Marine Environmental Management Research Articles

Investigation and protection of fishery resources in the middle of Bohai Sea

In May and October 2017, 12 stations were set up in the Central Bohai Sea for fishery resources investigation. The results show that there are many dominant species in this area, and the inshore fishery resources are higher than those in the open sea because of the abundant nutrients from land, the high density of zooplankton and the food of swimming animals. In order to effectively protect the fishery resources in the Central Bohai Sea, this paper puts forward some suggestions, such as strengthening the protection propaganda, scientific and reasonable fishing, and strengthening the management of marine environment.

Use of food web knowledge in environmental conservation and management of living resources in the Baltic Sea

AbstractFood webs are central entities mediating processes and external pressures in marine ecosystems. They are essential to understand and predict ecosystem dynamics and provision of ecosystem services. Paradoxically, utilization of food web knowledge in marine environmental conservation and resource management is limited. To better understand the use of knowledge and barriers to incorporation in management, we assess its application related to the management of eutrophication, chemical contamination, fish stocks, and non-indigenous species. We focus on the Baltic, a severely impacted, but also intensely studied and actively managed semi-enclosed sea. Our assessment shows food web processes playing a central role in all four areas, but application varies strongly, from formalized integration in management decisions, to support in selecting indicators and setting threshold values, to informal knowledge explaining ecosystem dynamics and management performance. Barriers for integration are complexity of involved ecological processes and that management frameworks are not designed to handle such information. We provide a categorization of the multi-faceted uses of food web knowledge and benefits of future incorporation in management, especially moving towards ecosystem-based approaches as guiding principle in present marine policies and directives. We close with perspectives on research needs to support this move considering global and regional change.

The Role of Sea-Urchins in Marine Forests From Azores, Webbnesia, and Cabo Verde: Human Pressures, Climate-Change Effects and Restoration Opportunities

Marine forests ecosystems are typical of temperate rocky benthic areas. These systems are formed by canopy-forming macroalgae (Laminariales, Tilopteridales, and Fucales) of high ecological value that provide numerous ecosystem services. These key species are also indicators of good environmental status. In recent decades, marine forests have been threatened by different impacts of local and global origin, putting their stability and survival in question. On a global scale, in many temperate areas of the planet, marine forests have been replaced by “sea-urchins barrens.” We present a general overview of sea-urchins’ population status in the archipelagos of Azores, Webbnesia (Madeira, Selvagens, and Canary Islands) and Cabo Verde, focusing on their role in the maintenance of the so-called “alternate stable state.” After an in-depth evaluation of the different anthropogenic and environmental pressures, we conclude that sea-urchins population explosion has been facilitated in the benthic habitats of Madeira and Canary Islands, preventing the recovery of canopy-forming macroalgae assemblages and being one of the main drivers in maintaining a stable barren state.Diadema africanumis the main barrens-forming species in Webbnesia, where it reaches high densities and strongly impacts macroalgal assemblages. On the other hand, in the most pristine areas, such as the Selvagens Islands and other Marine Protected Areas from the Canary Islands, the density ofD. africanumis up to 65% lower than in the nearby Madeira Island, and macroalgal communities are preserved in good status. This information is critical for marine environmental management, highlighting the urgent need for implementation of appropriate control mechanisms and restoration actions headed to the conservation of marine forests in Macaronesian archipelagos.

Context and Development of the Coastal Marine Environmental Management In Colombia

