Biodiversity Conservation* and Ecosystem Health · Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystem Health in “Marine Nation 2025” Identified National Challenge Knowledge gaps for evidence-based

Biodiversity Conservation* and

Ecosystem Health#

* Sabine Dittmann# Peter Doherty

White paper contributions:Lead author Title

Baker Marine Biotechnology; extracting value from marine biodiversity.Bax Discovery, prediction and monitoring.

Campbell Nonindigenous marine species effects to biodiversity conservation and ecosystem health.

Costanza Ecosystem services from healthy oceans and coasts.

Creighton R&D priorities – Australia’s estuaries, embayments and nearshore marine environments.

Doblin Marine microorganisms form the foundation of healthy ocean ecosystems and successful marine industries.

Gillanders Ecosystem health.Harrison Marine vertebrate conservation (including threatened and protected species).

Hutchings Aspects of classifying, cataloguing, curating and systematics of marine biodiversity.

Kenchington R&D priorities – Marine Protected Areas.Kendrick Benthic ecosystems.Poloczanska Climate change impacts.

Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystem Health in “Marine Nation 2025”

Identified National Challenge Knowledge gaps for evidence-based decision making and

management for biodiversity conservation:• Biodiversity, habitat mapping in unexplored areas• Ecosystem functions and processes• Cumulative impact of multiple stressors

Key research areas• Discovery• Monitoring• Decision-support tools

GeoScience Australia

Biodiversity Conservation & Ecosystem Health

Research priorities Realisation Relevance

Inventories & Discoveries

Integrated monitoring & research program

Reporting & evaluationData,

knowledge & decision

support

ModellingEcosystem service

valuation

Adaptive managementLong-term

ecological research Experimental

Facility

Surveys & mapping

Monitoring & Reporting

Long-term data streams

Research Hubs

Management & conservation

Framework• Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation

(EPBC) Act 1999 • National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas

(NRSMPA)• Commonwealth Marine Bioregional Plans

(IMCRA Integrated Marine and Coastal Regionalisation of Australia)• Australia’s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy 2010-2013• Marine Parks & other legislation in States

Biodiversity Conservation

IUCN Promise of Sydney (Nov 2014):…healthy oceans are critical to life on earth and must be protected at much greater scale…

International relevance• Australia signatory to international agreements

e.g. CBD – Convention of Biological Diversity,CMS – Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species

• Contributions to global programse.g. IPCC – Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change,

IWC - International Whaling Commission,GOOS – Global Ocean Observing Program

• Participation in global initiatives e.g. CoML – Census of Marine Life

• Global impact of Australian research related to marine biodiversity conservation and ecosystem science –publications, leadership, tools


Census of marine life (2010) Highlights…

Key issuesBiodiversity Conservation

Biodiversity inventories and discoveries (1)Knowledge gaps

• Unknown biodiversity, especially continental shelf and deep sea, and microbiota

• Description & classification of species• Unknown distribution patterns and abundance

Science needs

• Inventory and description of marine biota, incl. marine invasive species, using traditional and molecular techniques

• Empirical data collections on distribution and abundance of organisms, incl. tracking of movements

• Identification of Key Ecological Features (KEFs) and Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs)

• Bioinnovation research


Relevance • Inform management and conservation (e.g. data deficiency for potentially vulnerable species)

• Refine bioregionalisation (IMCRA)• Support NRSMPA to achieve a comprehensive,

adequate, and representative system of marine reserves• Support biodiscovery and marine biotechnology• International networks to manage marine invasive species• Inform climate-change research

Perspective • Museums and herbaria as national archives of flora & fauna• Searchable electronic databases for marine biodiversity

collections• Career paths in taxonomy and systematics• Upscaling of biosecurity research

Biodiversity inventories and discoveries (2)

Biodiversity Conservation Monitoring and reporting (1)

Knowledge gaps

• Incomplete mapping of EEZ by sonar (~ 6% at high resolution)

• Imperfect surrogates and proxies for biodiversity• Microbial communities and micro-invertebrates largely

unknown• Time series for threatened species

Science needs

• Robust, quantitative and adequate time-series • Standardised monitoring and sampling approaches • Nationally-consistent habitat classification scheme• Precision seabed mapping• Indicators for trends in ecosystems, incl.

climate change related changes• Develop rapid assays using microbes

Spotted Handfish, endemic to Australia, critically endangered

Brachionichthys hirsutus

Harris & Baker (2012)

Murray Mouth and Coorong 2004-2013

200420052006

2007

2008

2009

20102011

2012

2013

2D Stress: 0.05

Biodiversity Conservation Monitoring and reporting (2)Relevance • Requirement for robust national monitoring, reporting and

evaluation• Deliver status and trend data (e.g. for State of

Environment reporting; Climate Change Report Cards)• Inform recovery plans for threatened species• Assess effectiveness of management and intervention

actions• NRSMPA reserves as reference sites• Risk mitigation of habitat loss from climate change

Perspective • Nationally consistent monitoring and reporting framework• Comprehensive inventories and monitoring • Technologies for monitoring in deep sea• Long term monitoring and evaluation framework

Biodiversity Conservation Common agreement in submissions

Bak

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Bax

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Polo

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Clim

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Inventories and discoveries √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √

Monitoring and reporting √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √







support


valuation



Facility

Surveys & mapping



Research Hubs



Science need &

Priorities

Surveys & maps

Long-term

research

Experi-mental

facilities

Research Hubs / CoE

Skilled people

Data infra-structure

Inventories & discoveries

√• Vessels• Techno-

logy

√• IMOS• LTER

√ √• Marine

Biodiversity Hub• Marine Vertebrate

Science Centre • Marine Taxonomic

Facility

√ √

Monitoring & reporting

√• Vessels• Techno-

logy

√• IMOS• LTER

√•Network of marine stations

√• Marine

Biodiversity Hub• Marine Vertebrate

Science Centre • Marine Taxonomic

Facility

√ √

Realisation

Biodiversity Conservation Overlap with other themes

Sov

erei

gnty

, sec

urity

, na

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Ene

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secu

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Food

sec

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Dea

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Opt

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Urb

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Infra

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Key issues Inventories and discoveries √ √ √ √ √

Monitoring and reporting √ √ √ √ √ √

Realisation Surveys & maps √ √ √ √ √

Long-term research √ √ √

Experimental facilities √ √

Research Hubs / CoE √ √ √

Skilled people √

Data infrastructure √ √ √ √ √ √

Recommended prioritisation and realisationAction Area Within 5 yrs Within 10 yrs Within 20 yrs

Baseline surveys

Digitise historical knowledge on marine biodiversity held by museums and herbariaClose the most critical knowledge gaps on habitats and biodiversity for the NRSMPA

Evaluate the effectiveness of the NRSMPA against objectives Reverse the decline in national capacity for taxonomic studiesMake national collections of biodiversity more accessible to biodiscovery research

Continue to prospect invertebrate communities and convert that knowledge to useful outcomes

Vertebrate conservation

Restore funding for research on Australian mammals of conservation interest including species known to be “data deficient” Conduct risk analyses to identify species threatened by mobility

Expand funding to other phyla (e.g. sea snakes, marine turtles, seabirds, marine fishes) after assessment of relative risk

Monitor all populations of key species supported by recovery plans

Long-term ecological research

Establish long-term observation sites in conjunction with the NRSMPA to audit reserve performance and to provide reference data for off-reserve management actions

Understand the likely responses and limits of marine species to climate change

Sustain key data streams to inform operational models








support


valuation



Facility

Surveys & mapping



Research Hubs


Theme 4: Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystem HealthPeter Doherty

The health of marine ecosystems has been assessed by examining the status and trends of the major physical and chemical processes that maintain the quality of thebiodiversity and habitats in each region.

Outbreaks of diseases, non‐natural algal blooms and infestations by pests have been assessed as symptoms of an unhealthy marine ecosystem.

State of the Environment Report 2011

Theme 4: Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystem Health

• Marine ecosystems provide a wide range of goods and services• Estuaries and coastal waters are the most productive marine

ecosystems and underpin the bulk of fisheries on narrow shelves• Ecosystem services (gas regulation, nutrient cycling, etc) far exceed

the value of conventional marketed economic goods and services• The “public goods” nature of ecosystem services means that

oceans are undervalued in both private and public decision‐making around use, conservation and restoration


• Marine ecosystems are submerged and “out of sight”• We cannot manage what we do not see

– Shallow lenses of space and time– Shifting baselines cloud our vision

• Management is often reactive after large change or extreme event– Unprepared for the challenge of multiple cumulative pressures– Not assisted by jurisdictional and legal frameworks

Pre‐clear coastal ecosystems Post‐clear coastal ecosystems

State of the Environment Report 2011

De’ath et al (2012) The 27‐year decline of coral cover on the GBR and its causes. PNAS 109 179955

Stone Island 1890Source: GBRMPA

Stone Island 2012 Source: UQ

Reef Plan Report Card

“Even with the recent management initiatives to reduce threats and improve resilience, the overall outlook for the Great Barrier Reef is poor, has worsened since 2009 and is expected to further deteriorate in the future”

“The outlook for the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem is at a crossroad, and it is decisions made in the next few years that are likely to determine its long-term future”

Repair and restoration of ecosystem services is possible –restore connectivity

Restoration of near extinct shellfish reefs as fish habitats with benefits to water quality

Source: CSIRO

Protection of coastal water quality will benefit future economic activity


• We do not try to manage what we cannot see– Marine microbes are 50‐90% of ocean biomass, responsible for 50% of

global primary production, drive all major BCG cycles, control climate…– Pathogens are a significant threat to aquaculture & public health– Microbes are first responders to environmental change – hence their

immense potential as indicators and sentinels of ecosystem health

• Marine microbes will undoubtedly be sources of new wealth and industries (drugs, antifoulants, remediation tools, biofuels, etc)

Managing ecosystems rather than components will require new tools and process understandingSource: CSIRO

Source: CSIRO

Source: CSIRO

Source: CSIRO


• Invest in integrated monitoring of continental shelf ecosystems– Long‐term data streams are essential (change detection, feedback on actions)– Exploit potential of the NRSMPA (reference sites)

• Realise opportunities for quick return from ecosystem repair– Active rather than passive recovery to bypass the hysteresis trap– Measure effectiveness of actions

• Create new generation of management theory and tools– Decisions based on cumulative pressures, and dealing with uncertainty– Plausible models for scenario evaluation (choose among options)

• Manage adaptively for better outcomes– Validate with transdisciplinary partnerships (stakeholder buy in)– Fill critical knowledge gaps on ecological processes and vulnerabilities– “Learn from doing”

Documents

Biodiversity Conservation* and Ecosystem Health · Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystem Health in “Marine Nation 2025” Identified National Challenge Knowledge gaps for evidence-based