Solutions for ecosystem‐level protection of ocean systems under climate change

Ana M. Queirós; Klaus B. Huebert; Friedemann Keyl; Jose A. Fernandes; Willem Stolte; Marie Maar; Susan Kay; Miranda C. Jones; Katell G. Hamon; Gerrit Hendriksen; Youen Vermard; Paul Marchal; Lorna R. Teal; Paul J. Somerfield; Melanie C. Austen; Manuel Barange; Anne F. Sell; Icarus Allen; Myron A. Peck

doi:10.1111/gcb.13423

Solutions for ecosystem‐level protection of ocean systems under climate change

Ana M. Queirós^*, Klaus B. Huebert, Friedemann Keyl, Jose A. Fernandes, Willem Stolte, Marie Maar, Susan Kay, Miranda C. Jones, Katell G. Hamon, Gerrit Hendriksen, Youen Vermard, Paul Marchal, Lorna R. Teal, Paul J. Somerfield, Melanie C. Austen, Manuel Barange, Anne F. Sell, Icarus Allen, Myron A. Peck

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

AbstractThe Paris Conference of Parties (COP21) agreement renewed momentum for action against climate change, creating the space for solutions for conservation of the ocean addressing two of its largest threats: climate change and ocean acidification (CCOA). Recent arguments that ocean policies disregard a mature conservation research field and that protected areas cannot address climate change may be oversimplistic at this time when dynamic solutions for the management of changing oceans are needed. We propose a novel approach, based on spatial meta‐analysis of climate impact models, to improve the positioning of marine protected areas to limit CCOA impacts. We do this by estimating the vulnerability of ocean ecosystems to CCOA in a spatially explicit manner and then co‐mapping human activities such as the placement of renewable energy developments and the distribution of marine protected areas. We test this approach in the NE Atlantic considering also how CCOA impacts the base of the food web which supports protected species, an aspect often neglected in conservation studies. We found that, in this case, current regional conservation plans protect areas with low ecosystem‐level vulnerability to CCOA, but disregard how species may redistribute to new, suitable and productive habitats. Under current plans, these areas remain open to commercial extraction and other uses. Here, and worldwide, ocean conservation strategies under CCOA must recognize the long‐term importance of these habitat refuges, and studies such as this one are needed to identify them. Protecting these areas creates adaptive, climate‐ready and ecosystem‐level policy options for conservation, suitable for changing oceans.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	3927-3936
Number of pages	0
Journal	Global Change Biology
Volume	22
Issue number	12
Early online date	26 Aug 2016
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13423
Publication status	Published - Dec 2016

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10.1111/gcb.13423

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Queirós, A. M., Huebert, K. B., Keyl, F., Fernandes, J. A., Stolte, W., Maar, M., Kay, S., Jones, M. C., Hamon, K. G., Hendriksen, G., Vermard, Y., Marchal, P., Teal, L. R., Somerfield, P. J., Austen, M. C., Barange, M., Sell, A. F., Allen, I., & Peck, M. A. (2016). Solutions for ecosystem‐level protection of ocean systems under climate change. Global Change Biology, 22(12), 3927-3936. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13423

@article{56194015f74d4f5681ee25eeee586aab,

title = "Solutions for ecosystem‐level protection of ocean systems under climate change",

abstract = "AbstractThe Paris Conference of Parties (COP21) agreement renewed momentum for action against climate change, creating the space for solutions for conservation of the ocean addressing two of its largest threats: climate change and ocean acidification (CCOA). Recent arguments that ocean policies disregard a mature conservation research field and that protected areas cannot address climate change may be oversimplistic at this time when dynamic solutions for the management of changing oceans are needed. We propose a novel approach, based on spatial meta‐analysis of climate impact models, to improve the positioning of marine protected areas to limit CCOA impacts. We do this by estimating the vulnerability of ocean ecosystems to CCOA in a spatially explicit manner and then co‐mapping human activities such as the placement of renewable energy developments and the distribution of marine protected areas. We test this approach in the NE Atlantic considering also how CCOA impacts the base of the food web which supports protected species, an aspect often neglected in conservation studies. We found that, in this case, current regional conservation plans protect areas with low ecosystem‐level vulnerability to CCOA, but disregard how species may redistribute to new, suitable and productive habitats. Under current plans, these areas remain open to commercial extraction and other uses. Here, and worldwide, ocean conservation strategies under CCOA must recognize the long‐term importance of these habitat refuges, and studies such as this one are needed to identify them. Protecting these areas creates adaptive, climate‐ready and ecosystem‐level policy options for conservation, suitable for changing oceans.",