In Colombia, in order to meet the challenges of coastal marine management and responding to international commitments, it was adopted in 2000 the “National Environmental Policy for the Sustainable Development of Ocean Spaces and Coastal and Insular Zones of Colombia - PNAOCI ”, which has an ecosystem approach and as a conceptual framework, the integrated management of coastal zones -MIZC (or integrated coastal management - MCI / integrated coastal management - GCI), seeking to balance environmental protection and economic development, to contribute to the Physical ordering of the territory (Territorial Ordering), from the environmental ordering. For this, criteria were defined to guide the definition of the coastal zone in the country and spatial units (Coastal Environmental Units – UACs, acronym in Spanish) were delimited, as continuous geographical areas, involving land and sea space, with clearly defined ecosystems, which they require a unified visualization and management that brings together local and subregional territorial entities; in addition to consolidating over 20 years, a conceptual, political, regulatory, technical and operational support. In the legal context, as of Law 1450 of 2011, the generation of normative support regarding the UACs and the Plans for the management and integrated management of coastal environmental units (POMIUAC, acronym in Spanish) was promoted, as a planning instrument (Decree 1120 of 2013, compiled in Decree 1076 of 2015); Likewise, based on practical cases, a methodological framework was built embodied in a technical guide for the preparation of the POMIUAC, adopted by Resolution 768 of 2017. On the other hand, although the advances in the coastal marine environmental regulation in Colombia are oriented under the MIZC, given the similarities in terms of definition, spatial scope, scope and methodology, that they have with marine spatial planning (PEM), it can be said that these processes developed in Colombia under the MIZC scheme contribute to the development of the PEM concept In the country, and in the opposite case, practical EMP exercises that are addressed could complement the advances that the country has made in this area under the policy and regulatory framework that supports it.

Marine restoration in the Mediterranean: red coral and fan mussel discourses, uncertainty and reaching restoration targets

Although there is a wide range of legislative support for marine environmental policy and management, existing and emerging pressures continue to threaten biodiversity and ecosystems. Recent ambitious policies have represented a paradigm shift, moving from the traditional hands-off preservation towards more active forms of intervention through ecosystem restoration, with explicit targets for restoration of degraded ecosystems (2020/2030 EU Biodiversity Strategy). This work analyses the discourses and uncertainties in the cases of the fan mussel Pinna nobilis and the red coral Corallium rubrum in the Mediterranean, through a literature review and expert interviews. The major discourses are placed within a restoration framework based on the degree of intervention and the underlying motivations. The major discourse for both of these emblematic threatened species is ecocentric-based ‘Putting Nature First’, set around passive restoration (low-level intervention with protective measures to reduce stressor impact). Emerging discourses resulting from coastal developments and mass mortality events for the mussel and overfishing for corals, has required active restoration, with on-going small-scale actions. Both species highlight comparable shortcomings and constraints concerning restoration, particularly facing unknown baselines (what to restore to) and multiple uncertainties (population status, diseases, co-stressors, and long-term success of restoration). The top-down policy restoration targets lack detail towards implementation and most restoration efforts to-date are local-scale through bottom-up personal motivations, that have not been meeting policy targets. Lessons learned include the need to scale up passive measures and to couple with increased levels of active intervention with clear ideas on what, why, how and where to restore.

An overview of ecological traps in marine ecosystems

Humans are altering marine ecosystems at unprecedented rates, and these changes can result in animals selecting poor‐quality habitats if the cues they use become misleading. Such “ecological traps” increase extinction risk, reduce ecosystem resilience, and are a consequence of human‐induced rapid environmental change. Although there is growing evidence for traps impacting terrestrial species, the phenomenon has so far received little attention from marine scientists. To explore why so few studies have attempted to identify traps in the ocean, we conducted a literature review of the major drivers of marine environmental change to determine how their impacts on habitat choice and species fitness are being assessed. From this we summarize the current evidence for marine traps, present case studies to show why the phenomenon is potentially common in the ocean, highlight ways to advance awareness and understanding of traps, and demonstrate how this information can help improve management of marine environments.

Exploring the Case Solar Technology Lowers the Noise Level in the Waters Surrounding Bora Bora

Introduction The management of coastal and marine environments is of interest to all professionals and students of tourism. Such environments are particularly attractive to tourists; indeed, they have in many cases been ‘loved to death’ – damaged beyond repair by tourist activity. There is an evident link between protection from tourist activity and the biodiversity and ecological health of the waters that tourists swim in, and from which are caught the fish and crustaceans they dine on. It is therefore encouraging to read about technical solutions that can assist in this protection. In this Exploring the Case, we make reference to the Soel Yachts Case Study but also to an article by Douglas McCauley, a professor of marine biology who has written about the use of tracking technologies, such as by satellite. These two sources are a good starting point for research into the protection of ocean environments.

