the best currently available biogeographic information even while biogeographic research continues. Uso de la Biogeografia como Ayuda para Definir Prioridades en Conservacion Marina Resumen: La informacion biogeografica tiene gran potencial para mejorar la planeacion de la conservacion sistematica, aunque aun debe ser incluida rutinariamente a situaciones marinas. Las diferencias (fisicas, biologicas y sociopoliticas) fundamentales entre ambientes marinos y terrestres significan que los datos biogeograficos son mas dificiles de obtener para sistemas marinos, es mas dificil definir los limites biogeograficos y los resultados de metodos de conservacion similares pueden diferir. A pesar de estos retos, se requiere entendimiento del contexto espacial, conexiones y escalas de procesos para definir prioridades de conservacion que garanticen la representacion y persistencia continuada de especies y habitat dentro de ecosistemas funcionales. En nuestras revisiones descubrimos que nuestro conocimiento de los sistemas marinos esta aumentado rapidamente gracias a los avances recientes en genetica, percepcion remota y sistemas de informacion geografica. Estas herramientas han tenido importantes implicaciones en la planeacion marina. Tambien revisamos el grado en que la biogeografia es incorporada a los proyectos actuales de conservacion en escalas espaciales que varian de globales a locales. En general, las iniciativas se estan volviendo mas regionales en alcance y estan incorporando datos biogeograficos de manera cada vez mas rigurosa. Las iniciativas que utilizan pocos o ningun dato tambien estan incrementando y deben ser tratados con la debida precaucion. Recomendamos abordar revisiones globales y regionales en contextos biogeograficos, mediante la combinacion de metodos analiticos para determinar clasificaciones biogeograficas y definir un rango de areas de conservacion potenciales y la participacion del publico para fijar prioridades; el entendimiento de los procesos contemporaneos que mantienen la distribucion de especies; y la adquisicion de conocimiento de las distribuciones historicas para proporcionar bases apropiadas para la conservacion actual. Sin embargo, la urgente necesidad de la conservacion marina significa que la planeacion debe proceder con la mejor informacion biogeografica disponible actualmente aun mientras la investigacion biogeografica continua.

Development of a systematic classification scheme of marine habitats to facilitate regional management and mapping of Caribbean coral reefs

Peter Mumby — 2006-10-31T10:26:47-00:00

Biological Conservation, Vol. 88, No. 2. (May 1999), pp. 155-163.

Most coastal habitat mapping is conducted on an ad hoc basis with little consistency in terminology and ambiguous documentation. These limitations obstruct interpretation and integration of maps for coral reef science and management, particularly at regional (international) scales where standardisation is urgently required. This paper advocates an objective, systematic approach to habitat classification which couples coastal geomorphology and benthic cover. Benthic classes are derived and described objectively using agglomerative hierarchical classification of field data and Similarity Percentage analysis of resulting clusters. The scheme has a hierarchical structure to accommodate various user requirements, variable availability of data, and the spatial scales of most remote sensing methods. We illustrate our approach with a scheme based on extensive field data from the Turks and Caicos Islands and Belize. While the scheme will not represent all habitats of the Caribbean, it provides a useful basis for a regional classification and illustrates the systematic approach. Standardised regional maps of coastal habitats will help development of predictive models of coral metapopulation dynamics, aid the identification of larval source and sink areas, and facilitate strategic transboundary planning of protected areas to maximise species, habitat, and ecosystem conservation. Habitats might also be interpreted to reflect ecosystem processes such as productivity and trophic guild structure, thereby allowing the ecosystem function to be examined at larger scales. (c)

Integration of Local and Regional Perspectives on the Species Richness of Coral Assemblages

Ronald Karlson — 2006-10-31T10:16:42-00:00

Amer. Zool., Vol. 39, No. 1. (1 February 1999), pp. 104-112.

