Inform Marine Spatial Planning Research Articles

Modelling spatial distributions of biogenic habitat‐forming taxa to inform marine spatial planning

Abstract Biogenic habitats are foundational habitats for species assemblages and drive a range of ecosystem functions. The Hauraki Gulf/Tiikapa Moana is the most intensively used coastal area in Aotearoa/New Zealand, and decades of commercial fishing, sedimentation and industrialization have degraded biogenic habitats in the Gulf. In response, the marine spatial plan ‘Sea Change’ includes proposals to create new and extend existing marine protected areas (MPAs) and restrict the area open to mobile bottom‐impact fishing methods to conserve and help the recovery of biogenic habitats. To assess the benefits of different spatial planning scenarios for biogenic habitats, information on their spatial distribution is needed, but data limitations are a significant challenge. Here, an approach is detailed that maximized the information extracted from limited species occurrence data, by incorporating expert knowledge to develop and evaluate models of biogenic habitat‐forming taxa. Ensemble habitat suitability models (using boosted regression tree and random forest models) were created for 20 biogenic habitat groups. Using withheld data for validation, area under curve (AUC) scores ranged from 0.58 to 0.95 and true skill statistics (TSS) ranged from 0.37 to 0.84, though three models were further evaluated as insufficient representations of known ecological habitats by expert assessors. Models produced here provide substantially increased information to inform progress on implementation of the Sea Change plan. Two stakeholder processes have been held, resulting in the development of spatial plans for bottom trawl mitigation that are currently under public consultation. Systematic surveys that gather abundance and high‐resolution environmental data should be a priority to improve the utility of predictive models and inform future management processes in the Hauraki Gulf, and funding has been allocated to support additional data collection to determine the effectiveness of spatial management measures in the Hauraki Gulf.

Thresholds of seascape fauna composition along gradients of human pressures and natural conditions to inform marine spatial planning

Knowledge about the cumulative impacts of anthropogenic activities and environmental conditions on marine ecosystems is incomplete and details are lacking. Compositional community changes can occur along gradients, and community data can be used to assess the state of community resilience against combined impacts of variables representing human pressures and environmental conditions. Here we use a machine learning approach, i.e., Gradient Forest, to identify explanatory variable thresholds and select relevant epibenthic fauna and demersal fish species, which can be used to inform an integrated management of multiple human pressures and conservation planning in the southern North Sea. We show that a broad selection of anthropogenic and environmental variables, such as natural disturbance of the seafloor and euphotic depth, determined community composition thresholds of 67 epibenthic fauna and 39 demersal fish species along environmental conditions and human pressure gradients in the southern North Sea between 2010 and 2020. This has the potential to inform resilience assessments under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive to promote and retain a good environmental status of marine ecosystems.

Behavioral responses to offshore windfarms during migration of a declining shorebird species revealed by GPS-telemetry

EU member countries and the UK are currently installing numerous offshore windfarms (OWFs) in the Baltic and North Seas to achieve decarbonization of their energy systems. OWFs may have adverse effects on birds; however, estimates of collision risks and barrier effects for migratory species are notably lacking, but are essential to inform marine spatial planning. We therefore compiled an international dataset consisting of 259 migration tracks for 143 Global Positioning System-tagged Eurasian curlews (Numenius arquata arquata) from seven European countries recorded over 6 years, to assess individual response behaviors when approaching OWFs in the North and Baltic Seas at two different spatial scales (i.e. up to 3.5 km and up to 30 km distance). Generalized additive mixed models revealed a significant small-scale increase in flight altitudes, which was strongest at 0–500 m from the OWF and which was more pronounced during autumn than during spring, due to higher proportions of time spent migrating at rotor level. Furthermore, four different small-scale integrated step selection models consistently detected horizontal avoidance responses in about 70% of approaching curlews, which was strongest at approximately 450 m from the OWFs. No distinct, large-scale avoidance effects were observed on the horizontal plane, although they could possibly have been confounded by changes in flight altitudes close to land. Overall, 28.8% of the flight tracks crossed OWFs at least once during migration. Flight altitudes within the OWFs overlapped with the rotor level to a high degree in autumn (50%) but to a significantly lesser extent in spring (18.5%). Approximately 15.8% and 5.8% of the entire curlew population were estimated to be at increased risk during autumn and spring migration, respectively. Our data clearly show strong small-scale avoidance responses, which are likely to reduce collision risk, but simultaneously highlight the substantial barrier effect of OWFs for migrating species. Although alterations in flight paths of curlews due to OWFs seem to be moderate with respect to the overall migration route, there is an urgent need to quantify the respective energetic costs, given the massive ongoing construction of OWFs in both sea areas.