Protection of marine environmental quality in the Kingdom of Bahrain

Bahrain is a member of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) that share common challenges such as vulnerability to climate change and fragile environments. It is also a member of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) which is a group of six countries located along the Arabian Gulf, an arid and extremely stressed environment. During the last four decades, Bahrain's marine environment witnessed unprecedented pressures due to human activities including sand dredging, coastal development, effluent discharges, and seawater desalination, which have led to negative impacts including degradation of Marine Environmental Quality (MEQ). This study used document analysis as the primary data collection tool and followed a criteria-based evaluation approach to examine the development of MEQ management in Bahrain and to highlight opportunities for improvement. The study revealed that Bahrain's MEQ management has developed in different aspects including marine spatial planning, assessment and control of marine pollution, and MEQ monitoring. However, the current MEQ management framework suffers from incoherence and major shortcomings such as the absence of an overarching marine spatial plan and the lack of specific MEQ objectives and thresholds. Bahrain had benefited significantly from building partnerships with regional and international environmental organizations in the past and has great opportunities to build new regional and global partnerships in order to improve its marine management. Developing an ecosystem-based marine spatial plan should be prioritized as it can serve as the basis of marine environmental management and helps the country to achieve its sustainable development goals.

Synergetic management strategy for maritime cultural heritage protection and marine development in China

China is regarded as one of the most crucial countries regarding maritime cultural heritage (MCH) protection and marine development; however, little information is available about its MCH distribution, quantity, and characteristics, and the excavation and protection of MCH is often conducted after the accidental discovery by fishers in fishing operations or by surveyors during engineering construction. A growing number of marine development projections in China’s coastal areas could lead to the discovery of marine cultural relics, as well as the accidental damage of undiscovered underwater cultural relics. To harmonise the development of marine culture and marine economy, this study aims to explore the international rules and domestic policies of China applicable to the MCH protection and marine development, and then propose sustainable coordination solutions between the two, including coordinating MCH protection in marine spatial planning, marine environmental management, marine development management, and maritime laws and policies. This study has reference significance for the harmony of marine development and MCH protection in the coastal countries of the world and seabed resources exploitation and MCH protection in the areas beyond national jurisdiction.

Sustainable Marine Ecosystems: Deep Learning for Water Quality Assessment and Forecasting

An appropriate management of the available resources within oceans and coastal regions is vital to guarantee their sustainable development and preservation, where water quality is a key element. Leveraging on a combination of cross-disciplinary technologies including Remote Sensing (RS), Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, cloud computing, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is essential to attain this aim. In this paper, we review methodologies and technologies for water quality assessment that contribute to a sustainable management of marine environments. Specifically, we focus on Deep Leaning (DL) strategies for water quality estimation and forecasting. The analyzed literature is classified depending on the type of task, scenario and architecture. Moreover, several applications including coastal management and aquaculture are surveyed. Finally, we discuss open issues still to be addressed and potential research lines where transfer learning, knowledge fusion, reinforcement learning, edge computing and decision-making policies are expected to be the main involved agents.

A Study of Pollutant Transport Characteristics in Yangtze River Estuary Based on the Lagrange's Method

Ren, Z.; Han, S.; Li, K., and Han, J., 2020. A study of pollutant transport characteristics in Yangtze River Estuary based on the Lagrange's method. In: Liu, X. and Zhao, L. (eds.), Today's Modern Coastal Society: Technical and Sociological Aspects of Coastal Research. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 111, pp. 26–33. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.The accumulation of pollutants leads to diminished water quality. To understand the pollutant transport characteristics in offshore areas, a two-dimensional hydrodynamic mathematical model of the Yangtze River estuary (YRE) and its offshore area was established. On this basis, Lagrangian coherent structures (LCSs) in the study waters were extracted and analyzed using FTLE, and the effects of LCSs on pollutant transport in the YRE were investigated using the Lagrangian residual currents and the particle-tracking method. The study results exhibited that finite-time Lyapunov exponent (FTLE) ridges representing LCSs separated the body of water into water masses with different transport characteristics. Using LCSs, the circulation structures in the body of water could be revealed, facilitating an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms of pollutant accumulation and diffusion in the study waters. This provides an effective basis for marine environmental management.