SYNOPSIS. We have evaluated the relationship between regional species richness and the number of species occurring within local, quantitatively sampled assemblages of scleractinian corals. Our data have been extracted from the published literature describing richness patterns from over 100 locations around the world. In general, we find a positive relationship between local and regional richness. Local richness is not independent of regional richness as posited by conventional theory and there is no hard upper limit indicating saturation. Instead, local coral assemblages are regionally enriched. This result suggests that these assemblages are open to regional sources of species. The degree of regional enrichment is geographically variable. In the Indo-Pacific, assemblages in speciose regions appear to be less open and much more sensitive to local depth and habitat gradients than those in more depauperate regions. Other large-scale geographical and historical effects on local richness in the Indo-Pacific include the degree of isolation from high-diversity regions and distance from the equator. In contrast, local richness in the relatively homogeneous and depauperate western Atlantic is insensitive to the large-scale variables we examined. As in most ecological communities, membership in local assemblages of corals is not absolutely limited (by biotic interactions or local environmental factors) nor is it totally open to regional pools of species. Understanding the dynamics of coral communities will require integrating the local ecological perspective with large-scale phenomena (i.e., physical TECO processes [Myers, 1994] and evolutionary history [Hugueny et al. 1997]). Such an integration will necessarily encompass multiple spatial and temporal scales. 10.1093/icb/39.1.104

Environmental Limits to Coral Reef Development: Where Do We Draw the Line?

Joan Kleypas — 2006-10-31T10:14:46-00:00

Amer. Zool., Vol. 39, No. 1. (1 February 1999), pp. 146-159.

SYNOPSIS. Understanding how reefs vary over the present ranges of environmental conditions is key to understanding how coral reefs will adapt to a changing environment. Global environmental data of temperature, salinity, light, carbonate saturation state, and nutrients were recently compiled for nearly 1,000 reef locations. These data were statistically analyzed to (1) re-define environmental limits over which reefs exist today, (2) identify "marginal" reefs; i.e., those that exist near or beyond "normal" environmental limits of reef distribution, and (3) broadly classify reefs based on these major environmental variables. Temperature and salinity limits to coral reefs, as determined by this analysis, are very near those determined by previous researchers; but precise nutrient levels that could be considered limiting to coral reefs were not obvious at the scale of this analysis. However, in contrast to many previous studies that invoke low temperature as the reef-limiting factor at higher latitudes, this study indicates that reduced aragonite saturation and light penetration, both of which covary with temperature, may also be limiting. Identification of "marginal" reef environments, and a new classification of reefs based on suites of environmental conditions, provide an improved global perspective toward predicting how reefs will respond to changing environmental conditions. 10.1093/icb/39.1.146

Coral Community Adaptability to Environmental Change at the Scales of Regions, Reefs and Reef Zones

Terence Done — 2006-10-31T10:13:10-00:00

Amer. Zool., Vol. 39, No. 1. (1 February 1999), pp. 66-79.

SYNOPSIS. Projected global increases in temperature, sea level, storminess and atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) are likely to cause changes in reef coral communities which the present human generation will view as deleterious. It is likely coral community trajectories will be influenced as much by the reduction in intervals between extreme events as the projected increases in means of environmental parameters such as temperature, atmospheric CO2 and sea-level. Depressed calcification rates in corals caused by reduced aragonite saturation state of water may increase vulnerability of corals to storms. Moreover, reduction in intervals between storms and other extreme events causing mass mortality in corals (coral predators, diseases, bleaching) are likely to more frequently "set back" reef coral communities to early successional stages or alternate states characterized by non-calcifying benthos (plants, soft corals, sponges). The greater the area and the longer the duration of dominance of putative "coral/coralline algae" zones of coral reefs by non-calcifying stages, the less will be the reefs capacity to accrete limestone bulk locked up in the big skeletal units of late successional stages (i.e., very large old corals). Averaged over decades to centuries, the effects of such changes on the coral community's carrying capacity for other biota such as fish are unpredictable. A "shifting steady-state mosaic" null model may provide a useful conceptual tool for defining a baseline and tracking changes from that baseline through time. 10.1093/icb/39.1.66

Population Structure as a Response of Coral Communities to Global Change

Rolf Bak — 2006-10-31T10:10:03-00:00

Amer. Zool., Vol. 39, No. 1. (1 February 1999), pp. 56-65.

