Taxonomic impediment to managing marine ecosystems.

Science, biodiversity and Australian management of marine ecosystems

The Republic of Maldives has one of the richest marine biodiversity of the world. The country’s coral reefs are the seventh largest in the world, representing some 5% of the global reef area. Its 21,000 km2 of reefs are home to 250 species of coral, which teem with over 1,000 species of fish and this unique environment is the bedrock of their economy as well. Fisheries and tourism are their two largest industries which are heavily dependent on a healthy and diverse marine ecosystem. These two industries alone provide three quarters of jobs, 90% of the GDP and two thirds of foreign exchange earnings for the Maldives. Moreover, healthy coral reefs help protect the islands from natural disasters and guard against the adverse effects of climate change. However, in recent years, the economic and environmental health of Maldives has been put to jeopardy by taking the biodiversity as granted and neglecting the natural environment for earning short-term profits. The real time protection of the Maldivian biodiversity is, thus, not only important for the country’s environmental health but it is also an economic and developmental imperative. As the nation has witnessed political unrest and social instability in the recent years, the legal instrument and management mechanics for the ecosystem conservation and protection is hardly available. An inspiration for a proper compliance mechanism is thus a sine qua non for the Maldives. India, being a remarkable growth holder in terms of marine biodiversity conservation, could be a source helpful in shaping the future legal mechanism for the preservation and management of marine ecosystem in the Maldives. The Indian legal system has a distinct arrangement for the conservation of its biodiversity in general and its marine ecosystem in particular. There are 31 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in India, which cover a total area of 6271.2 km2. It has made strong coastal regulation laws for ensuring effective management of marine biodiversity which could be helpful in shaping the future legal compliance mechanism for the protection and conservation of Maldives’ ecosystem. Keywords: Marine biodiversity, Legal mechanism, Conservation, Management, Protected areas

Marine fisheries: a broad view of an expanding field

Determining and assessing the links between human pressures and state-changes in marine and coastal ecosystems remains a challenge. Although there are several conceptual frameworks for describing these links, the DPSIR (Drivers – Pressures – State change – Impact – Response) framework has been widely adopted. Two possible reasons for this are: either the framework fulfils a major role, resulting from convergent evolution, or the framework is used often merely because it is used often, albeit uncritically. This comprehensive review, with lessons learned after two decades of use, shows that the approach is needed and there has been a convergent evolution in approach for coastal and marine ecosystem management. There are now 25 derivative schemes and a widespread and increasing usage of the DPSIR-type conceptual framework as a means of structuring and analyzing information in management and decision-making across ecosystems. However, there is less use of DPSIR in fully marine ecosystems and even this was mainly restricted to European literature. Around half of the studies are explicitly conceptual, not illustrating a solid case study. Despite its popularity since the early 1990s among the scientific community and the recommendation of several international institutions for its application, the framework has notable weaknesses to be addressed. These primarily relate to the long standing variation in interpretation (mainly between natural and social scientists) of the different components (particularly P, S and I) and to over-simplification of environmental problems such that cause-effect relationships cannot be adequately understood by treating the different DPSIR components as being mutually exclusive. More complex, nested, conceptual models and models with improved clarity are required to assess pressure-state change links in marine and coastal ecosystems. Our analysis shows that, because of its complexity, marine assessment and management constitutes a ’wicked problem’ and that there is an increasing need for a unifying approach, especially with the implementation of holistic regulations (e.g. European Directives). We emphasize the value of merging natural and social sciences and in showing similarities across human and natural environmental health. We show that previous approaches have adequately given conceptual and generic models but specificity and quantification is required.