Does Depth Matter? Reproduction Pattern Plasticity in Two Common Sponge Species Found in Both Mesophotic and Shallow Waters

Determining demosponge reproductive strategies is essential to understanding their ecology and life history, as well as for the management of benthic marine environments. This is especially important in mesophotic ecosystems, which have been suggested to serve as a refuge for shallow-water populations and for which knowledge is lacking. Here we compared the reproductive strategies of two common Mediterranean demosponges species: Chondrosia reniformis and Axinella polypoides, which can be found in both shallow and mesophotic habitats along the Israeli coast. Samples were collected over 2 years, via SCUBA diving from the shallow coast (2–32 m) and Remotely Operated Vehicle from the mesophotic sponge grounds (95–120 m). A. polypoides and C. renifornis differed in oocyte morphology and development, but both demonstrated reproductive plasticity with regard to temperature and depth: temperature appears to regulate their reproduction in the shallow water, as both species exhibited seasonality; whereas, in the mesophotic zone, where the temperature amplitude is much smaller, seasonality was not observed for either species. Furthermore, in the mesophotic zone, C. reniformis exhibited low fecundity and probably invests more in asexual reproduction by budding. Mesophotic A. polypoides, in contrast, exhibited enhanced and continuous asynchronous sexual reproduction year-round. Our findings suggest that reproduction plasticity may be a general rule for sponge species that inhabit different habitats; such plasticity could allow sponges to thrive in different environmental conditions. These findings further emphasize the importance of protecting the mesophotic sponge grounds, which can serve as a refuge in the face of the adverse impact of anthropogenic disturbances and rising seawater temperatures.

Developing benthic monitoring programmes to support precise and representative status assessments: a case study from the Baltic Sea

Benthic habitats and communities are key components of the marine ecosystem. Securing their functioning is a central aim in marine environmental management, where monitoring data provide the base for assessing the state of marine ecosystems. In the Baltic Sea, a > 50-year-long tradition of zoobenthic monitoring exists. However, the monitoring programmes were designed prior to the current policies, primarily to detect long-term trends at basin-scale and are thus not optimal to fulfil recent requirements such as area-based periodic status assessments. Here, we review the current monitoring programmes and assess the precision and representativity of the monitoring data in status assessments to identify routes for improvement. At present, the monitoring is focused on soft-bottoms, not accounting for all habitat types occurring in the Baltic Sea. Evaluating the sources of variance in the assessment data revealed that the component accounting for variability among stations forms the largest proportion of the uncertainty. Furthermore, it is shown that the precision of the status estimates can be improved, with the current number of samples. Reducing sampling effort per station, but sampling more stations, is the best option to improve precision in status assessments. Furthermore, by allocating the sampling stations more evenly in the sub-basins, a better representativity of the area can be achieved. However, emphasis on securing the long-term data series is needed if changes to the monitoring programmes are planned.

Seafloor habitat mapping using multibeam bathymetric and backscatter intensity multi-features SVM classification framework

Seafloor habitat mapping plays an important role in marine environmental protection and marine database management. Multibeam echo-sounding system (MBES) has unique advantages in detecting seafloor habitats with its high-precision and full-coverage capability. To further explore the mapping technology of seafloor habitat, this paper builds multi-features support vector machine (SVM) classification framework using multibeam bathymetry and backscatter intensity. First, a training sample robustness evaluation method is proposed based on the Jeffries-Matusita (J-M) index, improving the quality of priori samples input classifier. Second, an SVM classification method based on an Askey-Wilson polynomial kernel function is proposed to optimize the mapping function of kernel function structure and related parameters to the high-dimensional acoustic feature space. Combining multi-beam bathymetry and backscattering intensity together with their derived features, the proposed framework is implemented for automatically classification of five sediment types in the shallow water of southern Wellington, New Zealand. The analysis results show that, compared with the 3 commonly used kernel functions of SVM, the proposed method is more suitable for multibeam seafloor habitat mapping, and that the overall classification accuracy and Kappa coefficient have reached 90.02% and 0.87, respectively. This also highlights the greater potential of multi-beam high-precision detection technology in the prediction of seafloor habitat types.