SYNOPSIS. Coral population size structure is generally highly skewed, with a preponderance of the smallest colony size class in populations. To begin to assess possible effects of global change on coral populations, which will be largely controlled in the next decade(s) by "non-climate variables" such as sedimentation, turbidity and nutrient load, we compared degraded reef environments with less degraded reefs. To consider population dynamics within and between parts of coral species metapopulations we use data over two spatial scales (10 and 2,000 km). Colony size distributions appear to be affected in degraded/marginal reefs. This implies changes in mortality patterns (or recruitment) that result in relatively fewer small and more large colonies in populations. We predict that the short-term effects of global change, deterioration of local conditions, will not affect the occurrence of large coral colonies (in terms of absolute size, and possibly mean size) but will limit the abundance of small corals. Long-term global change will increasingly include a component of climate change and the effect on coral populations may become more diverse, although effects such as a decreasing calcium carbonate saturation state will also first affect the abundance of coral recruits. We hypothesize that over the next decade(s) coral populations will become increasingly skewed toward larger colonies. 10.1093/icb/39.1.56

Using Remote Sensing to Reassess the Mass Mortality of Diadema antillarum 1983-1984

Jonathan Phinney — 2006-10-30T17:29:46-00:00

Conservation Biology, Vol. 15, No. 4. (2001), pp. 885-891.

The 1983-1984 mass mortality of the sea urchin Diadema antillarum remains one of the most severe die-offs ever recorded in the Caribbean. Before 1983, the herbivore D. antillarum was pervasive on coral reefs in the region. Nine months after first detection of the mass mortality, 95% of the urchins had perished, and algal cover of coral increased between 100% and 250%. A water-borne pathogen was hypothesized as the causative agent, but it was never isolated. To date, surface current patterns have been used exclusively to explain both the cause and the distribution patterns of the mortality event. Using archived satellite images, we re-examined the water-borne pathogen hypothesis and investigated whether other mechanisms could also account for the dissemination pattern in some areas. In addition, archived satellite images were utilized to detect changes in coral reef reflectance. For infections in the Gulf of Mexico and Bermuda, satellite images confirm that surface currents are likely responsible for the distribution of the pathogen. For infections in the eastern Caribbean (Curacao, U.S. Virgin Islands, Barbados), however, another mechanism, possibly ballast water exchange, must be considered because the surface current and infection patterns do not coincide. Changes in coral reflectance were detectable from Landsat thermatic mapping data before and after the mass mortality and correspond to the change in algal cover. Results from our study demonstrate the potential of satellite images for use in determining connectivity between regions of the Caribbean and in detecting changes in coral reef cover. Utilizacion de Percepcion Remota para Reanalizar la Mortandad Masiva de Diadema antillarum de 1983-1984 Resumen: El evento de mortandad masiva de 1983-1984 del erizo de mar Diadema antillarum se mantiene como uno de los eventos de mortandad masiva mas severos de que se tengan registros en el Caribe. Antes de 1983, el herviboro D. antillarum, abundaba en los arrecifes de coral de la region. Nueve meses despues de la deteccion de la mortandad masiva, 95% de los erizos fallecieron y la cobertura de algas sobre el coral se incremento entre 100 y 250%. Se establecio la hipotesis de que el agente causante fue un patogeno de origen acuatico, pero nunca fue aislado. A la fecha, los patrones de corrientes superficiales han sido usados exclusivamente para explicar tanto el agente causal como los patrones de distribucion de la mortandad. Utilizando imagenes de archivo de satelite, re-examinamos la hipotesis del agente de origen acuatico e investigamos si otros mecanismos podrian tambien ser considerados en los patrones de diseminacion de algunas areas. Para infecciones del Golfo de Mexico y Bermudas, las imagenes de satelite confirman que las corrientes superficiales son los responsables mas probables de la distribucion del patogeno. Sin embargo, para infecciones en el Este del Caribe (Curacao, U.S., Islas Virginia, Barbados), otro mecanismo, posiblemente el cambio de agua de lastre, podria ser considerado debido a que las corrientes superficiales y los patrones de infeccion no coinciden. Se detectaron cambios en la reflectancia del coral por medio de datos del mapeador tematico Landsat antes y despues de la mortandad masiva, mismos que correspondieron con los cambios en la cobertura algal. Los resultados de nuestro estudio demuestran el potencial de usar imagenes de satelite para determinar la conectividad entre regiones del Caribe y para detectar cambios en la cobertura del arrecife coralino.