Extracting foraging behavior from passive acoustic monitoring data to better understand harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) foraging habitat use

AbstractFor odontocetes, passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) can be used to differentiate between occurrence and foraging through analysis of click characteristics. Feeding buzzes and navigation/searching echolocation clicks of harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) were differentiated within C‐POD data from northwest Ireland between 2009 and 2017. The spatiotemporal distribution of foraging behavior was investigated using generalized additive modelling, at multiple temporal scales. Both the presence/absence of buzzes and foraging intensity (defined by buzz:click ratios) were determined. Feeding buzzes were identified in one third of porpoise positive hours, ranging from 15% in summer, to 40% in autumn, highlighting seasonal variation irrespective of porpoise occurrence. Complex interannual variation in foraging behavior was also shown across the time series. A strong nocturnal peak in foraging intensity was observed. We found increased porpoise foraging with dolphin species detections within the same hour, and a negative impact of construction activities, involving both impulsive and broadband noise. Results highlight the value of long‐term acoustic time series, by quantifying variation, and show that extracting foraging behavior from occurrence data can help to unravel habitat use patterns, responses to disturbance, and seasonal changes in behavior. Understanding when and how a species uses an area can better inform marine spatial planning and help mitigate anthropogenic impacts.

Quantifying uncertainty of shipping source levels for marine soundscape modeling

Soundscape modeling is increasingly being used in assessments of marine habitat quality and to inform marine spatial planning. In most locations of interest, noise from shipping traffic and other marine vessels is the dominant anthropogenic contributor to the underwater soundscape. The noise contributions of marine vessels are typically calculated using tracking data from sources such as the automated identification system (AIS) and the vessel monitoring system (VMS). However, source levels of individual vessels in these datasets are often highly uncertain and must be estimated from incomplete information using data-driven models. Such models may be used to reliably predict mean source levels for large aggregations of vessels, but comparisons with real datasets show substantial statistical variability about the mean. Recent work, carried out using a large database of vessel noise measurements from the Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation (ECHO) Program, has been used to develop statistical models that predict source levels based on ship type, design characteristics, and operating conditions. These models include a predictive component, based on observed trends, as well as a random component based on the residual variability of the data. This random component can be used to quantify the uncertainty of vessel noise emissions for soundscape modeling.

Western Gull Foraging Behavior as an Ecosystem State Indicator in Coastal California

With accelerating climate variability and change, novel approaches are needed to warn managers of changing ecosystem state and to identify appropriate management actions. One strategy is using indicator species—like seabirds as ecosystem sentinels—to monitor changes in marine environments. Here, we explore the utility of western gulls (Larus occidentalis) breeding on Southeast Farallon Island as a proxy of ecosystem state in coastal California by investigating the interannual variability in gull foraging behavior from 2013 to 2019 in relation to upwelling conditions, prey abundances, and overlap with humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) as gulls frequently feed in association with whales. Western gulls have a flexible diet and forage on land and at-sea. We combined gull GPS tracking data during the incubation phase, ecosystem survey data on multiple predator and prey species, and derived oceanographic upwelling products. When foraging at sea, gulls overlapped with cool upwelled waters. During 2015–2017, 25% more gull foraging trips visited land than in other years, where land trips were on average ∼8 h longer and 40% further than sea trips, which coincided with high compression of coastally upwelled waters (habitat compression) in 2015–2016. Gull foraging behavior was related to local prey abundances, where more foraging occurred near shore or on land when prey abundances were low. However, visual surveys indicated that ∼70% of humpback whale observations co-occurred with gulls, and the year with the most foraging on land (2017) corresponded to regionally low relative whale abundances, suggesting gull movement patterns could be an indicator of whale presence. Further, both whales and gulls forage near-shore under high upwelling habitat compression and low krill abundance. Hence, the deployment of year-round tags on gulls with the capability of near real-time data accessibility could provide important fine-scale metrics for conservation and management of the threatened yet recovering eastern Pacific humpback whale population between infrequent and coarse surveys. Entanglement in fishing gear and ship strikes are major inhibitors to whale recovery and have increased concomitantly with human use of ocean resources. Moreover, as climate variability and change increase, novel indicators should be explored and implemented to inform marine spatial planning and protect species across multiple scales from new risks.