Enhanced biodiversity and abundance of benthic invertebrate macrofauna in a New Zealand marine reserve

Abstract No‐take marine reserves are an important management tool in the conservation and restoration of marine habitats around the world. They are intended to provide spatial refugia for exploited species and to protect sensitive habitat and biodiversity hot spots. Despite strong evidence that marine reserves enhance overall biodiversity, it is not clear that this effect extends to all taxonomic groups. Most marine reserves are designed to protect large mobile fauna. Their effect on small sessile benthic invertebrates is unclear, yet these organisms provide critical ecosystem functions. Three hundred and seventy‐eight images and associated faunal descriptions were compared from 2007 and 2018 in Ulva Island/Te Wharawhara Marine Reserve, Stewart Island/Rakiura, New Zealand (46.9°S, 168.1°E, 0–25 m depth, established 2004), to discern the effect of non‐extractive marine protection on a soft‐sediment temperate benthic community. Qualitative habitat types observed in the 2018 images were similar to those described in 2007. There was a significant positive effect of protection on benthic invertebrate abundance between 2007 and 2018 across Paterson Inlet/Whaka a Te Wera. Additionally, there were significantly more benthic invertebrates within reserve sites compared with sites outside the reserve in 2018. Based on these positive effects, it can be concluded that Ulva Island/Te Wharawhara Marine Reserve has facilitated an increase in the biodiversity of the benthic invertebrate community of Paterson Inlet/Whaka a Te Wera, Stewart Island/Rakiura. Interestingly, heavily calcified biogenic reefs were present within Paterson Inlet/Whaka a Te Wera, but not within the reserve itself. The re‐evaluation of marine reserve boundaries could result in more comprehensive and representative management of the rich marine environment around Stewart Island/Rakiura.

해양폐기물의 자원순환에 관한 일고찰

The concept of a so-called ‘resource-circulating society’ that reduces the basic generation of waste is highlighted worldwide for the purpose of “ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns”, the 12th goal in the agenda of the 70th UN General Assembly in 2015. In this context, the Marine Wastes and Marine Contaminated Sediment Management Act(hereinafter referred to as the “Marine Wastes Act”) was enacted in 2016 and enforced in Korea. Meanwhile, the Marine Wastes Act, which is scheduled to take effect on December 4, 2020, provided an opportunity for the legal system in the marine environment to become more specific and make progress by prescribing matters concerning the management and treatment of marine wastes, marine pollutants, and carbon dioxide streams that were not covered in detail before. Meanwhile, ‘waste’ applied under the Framework Act of Recycling of Resources is prepared based on the concept under the Waste Management Act, and the Marine Wastes Act is borrowed from the Marine Environment Management Act, so the definition of 'waste' on land and sea must be somewhat consistent in order to utilize the substances subject to the Marine Wastes Act through the Framework Act of Recycling of Resources. From this point of view, this paper considered the relationship between ‘recyclable resources’ under the Framework Act of Recycling of Resources and ‘waste’ under the Wastes Management Act, and the Consistency of Waste Definition under the Marine Wastes Act and the Wastes Management Act to make a methodological proposal for the application of the Framework Act of Recycling of Resources.