Evaluating the Effects of Three Forms of Marine Reserve on Northern Abalone Populations in British Columbia, Canada

Wallace — 2006-10-30T17:25:31-00:00

Conservation Biology, Vol. 13, No. 4. (1999), pp. 882-887.

Marine reserves have been suggested as tools for assisting the management of fisheries by protecting vulnerable marine species from overexploitation. Although there is a theoretical basis for believing that marine reserves may serve as management tools, there are few marine reserves in the world in which to test their effectiveness. My research evaluated three forms of marine reserve on the south coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. I used northern abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana), a severely depleted shellfish in this region, as an indicator of the effectiveness of the reserves. Abalone populations in eight sites receiving different degrees of spatial protection were counted and measured in situ during the spring of 1996 and 1997. In all sites with enforced harvest closures, populations of abalone were greater, and one site with nearly 40 years of protection had on average much larger (older) abalone. Reproductive output, as a function of abundance and size, was also greater in the enforced reserve areas. Larval dispersal from reserves, and hence the benefit to exploited areas, was not formally surveyed. Nevertheless, the results of my study, combined with knowledge of present abalone populations, life history, and regional hydrodynamics, suggest that establishment of reserves is justified in the absence of perfect knowledge of larval dispersal. Evaluacion del Efecto de Tres Tipos de Reservas Marinas sobre Poblaciones de Abulon del Norte en Columbia Britanica, Canada Resumen: Se ha sugerido que la reservas marinas son un instrumento para el manejo de pesquerias al proteger de la sobrexplotacion a especies marinas vulnerables. Aunque existen bases teoricas para aceptar que las reservas marinas tiene futuro como instrumentos de manejo, existen pocas reservas marinas en el mundo para probar su efectividad. Mi investigacion evaluo tres tipos de reserva marina en la costa sur de la Isla Vancouver, Columbia Britanica, Canada. Utilice el Abulon del Norte (Haliotis kamtschatkana), un molusco severamente disminuido, como indicador de la efectividad de las rservas. Las poblaciones de abulon en ocho sitios con diferentes niveles de proteccion espacial fueron cuantificadas y medidas in situ durante las primaveras de 1996 y 1997. Las poblaciones de abulon fueron mayores en todos los sitios con capturas controladas; un sitio protegido por casi 40 anos, en promedio tuvo abulones mas grandes (viejos). La reproduccion, como una funcion de la abundancia y la talla, tambien fue mayor en las areas protegidas con vigilancia. La dispersion de larvas de las reservas, y por tanto su beneficio para las areas de explotacion, no fue explorada formalmente. Sin embargo, los resultados de este estudio combinados con el conocimiento de las poblaciones actuales de abulon, de sus tablas de vida y de la hidrodinamica regional sugieren que el establecimiento de reservas es justificado ante el desconocimiento de la dispersion de larvas.

Establishing Representative No-Take Areas in the Great Barrier Reef: Large-Scale Implementation of Theory on Marine Protected Areas

Leanne Fernandes — 2005-11-30T17:53:06-00:00

Conservation Biology, Vol. 19, No. 6. (December 2005), pp. 1733-1744.

Designing Effective Marine Protected Areas in Seaflower Biosphere Reserve, Colombia, Based on Biological and Sociological Information

A Friedlander — 2006-10-30T17:16:13-00:00

Conservation Biology, Vol. 17, No. 6. (2003), pp. 1769-1784.