Migration and Winter Habitat Use of Glaucous-Winged Gulls (Larus glaucescens) from Triangle Island, British Columbia

Understanding the movements and habitat use of marine birds is essential to inform conservation and marine spatial planning. Here, satellite transmitters were used to study the migration and winter habitat use of adult Glaucous-winged Gulls (Larus glaucescens) from a colony in central British Columbia. Three of four tracked gulls overwintered locally, while the fourth followed a coastal migration route to northern California. All four gulls maintained small winter home ranges and spent an average of 72% of their time in nearshore coastal waters (average distance to coast: 0.6-1.7 km) characterized by low levels of anthropogenic activity. The remainder of their time was spent in naturally vegetated areas. One gull overwintered in an area with high human population density (northern California), with limited use of cropland (4% of locations) and urban (6% of locations) areas. This study is part of on-going efforts to understand the distribution and habitat use of marine birds throughout British Columbia to inform marine spatial planning and associated threats at various scales.

Spatial assessment of benthic habitats vulnerability to bottom fishing in a Mediterranean seamount

Physical damage caused by the mechanical impact of bottom fishing gears on epibenthic community can reduce the biomass and coverage of habitat-forming species as well as the richness and diversity of the rest of the associated community. A practical development of a methodology for spatially assessing the potential degree of disturbance that benthic habitats suffered as a consequence of trawling and long-lining was carried out using a seamount located within a marine Natura 2000 site in the western Mediterranean as a case of study. By jointly assessing the extent of the impact and mapping the sensitivity of all the habitats to these fishing activities, vulnerability and disturbance per benthic habitat and pressure type was evaluated. Habitat sensitivity and fishing effort were combined using a disturbance matrix which categorize grid cells in 9 different levels of disturbance. Additionally, different thresholds of probability of presence of the different habitats obtained from distribution models were used to identify priority conservation and potential recovery. Around 50% of the area was disturbed by fishing and all habitats, both biogenic and non-biogenic, were subjected to fishing. Most of the trawling effort was carried out on soft bathyal substrates while the percentage of longlining effort carried out on hard bottoms was relatively higher than for trawling. Biogenic habitats showed significantly greater sensitivity to both trawling and longlining than non-biogenic habitats. Disturbed, priority conservation and potential recovery areas were identified and mapped in order to inform marine spatial planning.

Global assessment of historical, current and forecast ocean energy infrastructure: Implications for marine space planning, sustainable design and end-of-engineered-life management

Thousands of structures are currently installed in our oceans to help meet our global energy needs. This number is set to increase with the transition to renewable energy, due to lower energy yield per structure, growing energy demand and greater and more diverse use of ocean space (e.g. for food, industrial or scientific activity). A clear and comprehensive picture of the spatial and temporal distribution of ocean energy assets is crucial to inform marine spatial planning, sustainable design of ocean infrastructure and end-of-engineered-life management, to prevent an exponentially increasing asset base becoming an economic and environmental burden.Here we define the spatial and temporal dimensions of the challenge that lies before us through creation of a comprehensive global dataset of past, current and forecast ocean energy infrastructure and offshore energy resources, both hydrocarbon and wind, for the period 1960–2040. The data is collected together for the first time and made available in the public domain through an interactive online map. The resulting oceanscape provides insight into the type, quantity, density and geographic centres of the accumulating asset base, which in turn enables informed consideration of how marine space alongside design and end-of-engineered-life of ocean infrastructure can be managed responsibly and sustainably.

Coral reef carnivorous fish biomass relates to oceanographic features depending on habitat and prey preference

Carnivorous fish are a key part of the Indonesian human population sustenance, and it is important to design marine protected areas that include environmental features that allow these species to thrive. Many studies report the role of coral cover and habitat complexity in determining fish distribution on coral reefs but broader environmental factors such as current velocity and productivity are less studied. Southern Indonesia is characterised by upwellings and strong currents, stemming from the tidal cycle and the Indonesian Throughflow. In this study we investigate how current velocity, chlorophyll-a (chl-a), sea surface height and temperature relate to the biomass of carnivorous fish, considering the influence of habitat complexity and coral cover. Data were collected by surveying seven sites around Nusa Penida MPA for a total of 97 h of observation. Serranids and Lutjanids showed higher dependency on coral cover than fish from family Lethrinidae, Carangidae and Scombridae for which current, sea surface height, chl-a, and temperature were more influential predictors. Considering the similar trophic ecology of these species, the different relationship with oceanographic factors is likely related to different body shapes, living, and feeding habits between fish families. Changes in sea surface temperature and current velocity induced by vertical mixing are affecting coral reef fisheries-targeted species distribution in Nusa Penida and investigating these relationships on a broader scale will better inform marine spatial planning decisions.