Modelling marine ecosystems using the Ecopath with Ecosim food web approach: New insights to address complex dynamics after 30 years of developments

Opportunities in community-government cooperation to maintain marine ecosystem services in the Asia-Pacific and Oceania

Ecosystem management means different things to different people, but the underlying concept is similar to that of the long-standing ethic of conservation. Current interest in marine ecosystem management stems from concerns about overexploitation of world fisheries and the perceived need for broader perspectives in fisheries management. A central scientific question is whether the effects of harvesting (top down) or changes in the physical environment (bottom up) are responsible for major changes in abundance. Historically, ecology, fisheries biology, oceanography, fisheries management and the fishing industry have gone somewhat separate ways. Since the 1980s, increasing attention has been given to multispecies aspects of fisheries, the linkages between oceanography and fish abundance and more holistic approaches to fisheries management. Sorting out the causes and effects of fluctuations in fish abundance is complicated by the lack of reliability of fisheries statistics. Discards, dishonesty and the inherent logistic difficulties of collecting statistics all combine to confuse interpretation. The overcapacity of fishing fleets and their unrestricted use are widely recognized as a contributing cause to overfishing and declines in fish stocks in many parts of the world. Ecosystem management, as shorthand for more holistic approaches to resource management, is, from a fisheries management perspective, centred on multispecies interactions in the context of a variable physical and chemical environment. Broader perspectives include social, economic and political elements which are best considered pragmatically as a part of the context of fisheries management. Objectives in marine ecosystem management are varied. From a biological perspective, an underlying principle of management is commonly assumed to be a sustained yield of products for human consumption. Whether that should be taken to mean that the yield should always be of the same products is less certain. Fishing commonly changes the relative abundance of species of fishes. Thus, a biological objective should specify the species mix that is desired. Concern for the maintenance of global diversity has generated a substantial literature on threatened and endangered species. In general, it has not been considered likely that marine fish species could be rendered extinct and greatest attention has been given to marine mammals, sea birds and sea turtles. The provision of marine parks and sanctuary areas are obvious first steps in providing a measure of protection, at least for the less widely ranging species. Related to the current concepts of ecosystem management are expressions such as ecosystem health and ecosystem integrity which are given a wide range of different meanings, none of which are readily translated into operational language for resource management. These and similar expressions are best assessed as rhetorical devices. The essential components of ecosystem management are sustainable yield, maintenance of biodiversity and protection from the effects of pollution and habitat degradation. Theory for marine ecosystem management has a long history in fisheries and ecological literature. Ecological models such as Lotka-Volterra equations, ECOPATH, trophic cascades and chaos theory do not give practical guidance for management. Fleet interaction and multispecies virtual population analysis models hold more promise for fisheries managers. Alaska provides particular opportunities for developing new concepts in fisheries management. Statistics of catch are good, stock assessments are at the state-of-the-art level and management has been prudent. Debate is active on the causes of substantial changes in abundance of many species including marine mammals, because substantial changes in the fisheries have been accompanied by major changes in oceanographic conditions. As elsewhere, the resultant changes may be a consequence of top-down and bottom-up effects. The bottom part is beyond human control, and ecosystem management is centred on managing the top-down or fisheries component in the context of special measures of protection for particular species. Whether that is a realistic goal depends in part on how much special protection is to be afforded to which species. Marine mammals, for example, are given high priority for special protection, but like fisheries they too may have significant roles in shaping the structure of marine ecosystems. Eventually, ecosystem management must come to grips with the question of how much protection of particular species is desirable in achieving optimal use of living marine resources.

Turning the tide: how marine ecosystem-service assessments contribute to preserve healthy seas

Through the years, research has described the importance of community-based approaches in the management of coastal and marine ecosystems. Coastal and marine issues are multifaceted and require place-specific approaches developed in partnership with vulnerable communities who are impacted by environmental stressors. Place-based conservation, a management approach that focuses on unique, place-specific characteristics, and other similar methods. It considers the need to integrate human dimensions and location-centered approaches, which are often lacking in typical natural resource management. Meaningful engagement with underrepresented communities can holistically account for socioeconomic factors and cultural knowledge that inform best management practices. As the health of marine and coastal ecosystems is linked with environmental quality and local livelihoods, engaging practitioners with knowledge of these systems can support science and trust in environmental management. This article discusses the importance of community-based research, local insight, various examples of successful management, and culturally relevant knowledge to advance sustainable place-based conservation.

