Browsing by Author "Sala, Enric"
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- Assessments of expected MPA outcomes can inform and improve biodiversity conservation: Case studies using The MPA GuidePublication . Sullivan-Stack, Jenna; Ahmadia, Gabby N.; Andradi-Brown, Dominic A; Barron, Alexandra; Brooks, Cassandra M.; Claudet, Joachim; Horta e Costa, Barbara; Estradivari, null; Field, Laurel C.; Giakoumi, Sylvaine; Gonçalves, Emanuel; Groulx, Natalie; Harris, Jean; Jessen, Sabine; Johnson, Steven Mana'oakamai; MacCarthy, Jessica; Maricato, Guilherme; Morgan, Lance; Nalven, Katharine Bear; Nocito, Emily S.; Pike, Elizabeth P; Sala, Enric; Tardin, Rodrigo; Villagomez, Angelo; Wright, Kendyl; Grorud-Colvert, KirstenGlobal, regional, and national targets have been set to protect and conserve at least 30 % of the ocean by 2030, in recognition of the important benefits of healthy ocean ecosystems, including for human well-being. Many of these targets recognize the importance of the quality, not just quantity, of areas that are included in the 30 %, such as marine protected areas (MPAs). For example, the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Global Biodiversity Framework Target 3 calls for areas to be effectively conserved and managed, ecologically representative, well-connected, and equitably governed. Protecting a percent area is not the sole goal – protection must be effective and equitable. To better understand the quality of biodiversity conservation afforded, in addition to the quantity of area protected, we looked at MPAs across 13 studies that used The MPA Guide and related tools to track Stage of Establishment and Level of Protection as measures of expected biodiversity conservation outcomes across diverse locations, scales, and cultural, political, and conservation contexts. We show that standardized assessments of MPA quality can help to (1) evaluate and improve existing MPAs; (2) plan new MPAs; (3) compare the quality of MPA protection across various scales; (4) track MPA quality, including progress towards coverage targets; (5) enable clear communication and collaboration, and (6) inform actions needed to achieve policy targets and their underlying environmental and social goals, among others. We share common opportunities, challenges, and recommendations for tracking MPA quality at various scales, and using these quality assessments to measure progress towards global targets.
- Contrasts in the marine ecosystem of two Macaronesian islands: A comparison between the remote Selvagens Reserve and Madeira IslandPublication . Friedlander, Alan M.; Ballesteros, Enric; Clemente, Sabrina; Gonçalves, Emanuel João; Estep, Andrew; Rose, Paul; Sala, EnricThe islands of Madeira and Selvagens are less than 300 km apart but offer a clear contrast between a densely populated and highly developed island (Madeira), and a largely uninhabited and remote archipelago (Selvagens) within Macaronesia in the eastern Atlantic. The Madeira Archipelago has ~260,000 inhabitants and receives over six million visitor days annually. The Selvagens Islands Reserve is one of the oldest nature reserves in Portugal and comprises two islands and several islets, including the surrounding shelf to a depth of 200 m. Only reserve rangers and a small unit of the maritime police inhabit these islands. The benthic community around Selvagens was dominated by erect and turf algae, while the community at Madeira was comprised of crustose coralline and turf algae, sessile invertebrates, and sea urchin barrens. The sea urchin Diadema africanum was 65% more abundant at Madeira than at Selvagens. Total fish biomass was 3.2 times larger at Selvagens than at Madeira, and biomass of top predators was more than 10 times larger at Selvagens. Several commercially important species (e.g., groupers, jacks), which have been overfished throughout the region, were more common and of larger size at Selvagens than at Madeira. Important sea urchin predators (e.g., hogfishes, triggerfishes) were also in higher abundance at Selvagens compared to Madeira. The effects of fishing and other anthropogenic influences are evident around Madeira. This is in stark contrast to Selvagens, which harbors healthy benthic communities with diverse algal assemblages and high fish biomass, including an abundance of large commercially important species. The clear differences between these two island groups highlights the importance of expanding and strengthening the protection around Selvagens, which harbors one of the last intact marine ecosystems in the North Atlantic, and the need to increase management and protection around Madeira.