Ecologists have paid increasing attention to the design of marine protected areas (MPAs), and their design advice consistently recommends representing all habitat types within MPAs or MPA networks as a means to provide protection to all parts of the natural ocean system. Recent developments of new habitat-mapping techniques make this advice more achievable, but the success of such an approach depends largely on our ability to define habitat types in a way that is ecologically relevant. We devised and tested the ecological relevance of a set of habitat-type definitions through our participation in a stakeholder-driven process to design a network of MPAs, focusing on no-take marine reserves in the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve, San Andres Archipelago, Colombia. A priori definitions of habitat types were ecologically relevant, in that our habitat-type definitions corresponded to identifiable and unique characteristics in the ecological communities found there. The identification of ecological pathways and connectivity among habitats also helped in designing ecologically relevant reserve boundaries. Our findings contributed to the overall design process, along with our summary of other general principles of marine reserve design. Extensive stakeholder input provided information concerning the resources and their patterns of use. These inputs also contributed to the reserve design process. We anticipate success for the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve at achieving conservation and social goals because its zoning process includes detailed yet flexible scientific advice and the participation of stakeholders at every step. Diseno de Areas Marinas Protegidas Efectivas en la Reserva de la Biosfera Seaflower, Colombia, en Base a Informacion Biologica y Sociologica Resumen: Los ecologos han puesto mayor atencion en el diseno de areas marinas protegidas (AMP), y sus sugerencias de diseno recomiendan consistentemente la representacion de todos los tipos de habitat en los AMP o en las redes de AMP como una forma de proporcionar proteccion a todas las partes del sistema oceanico natural. Desarrollos recientes de tecnicas de mapeo de habitat nuevas hacen que estas recomendaciones sean mas realizables, pero el exito de esta metodologia depende, en buena medida, de nuestra capacidad de definir tipos de habitat de manera ecologicamente relevante. Participando en un proceso conducido por grupos de interes para disenar una red de AMPs, concentrada en reservas marinas sin extraccion en la Reserva de la Biosfera Seaflower, Archipelago San Andres, Colombia, disenamos y probamos la relevancia ecologica de un conjunto de definiciones de tipos de habitat. Las definiciones a priori de tipos de habitat fueron ecologicamente relevantes porque nuestras definiciones de tipos de habitat correspondieron a caracteristicas unicas e identificables de las comunidades ecologicas encontradas ahi. La identificacion de trayectorias ecologicas y la conectividad entre habitats tambien ayudaron al diseno de limites de reserva ecologicamente relevantes. Nuestros hallazgos contribuyeron al proceso de diseno en su conjunto, junto con nuestra recopilacion de otros principios generales para el diseno de reservas marinas. La participacion de los grupos de interes proporciono informacion concerniente a los recursos y sus patrones de uso. Esta participacion tambien contribuyo al proceso de diseno de la reserva. Anticipamos el exito para la Reserva de la Biosfera Seaflower en el cumplimiento de sus metas sociales y de conservacion porque en su proceso de zonificacion se incluyen recomendaciones cientificas detalladas pero flexibles y la participacion de grupos de interes en cada etapa.

Biogeography of Recently Extinct Marine Species: Implications for Conservation

Geerat Vermeij — 2006-10-30T17:14:19-00:00

Conservation Biology, Vol. 7, No. 2. (1993), pp. 391-397.

At least fifteen marine and coastal animal species have become extinct since the end of the Pleistocene. Analyses of the number of marine biogeographical provinces occupied by these species show that, contrary to the prevailing view that extinction is usually associated with a small range, at least five species (33%) had large ranges encompassing parts of two or more provinces. At least eight species occurred in areas that served as geographical refuges for taxa during the Pliocene and early Pleistocene. These refuges, in which primary planktonic productivity is generally very high, include the northwestern Atlantic and North Pacific. Extinctions in the northwestern Atlantic (four species) may be partly responsible for the subsequent success of human-introduced species in subtidal and open-coast intertidal habitats. Regions of high productivity deserve priority among marine areas to be protected from overexploitation and habitat destruction. Biogeografia de especies marinas recientemente extinguidas: implicaciones para la conservacion Se sabe que desde el ano 1600 D.C. por lo menos trece especies y subespecies marinas y costeras de animales se extinguieron. Por lo menos cinco de estas especies tenian distribuciones que abarcaban porciones de dos o mas provincias biogeograficas, lo cual se opone a la concepcion prevalente de que la extincion esta asociada con una distribucion geografica reducida. Siete o mas especies habitaron en areas que sirvieron como refugios geograficos para taxones durante el Plioceno y Pleistoceno temprano. Estos refugios, en los cuales la productividad primaria del plancton es generalente muy alta, merecen tener prioridad sobre otras regiones a ser protegidas.