This paper uses GIS and spatiotemporal analysis of a historically and culturally modified marine ecosystem to evaluate Pacific herring abundance, declines, vulnerabilities, and future prospects, about which a Native Tribe and state fisheries managers disagree. In 2008, the Sitka Tribe of Alaska (STA) requested that an area within its traditional waters be closed to commercial sac roe fishing to protect spawning Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi), a key species for Native subsistence and marine ecosystem health. This proposal was opposed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), which estimated that adequate biomass was available to accommodate all herring users' needs. The disagreement exposes divisions between the Tribe's and the State's conceptualizations of the status, health, and management priorities for fisheries and marine ecosystems. The Tribe's model is one of cultivated abundance, wherein herring eggs are harvested conservatively and habitat is enhanced to make coastal spawning areas more productive, stable, and resilient. The State's paradigm, in contrast, follows a constitutional mandate to manage fisheries for Maximum Sustained Yield (MSY). A single-species biomass model is used to estimate a “surplus” herring for commercial roe harvesting within management areas. This work analyses and compares the spatiotemporal prescriptions of State and Indigenous models of herring fisheries management as they are used within debates over a closed area (Proposal 239), and assesses their relative potential for improving herring fisheries and marine ecosystem management using a combination of GIS spatial and scientific analysis and traditional ecological knowledge.

Environmental conditions and anthropogenic impacts are key influences on ecological processes and associated ecosystem services. Effective management of Tonga’s marine ecosystems therefore depends on accurate and up-to-date knowledge of environmental and anthropogenic variables. Although many types of environmental and anthropogenic data are now available in global layers, they are often inaccessible to end users, particularly in developing countries with limited accessibility and analytical training. Furthermore, the resolution of many global layers might not be sufficient to make informed local decisions. Although the near-shore marine ecosystem of Tonga is extensive, the resources available for its management are limited, and little is known about its current ecological state. Here we provide a marine socio-environmental dataset covering Tonga’s near-shore marine ecosystem as compiled from various global layers, remote sensing projects, local ministries, and the 2016 national census. The dataset consists of 11 environmental and 6 anthropogenic variables summarised in ecologically relevant ways, spatially overlaid across the near-shore marine ecosystem of Tonga. The environmental variables selected include bathymetry, coral reef density, distance from deep water, distance from land, distance from major terrestrial inputs, habitat, land area, net primary productivity, salinity, sea surface temperature and wave energy. The anthropogenic variables selected include fishing pressure, management status, distance to fish markets, distance from villages, population pressure and a socioeconomic development index based on population density, growth, mean age, mean education level and unemployment. We hope this extensive and accessible dataset will be a useful tool for future assessment and management of marine ecosystems in Tonga.

Large‐scale alterations in marine ecosystems as a response to environmental and anthropogenic pressures have been documented worldwide. Yet, these are primarily investigated by assessing abundance fluctuations of a few dominant species, which inadequately reflect ecosystem‐wide changes. In addition, it is increasingly recognized that it is not species identity per se, but their traits that determine environmental responses, biological interactions and ecosystem functioning. In this study, we investigated long‐term, spatio‐temporal variability in trait composition across multiple organism groups to assess whether functional changes occur in a similar way across trophic levels and whether shifts in trait composition link to environmental change. We combined extensive trait datasets with long‐term surveys (30–40 yr) of four organism groups (phytoplankton, zooplankton, benthic invertebrates and fish) in three environmentally distinct areas of a large marine ecosystem. We found similar temporal trajectories in the community weighted mean trait time‐series of the different trophic groups, revealing ecosystem‐wide functional changes. The traits involved and their dynamics differed between areas, concurrent with climate‐driven changes in temperature and salinity, as well as more local dynamics in nutrients and oxygen. This finding highlights the importance of considering both global climate, as well as local external drivers when studying ecosystem changes. Using a multi‐trophic trait‐based approach, our study demonstrates the importance of integrating community functional dynamics across multiple trophic levels to capture ecosystem‐wide responses which could, ultimately, help moving towards a holistic understanding, assessment and management of marine ecosystems.