Behavioural responses of non-breeding waterbirds to marine traffic in the near-shore environment

ABSTRACT Capsule Recording of behavioural responses to ferry traffic for 11 target species showed that Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata, Slavonian Grebe Podiceps auratus, and Black-throated Diver Gavia arctica were most likely to react to passing vessels. Aim To provide information on how responses to marine traffic vary between waterbird species to inform marine spatial planning and environmental impact assessments in the near-shore environment. Methods We recorded behavioural responses to ferry traffic for 11 target species in near-shore waters: Common Eider Somateria mollissima, Goldeneye Bucephala clangula, Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis, Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca, Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator, Black-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver Gavia immer, Red-throated Diver, European Shag Gulosus aristotelis, Slavonian Grebe and Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle. Responses were analysed using generalized linear models and mixed models. Results Red-throated Diver, Black-throated Diver and Slavonian Grebe were the most likely species to exhibit a response to passing vessels. While Red-throated Divers and Slavonian Grebes were highly likely to flush, Black-throated Divers and Great Northern Divers rarely took flight, instead favouring swim or dive responses. In rougher sea conditions birds were more likely to take flight, and the propensity to respond declined across the wintering period. Conclusions This research provides comparative evidence on the behavioural responses of waterbirds to marine traffic. The results support previous studies which highlighted the high sensitivity of diver species to disturbance and provide new evidence that Slavonian Grebe may also be a high sensitivity species.

Science in support of ecologically sound decommissioning strategies for offshore man-made structures: taking stock of current knowledge and considering future challenges

AbstractThe blue growth agenda has spurred an accelerating exploitation and continued development of the coastal and marine environment. This is also driven by the increasing need to generate renewable energy. In most cases, this has resulted in a large number of man-made structures (MMSs) across several soft sediment environments. The nature of these structures ranges from oil and gas installations to harbour walls, anchored buoys, pipelines and offshore wind farms. These structures host fouling communities that are often new to offshore regions, potentially serving as stepping stones for range-expanding (non-indigenous) species and providing habitat and shelter for a variety of marine species. The altered local biodiversity also affects biological and biogeochemical processes from the water column to the seafloor, either directly (e.g. scouring, organic matter export from piles) or indirectly (e.g. closure or displacement of fisheries) and, hence, ecosystem functioning at various spatial and temporal scales. A proper understanding of the effects of artificial hard substrate and the consequences of its removal (e.g. through decommissioning) to marine biodiversity has yet to develop to maturity. This themed article set contributes to the scientific knowledge base on the impacts of MMSs on marine ecosystems with the specific aim to fertilize and facilitate an evidence-based debate over decommissioning. This discussion will become ever more vital to inform marine spatial planning and future policy decisions on the use and protection of marine resources.

Using ecosystem service assessments to support participatory marine spatial planning

With growing interest in ocean uses for sustainable economic development, there is an increasing need for cross-sectoral marine spatial planning to balance different resource uses and conservation requirements. Ecosystem service assessments can provide the evidence to inform marine spatial planning decisions. Existing case studies suggest that these assessments can also have positive effects on the engagement of marine stakeholders in management and planning processes. Stakeholder engagement is a central element in marine spatial planning and other area-based management approaches. However, in a marine context, engagement is often difficult due to the lack of clear boundaries in the ocean, traditionally sectoral marine management and limited understanding of marine ecosystems. The study presented here investigated ecosystem service assessments as a tool for improving marine stakeholder engagement. Stakeholder experiences with ecosystem service assessments in six marine management and planning case studies were analysed to identify why, how and under what conditions ecosystem service assessments can support effective engagement. The findings show that under the right conditions, ecosystem service assessments can provide an inclusive and integrative platform for engagement, enable a better understanding of marine ecosystems, human-ecosystem interactions and management contexts, and support better stakeholder relationships. Stakeholder participation also improves the evidence base for ecosystem service assessments. Thus, involving stakeholders in ecosystem service assessments can improve marine spatial planning decisions and lead to better management and conservation outcomes for the ocean.

