Agenda Item 6.1

Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs)

Prof Nic Bax, CSIRO Australia

Outline• Introduction• Western South Pacific• Caribbean and Western Mid Atlantic• Northeast Atlantic• Mediterranean Region• Concluding comments

• Facts:- 64% planet high seas- Oceans >95% biosphere- 14,000-100,000 seamounts- 64% (>130m) beyond

national jurisdiction

• Pressures:– Intensifying human uses- Climate change- Ocean acidification

Credit: Halpern et al. 2008 (Science 319)

Life started in the oceans90% of planet’s living biomass in oceans>50% animal phyla yet to make it to landNew species being found dailyEven new ecosystems ¾ of oceanic sharks & rays threatened or near threatened

Deepwater coral 3850m Tasmania

• Western South Pacific- GOODS Biogeographic

boundaries modified by SPREP member territories

- > 100m depth • Marine Biodiversity Value

– 10,000 islands covering 40 million sq km of ocean

– Epicentre of marine biodiversity

– Fisheries and tourism- Climate change- Ocean acidification

• Data–57 data layers

(including modelled interpretation)

–Physical oceanography (CSIRO)

–Seafloor geology + (GA)

–Deep sea coral (CoML and MCI)

–Fisheries (SPC)–Species diversity

(OBIS)–Birds (Birdlife

International)–Turtles, whales??

• Collaboration- 13 Pacific nations- 9 international organisations- SPREP supported by CSIRO

• Process– Initial identification– Explain data and criteria– Examine datasets on wall- Propose and justify- Enter into GIS database- Discuss and agree in plenary- Refine

26 Potential EBSAs

2 for future consideration

• ____

- ____ ____- ____ ____ __ _____ _ ____________- _________ ____ __ ____ _ _______

• ________ – ___________ _____ ____- ______ ______- ____ _____________

C1 Uniqueness or rarity C5 Biological productivityC2 Special importance for life-history stages of species C6 Biological diversityC3 Importance for threatened, endangered or declining species and/or habitats C7 NaturalnessC4 Vulnerability, fragility, sensitivity, or slow recovery

Region Number C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7Mediterranean 90 11 15 20 13 16 12 3Caribbean & W Mid-Atlantic 22 15 14 15 15 8 18 10Western South Pacific 26 13 14 10 9 8 10 9North East Atlantic 10 2 6 7 3 3 3 0

Total 148 41 49 52 40 35 43 22

Summary

• Good collaborations – nations and scientists• Valuable data collation• Expert driven process – second workshop

recommended for comprehensive result• EBSAs provide potential focus for research and

monitoring• Connectivity and network issues remain to be

resolved before COP IX/20 Annex II is considered.