Evaluation, Gap Analysis, and Potential Expansion of the Finnish Marine Protected Area Network

Elina A Virtanen,Markku Viitasalo,Atte Moilanen,Juho Lappalainen

doi:10.3389/fmars.2018.00402

Abstract

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are considered to be an essential tool for safeguarding marine biodiversity. Sustainable use of the oceans and seas relies on the benefits of MPAs, now even more than ever, due to environmental degradation and anthropogenic impacts on marine ecosystems. Various international and regional agreements require that nations designate sufficiently marine areas under protection. MPAs are powerful tools, if coherent and ecologically efficient. Assessing the functionality of MPA networks is challenging, unless extensive data on underwater species and habitats is available. We evaluated the efficiency of the Finnish MPA network by utilizing a unique new dataset of ~140 000 samples, collected by the Finnish Inventory Programme for the Underwater Marine Environment VELMU. For the evaluation of MPAs, we used comprehensive data on: species distribution and abundance models for over 100 taxa, IUCN Red List of Ecosystems, fish reproduction areas, EU Habitats Directive Annex I Habitats and human pressures. Using the quantitative conservation planning and spatial prioritization method Zonation, we identified sites of high biodiversity and developed a balanced ranking of underwater conservation values. Only 27 % of the ecologically most valuable features were covered by the current MPA network. Based on the analyses a set of expansion sites were identified, complementing the ecological and geographical gaps in the current MPA network. Increasing the protected sea area by just one percent with the selection of the most valuable areas indicated by the analysis, the protection level of biological features could be significantly increased. We also discovered that the EU Directive habitats are not in their present form functional proxies for marine benthic species. This suggests that MPA networks based on habitats are not sufficient for safeguarding marine biodiversity in the northern Baltic Sea. Furthermore, the produced rankings are essentially environmental value maps, they can be used in ecosystem-based marine spatial planning and impact avoidance, including, e.g., siting of wind energy or aquaculture. Our approach and analytical procedure can be replicated elsewhere in the Baltic Sea and in other marine areas around the world, provided sufficient data exists.

Highlights

Marine ecosystems are facing unprecedented loss of biodiversity due to habitat destruction, a changing marine environment and increasing resource extraction (Worm et al, 2006; Halpern et al, 2008, 2015)
Our analysis identifies new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) candidates that would improve the conservation coverage achieved by the MPA network efficiently
Based on the SDMs, habitats and fish reproduction area data, two priority rankings were produced using Zonation (i) an unconstrained “clean slate” solution and (ii) a hierarchical solution constrained by the present MPA network

Summary

Introduction

Marine ecosystems are facing unprecedented loss of biodiversity due to habitat destruction, a changing marine environment and increasing resource extraction (Worm et al, 2006; Halpern et al, 2008, 2015). A key aspect in safeguarding marine biodiversity is the design of ecologically effective networks of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). No-take reserves have been shown to support high biodiversity and food web complexity (Halpern and Warner, 2002; Lester et al, 2009; Halpern, 2014). Increased emphasis is required on an ecologically efficient MPA design and sustainable management, to ensure that MPAs achieve global conservation objectives (Edgar et al, 2014)

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Results

Conclusion