Social network analysis as a tool for marine spatial planning: Impacts of decommissioning on connectivity in the North Sea

Abstract Connectivity of marine populations and ecosystems is crucial to maintaining and enhancing their structure, distribution, persistence, resilience and productivity. Artificial hard substrate, such as that associated with oil and gas platforms, provides settlement opportunities for species adapted to hard substrates in areas of soft sediment. The contribution of artificial hard substrate and the consequences of its removal (e.g. through decommissioning) to marine connectivity is not clear, yet such information is vital to inform marine spatial planning and future policy decisions on the use and protection of marine resources. This study demonstrates the application of a social network analysis approach to quantify and describe the ecological connectivity, informed by particle tracking model outputs, of hard substrate marine communities in the North Sea. Through comparison of networks with and without artificial hard substrate, and based on hypothetical decommissioning scenarios, this study provides insight into the contribution of artificial hard substrate, and the consequence of decommissioning, to the structure and function of marine community connectivity. This study highlights that artificial hard substrate, despite providing only a small proportion of the total area of hard substrate, increases the geographic extent and connectivity of the hard substrate network, bridging gaps, thereby providing ‘stepping stones’ between otherwise disconnected areas of natural hard substrate. Compared to the baseline scenario, a decommissioning scenario with full removal of oil and gas platforms results in a nearly 60% reduction in connectivity. Such reduction in connectivity may have negative implications for species’ distribution, gene flow and resilience following disturbance or exploitation of marine hard substrate communities. Synthesis and applications. Social network analysis can provide valuable insight into connectivity between marine communities and enable the evaluation of impacts associated with changes to the marine environment. Providing standardized, transparent and robust outputs, such a tool is useful to facilitate understanding across different disciplines, including marine science, marine spatial planning and marine policy. Social network analysis therefore has great potential to address current knowledge gaps with respect to marine connectivity and crucially facilitate assessment of the impacts of changes in offshore substrate as part of the marine spatial planning process, thereby informing policy and marine management decisions.

Juvenile fish habitat across the inner Danish waters: Habitat association models and habitat growth models for European plaice, flounder and common sole informed by a targeted survey

The management of coastal fisheries and coastal marine areas both require information on the use and importance of coastal marine habitats for marine species. This information is certainly pertinent for exploited species dependent on these coastal habitats for specific life-history stages. This study uses two different measures of habitat suitability to build Habitat Association Models (HAMs) and Habitat Growth Models (HGMs) for juveniles of three commercially and recreationally important fish species (Pleuronectes platessa, Platichthys flesus, and Solea solea) of the Inner Danish Waters (IDW). A large scale, one-off juvenile survey was used to collect juvenile fish and directly observed environmental data. The survey informed Generalised Linear (Mixed) Models (GLMs and GLMMs), which were fit and run through repeated random sub-sampling cross-validation before being utilised to build interpolative maps of both prediction and model uncertainty. The limitations of this approach are discussed in reference to the future works required to complement and improve such static habitat suitability maps. These results can be used to inform marine spatial planning and future work into the role of juvenile habitats in supporting fishery species.

Willingness to pay for expansion of the whale sanctuary in Faxaflói Bay, Iceland: A contingent valuation study

Commercial whaling is a divisive issue in Iceland, and often considered to be irreconcilable with whale watching. The coexistence of both activities in Faxaflói Bay, adjacent to the capital city of Reykjavík, has led to the designation of part of the bay as a whale sanctuary, where whaling is banned. The study utilises the contingent valuation method to elicit the preferences of Icelanders and estimate their willingness to pay (WTP) to expand the sanctuary to the full extent of Faxaflói Bay, with an aim to inform marine spatial planning in Iceland. Using the double-bounded dichotomous approach, the mean WTP for expansion of the Faxaflói Bay Whale Sanctuary was estimated to be 5082 ISK/42 USD per person (1.32 billion ISK/10.9 million USD when multiplied by the number of taxpayers), and 29.7% of the respondents with clearly defined preferences expressed positive WTP. According to the logit regression model, statistically significant socioeconomic and attitudinal variables included age, gender, level of education, number of persons in a household, and attitudes towards environmental conservation and whaling. Policy implications of non-market valuation of marine ES are discussed, pointing to a need to further assess the multiple marine ES values applying a transdisciplinary approach to inform decision-making.