author = "Queir{\'o}s, {Ana M.} and Huebert, {Klaus B.} and Friedemann Keyl and Fernandes, {Jose A.} and Willem Stolte and Marie Maar and Susan Kay and Jones, {Miranda C.} and Hamon, {Katell G.} and Gerrit Hendriksen and Youen Vermard and Paul Marchal and Teal, {Lorna R.} and Somerfield, {Paul J.} and Austen, {Melanie C.} and Manuel Barange and Sell, {Anne F.} and Icarus Allen and Peck, {Myron A.}",

year = "2016",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1111/gcb.13423",

language = "English",

volume = "22",

pages = "3927--3936",

journal = "Global Change Biology",

issn = "1354-1013",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd",

number = "12",

}

Queirós, AM, Huebert, KB, Keyl, F, Fernandes, JA, Stolte, W, Maar, M, Kay, S, Jones, MC, Hamon, KG, Hendriksen, G, Vermard, Y, Marchal, P, Teal, LR, Somerfield, PJ, Austen, MC, Barange, M, Sell, AF, Allen, I & Peck, MA 2016, 'Solutions for ecosystem‐level protection of ocean systems under climate change', Global Change Biology, vol. 22, no. 12, pp. 3927-3936. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13423

TY - JOUR

T1 - Solutions for ecosystem‐level protection of ocean systems under climate change

AU - Queirós, Ana M.

AU - Huebert, Klaus B.

AU - Keyl, Friedemann

AU - Fernandes, Jose A.

AU - Stolte, Willem

AU - Maar, Marie

AU - Kay, Susan

AU - Jones, Miranda C.

AU - Hamon, Katell G.

AU - Hendriksen, Gerrit

AU - Vermard, Youen

AU - Marchal, Paul

AU - Teal, Lorna R.

AU - Somerfield, Paul J.

AU - Austen, Melanie C.

AU - Barange, Manuel

AU - Sell, Anne F.

AU - Allen, Icarus

AU - Peck, Myron A.

PY - 2016/12

Y1 - 2016/12

N2 - AbstractThe Paris Conference of Parties (COP21) agreement renewed momentum for action against climate change, creating the space for solutions for conservation of the ocean addressing two of its largest threats: climate change and ocean acidification (CCOA). Recent arguments that ocean policies disregard a mature conservation research field and that protected areas cannot address climate change may be oversimplistic at this time when dynamic solutions for the management of changing oceans are needed. We propose a novel approach, based on spatial meta‐analysis of climate impact models, to improve the positioning of marine protected areas to limit CCOA impacts. We do this by estimating the vulnerability of ocean ecosystems to CCOA in a spatially explicit manner and then co‐mapping human activities such as the placement of renewable energy developments and the distribution of marine protected areas. We test this approach in the NE Atlantic considering also how CCOA impacts the base of the food web which supports protected species, an aspect often neglected in conservation studies. We found that, in this case, current regional conservation plans protect areas with low ecosystem‐level vulnerability to CCOA, but disregard how species may redistribute to new, suitable and productive habitats. Under current plans, these areas remain open to commercial extraction and other uses. Here, and worldwide, ocean conservation strategies under CCOA must recognize the long‐term importance of these habitat refuges, and studies such as this one are needed to identify them. Protecting these areas creates adaptive, climate‐ready and ecosystem‐level policy options for conservation, suitable for changing oceans.

AB - AbstractThe Paris Conference of Parties (COP21) agreement renewed momentum for action against climate change, creating the space for solutions for conservation of the ocean addressing two of its largest threats: climate change and ocean acidification (CCOA). Recent arguments that ocean policies disregard a mature conservation research field and that protected areas cannot address climate change may be oversimplistic at this time when dynamic solutions for the management of changing oceans are needed. We propose a novel approach, based on spatial meta‐analysis of climate impact models, to improve the positioning of marine protected areas to limit CCOA impacts. We do this by estimating the vulnerability of ocean ecosystems to CCOA in a spatially explicit manner and then co‐mapping human activities such as the placement of renewable energy developments and the distribution of marine protected areas. We test this approach in the NE Atlantic considering also how CCOA impacts the base of the food web which supports protected species, an aspect often neglected in conservation studies. We found that, in this case, current regional conservation plans protect areas with low ecosystem‐level vulnerability to CCOA, but disregard how species may redistribute to new, suitable and productive habitats. Under current plans, these areas remain open to commercial extraction and other uses. Here, and worldwide, ocean conservation strategies under CCOA must recognize the long‐term importance of these habitat refuges, and studies such as this one are needed to identify them. Protecting these areas creates adaptive, climate‐ready and ecosystem‐level policy options for conservation, suitable for changing oceans.

U2 - 10.1111/gcb.13423

DO - 10.1111/gcb.13423

M3 - Article

SN - 1354-1013

VL - 22

SP - 3927

EP - 3936

JO - Global Change Biology

JF - Global Change Biology

IS - 12

ER -

Solutions for ecosystem‐level protection of ocean systems under climate change

Abstract

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