This study is aimed at analyzing key indicators for the evaluation of changes and tendencies of sustainable utilization and management in some marine ecosystems in the coastal waters of Hai Phong - Quang Ninh area. To complete this study, the methods employed consisted of the application of remote sensing data and geographic information systems to extract information on spatial distribution of mangrove and tidal flat ecosystems, as well as on the reclamation area for human development and indicator investigation and analysis, using remote sensing extracted and field survey monitored data with Microsoft Excel (MS Excel). Applying indicators for sustainable utilization and management of marine ecosystems, developed in recent studies for the Hai Phong - Quang Ninh area, demonstrated changes and trends in significant ecosystems, such as coral reefs and mangroves. The outcomes showed that from 1998 to 2003, living coral cover was reduced by 20% on average in the Ha Long Bay area and by 13% in Cat Ba (Hang Trai - Dau Be), and projected that living coral cover would be reduced by a further 10% to 50% by 2010. The number of coral species was much reduced by 15% to 72% in the Ha Long—Cat Ba area. Mangrove area also decreased between 1995 and 2004, particularly after 2000, and is projected to be only 10,000 ha in 2010 in Quang Ninh. Marine ecosystems in the coastal waters of Hai Phong - Quang Ninh area have degraded significantly, particularly coral reefs, mangroves and tidal flats.

Marine ecosystems and their associated biodiversity sustain life on Earth and hold intrinsic value. Critical marine ecosystem services include maintenance of global oxygen and carbon cycles, production of food and energy, and sustenance of human wellbeing. However marine ecosystems are swiftly being degraded due to the unsustainable use of marine environments and a rapidly changing climate. The fundamental challenge for the future is therefore to safeguard marine ecosystem biodiversity, function, and adaptive capacity whilst continuing to provide vital resources for the global population. Here, we use foresighting/hindcasting to consider two plausible futures towards 2030: a business-as-usual trajectory (i.e. continuation of current trends), and a more sustainable but technically achievable future in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We identify key drivers that differentiate these alternative futures and use these to develop an action pathway towards the desirable, more sustainable future. Key to achieving the more sustainable future will be establishing integrative (i.e. across jurisdictions and sectors), adaptive management that supports equitable and sustainable stewardship of marine environments. Conserving marine ecosystems will require recalibrating our social, financial, and industrial relationships with the marine environment. While a sustainable future requires long-term planning and commitment beyond 2030, immediate action is needed to avoid tipping points and avert trajectories of ecosystem decline. By acting now to optimise management and protection of marine ecosystems, building upon existing technologies, and conserving the remaining biodiversity, we can create the best opportunity for a sustainable future in 2030 and beyond.

Green Finance, alternatively Sustainable Finance, is one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the world now a day. This paper provides an outline of green financing status of Bangladesh, endows with a portrayal on the different sources of green finance available in Bangladesh, provides an insight into the green finance landscape in the country in general and represents the challenges and prospective for greening growth of Bangladesh towards achieving SDG14. Greening the economy involves improving environmental quality and combating climate change which poses political, economic and financial challenges. Major challenges are about financing climate protection and climate change adaptation and how we can fill the funding gap. The goal of SDG 14 is to prevent and reduce ocean pollution, promote sustainable management and protection of marine and coastal ecosystems. Green finance faces many challenges as such in achieving SDGs created a huge financial gap in Bangladesh. This requires the mobilization and use of a variety of financial sources, including domestic revenue, development assistance, private sector investment, and public-private partnerships. The global economic downturn, violent conflict in some countries, biodiversity loss, water, dry land, forest degradation, and climate change pose challenges to peace and prosperity. Due to lack of capacities of banks and financial institutions, the lack of a proper understanding of the risks and returns of green projects, and the underdeveloped equity and bond markets decelerating the expected growth of green projects in Bangladesh. Lack of coordination among the respective agencies, poor financial governance, and the absence of a national policy oversight body and mainstreaming green finance toward SDG14 are some of the key policy issues that Bangladesh needs to address and to promote green financing to achieve sustainable development goals (i.e. SDG14) for reinstallation of coastal and marine ecosystem.