Contribution of Remote Sensing Technologies to a Holistic Coastal and Marine Environmental Management Framework: A Review

Coastal and marine management require the evaluation of multiple environmental threats and issues. However, there are gaps in the necessary data and poor access or dissemination of existing data in many countries around the world. This research identifies how remote sensing can contribute to filling these gaps so that environmental agencies, such as the United Nations Environmental Programme, European Environmental Agency, and International Union for Conservation of Nature, can better implement environmental directives in a cost-effective manner. Remote sensing (RS) techniques generally allow for uniform data collection, with common acquisition and reporting methods, across large areas. Furthermore, these datasets are sometimes open-source, mainly when governments finance satellite missions. Some of these data can be used in holistic, coastal and marine environmental management frameworks, such as the DAPSI(W)R(M) framework (Drivers–Activities–Pressures–State changes–Impacts (on Welfare)–Responses (as Measures), an updated version of Drivers–Pressures–State–Impact–Responses. The framework is a useful and holistic problem-structuring framework that can be used to assess the causes, consequences, and responses to change in the marine environment. Six broad classifications of remote data collection technologies are reviewed for their potential contribution to integrated marine management, including Satellite-based Remote Sensing, Aerial Remote Sensing, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Unmanned Surface Vehicles, Unmanned Underwater Vehicles, and Static Sensors. A significant outcome of this study is practical inputs into each component of the DAPSI(W)R(M) framework. The RS applications are not expected to be all-inclusive; rather, they provide insight into the current use of the framework as a foundation for developing further holistic resource technologies for management strategies in the future. A significant outcome of this research will deliver practical insights for integrated coastal and marine management and demonstrate the usefulness of RS to support the implementation of environmental goals, descriptors, targets, and policies, such as the Water Framework Directive, Marine Strategy Framework Directive, Ocean Health Index, and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Additionally, the opportunities and challenges of these technologies are discussed.

Translational Molecular Ecology in practice: Linking DNA-based methods to actionable marine environmental management

Molecular-based approaches can provide timely biodiversity assessments, showing an immense potential to facilitate decision-making in marine environmental management. However, the uptake of molecular data into environmental policy remains minimal. Here, we showcase a selection of local to global scale studies applying molecular-based methodologies for environmental management at various stages of implementation. Drawing upon lessons learned from these case-studies, we provide a roadmap to facilitate applications of DNA-based methods to marine policies and to overcome the existing challenges. The main impediment identified is the need for standardized protocols to guarantee data comparison across spatial and temporal scales. Adoption of Translational Molecular Ecology – the sustained collaboration between molecular ecologists and stakeholders, will enhance consensus with regards to the objectives, methods, and outcomes of environmental management projects. Establishing a sustained dialogue among stakeholders is key to accelerating the adoption of molecular-based approaches for marine monitoring and assessment.

Information-Sharing Mechanism of Marine Environmental Management in China

Information-Sharing Mechanism of Marine Environmental Management in China

Transforming coastal and marine management: Deliberative democracy and integrated management in New South Wales, Australia

The integrated management (IM) of coastal and marine environments is an enduring problem, particularly in multi-sectoral and jurisdictional systems, with coastal management of New South Wales (NSW), Australia being no exception. Historically, NSW coastal and marine management was dominated by ecological and economic approaches, implemented in parallel through multiple government agencies with overlapping jurisdictions. A review in 2012 of NSW marine park management recommended addressing the unintended consequences of this management approach, and the Marine Estate Management Act (2014), was established to integrate management of the whole of the NSW coast.This paper discusses the role that a deliberative democratic approach has played in the approach to IM undertaken by the NSW Marine Estate Management Authority (MEMA). The NSW MEMA case study provides a robust reflection of the challenges identified by the literature in implementing effective integrated management, being the alignment of values, visions and methods of assessment, across multiple resources, ecosystems, stakeholders and administrative jurisdictions. Deliberative democratic approaches were used in reviewing the MEMA case to analyse its ability to address some of the challenges and realise benefits of IM. However, despite benefits being identified, a key finding is that achieving integration across multiple agencies with varied disciplinary approaches and organisational cultures, takes a significant amount of time. Even after several years, challenges remain in embedding cultural shifts and resource commitment at all levels to ensure the ongoing successful implementation of IM.