Framework for mapping key areas for marine megafauna to inform Marine Spatial Planning: The Falkland Islands case study

Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) is becoming a key management approach throughout the world. The process includes the mapping of how humans and wildlife use the marine environment to inform the development of management measures. An integrated multi-species approach to identifying key areas is important for MSP because it allows managers a global representation of an area, enabling them to see where management can have the most impact for biodiversity protection. However, multi-species analysis remains challenging. This paper presents a methodological framework for mapping key areas for marine megafauna (seabirds, pinnipeds, cetaceans) by incorporating different data types across multiple species. The framework includes analyses of tracking data and observation survey data, applying analytical steps according to the type of data available during each year quarter for each species. It produces core-use area layers at the species level, then combines these layers to create megafauna core-use area layers. The framework was applied in the Falkland Islands. The study gathered over 750,000 tracking and at-sea observation locations covering an equivalent of 5495 data days between 1998 and 2015 for 36 species. The framework provides a step-by-step implementation protocol, replicable across geographic scales and transferable to multiple taxa. R scripts are provided. Common repositories, such as the Birdlife International Tracking Database, are invaluable tools, providing a secure platform for storing and accessing spatial data to apply the methodological framework. This provides managers with data necessary to enhance MSP efforts and marine conservation worldwide.

Recreation Use and Spatial Distribution of Use by Washington Households on the Outer Coast of Washington

Natural resources along the Outer Coast of Washington provide a variety of economic, social, and cultural benefits to the state’s residents, including tourism and recreation. Knowledge of the intensity and spatial distribution of recreation use can help inform marine spatial planning (MSP) and management of parks and marine protected areas (MPAs). A survey was funded by the State of Washington to support its MSP process and addressed visitation to the Outer Coast with emphasis on outdoor recreation activities. In 2013 and 2014, Point97 and the Surfrider Foundation conducted an Internet survey using a panel from Knowledge Networks (KN), a marketing research firm. The panel included a random sample of households in the State of Washington. In 2014, the survey was expanded to address management plan objectives of Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS). The survey covered user visitation to the Outer Coast over the past 12 months. It also solicited information on detailed recreational activities participated in by respondents over the 12-month period and on the last trip. Information on the respondent’s last trip to the Outer Coast was collected for two important reasons. First, respondents provided trip expenditure information so that expenditure profiles of visitors and their economic contributions to the local economy could be estimated. Second, respondents provided information on where, spatially, they engaged in particular types of activities during their last trip. This spatial information was used to estimate the spatial intensity of use by types of recreational activities along the Outer Coast (OC) and to estimate use in OCNMS under different spatial definitions of the OCNMS. Demographic information of the users was also collected to build user profiles, and to help understand how population changes may impact use and economic impacts. Subscribe to JPRA

ScotMap: Participatory mapping of inshore fishing activity to inform marine spatial planning in Scotland

A detailed understanding of fishing activity in Scottish waters is required to inform marine spatial planning. Larger fishing vessels are fitted with Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) offering spatial information on fishing activity. VMS does not cover smaller vessels (under 15m), which fish predominantly in inshore waters where the competition for space is often greatest. To improve knowledge of the distribution of fishing activity and value of fisheries in Scotland's inshore waters, Marine Scotland conducted a participatory fisheries mapping project, known as ScotMap. The data were collected during face-to-face interviews with 1090 fishermen of Scottish registered commercial fishing vessels under 15m in overall length and relate to fishing activity for the period 2007–2011. Interviewees were asked to identify the areas in which they fish, estimate the contribution these areas make to vessel earnings, and to provide associated information. The majority of interviews relate to creel fishing. The data collected were aggregated to provide mapped outputs of the monetary value, relative importance to fishermen and the usage of the seas around Scotland (number of fishing vessels and number of crew). ScotMap outputs provide information on the locations of inshore fishing activities and the economic importance of different sea areas at a much higher spatial resolution than was previously possible. Outputs have informed marine policy development, provide a valuable resource for marine spatial planning in Scotland and illustrate how participatory mapping can generate useful resources on the location and importance of inshore fishing areas.

Assessing larval connectivity for marine spatial planning in the Adriatic

There are plans to start building offshore marine renewable energy devices throughout the Mediterranean and the Adriatic has been identified as a key location for wind farm developments. The development of offshore wind farms in the area would provide hard substrata for the settlement of sessile benthos. Since the seafloor of the Adriatic is predominantly sedimentary this may alter the larval connectivity of benthic populations in the region. Here, we simulated the release of larvae from benthic populations along the coasts of the Adriatic Sea using coupled bio-physical models and investigated the effect of pelagic larval duration on dispersal. Our model simulations show that currents typically carry particles from east to west across the Adriatic, whereas particles released along western coasts tend to remain there with the Puglia coast of Italy acting as a sink for larvae from benthic populations. We identify areas of high connectivity, as well as areas that are much more isolated, and discuss how these results can be used to inform marine spatial planning and the licensing of offshore marine renewable energy developments.