Making BAP criteria ‘work’ for Making BAP criteria ‘work’ for marine conservationmarine conservation

Keith HiscockKeith HiscockMarine Biological AssociationMarine Biological Association

PlymouthPlymouth

“Making BAP criteria ‘work’ for marine conservation” means that the criteria identify species and habitats that:1. Are scientifically credible to scientists (so that they can

support the resulting lists of species and habitats).2. Are understandable/sensible for decision makers (so that

they can accept the constraints on development).3. Help to achieve the objectives/requirements of directives,

conventions and statutes.

It is a bonus if the criteria identify species and habitats that:1. We can take action to improve their status.

As well as BAP, now:

NIMF – Nationally Important Marine Features, which are:

See: Connor et al. 2002. Rationale and criteria for the identification of nationally important marine nature conservation features and areas in the UK. Version 02.11. Unpublished. Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough. (Available from: http://www.jncc.gov.uk/PDF/sg341.pdf)

• Areas that best represent the range of seascapes, habitats and species present in the UK – the UK’s marine biodiversity heritage.

• Seascapes, habitats and species for which we have a special responsibility in a national, regional or global context.

• Seascapes, habitats and species that have suffered significant decline in their extent or quality, or are threatened with such decline, and can thus be defined as being in poor status.

So, the presentation:1. Recent imperatives for marine – OSPAR, Johannesburg,

Marine Bill. 2. Context – how many marine species and habitats?3. Credibility - new tools for marine biodiversity conservation

since the mid-90’s. 4. Applying Nationally Important Marine Features (NIMF) and

Degree of Threat criteria to identify candidate biotopes and species – experience from doing it.

5. Incorporating NIMF and BAP species and habitats into decision making for marine environmental management and protection.

6. On the horizon – new approaches that include NIMF and BAP species and habitats to identify ‘marine biodiversity hotspots’.

7. Information and skills gaps to be filled – what we need to do – and what we need not to do.

ANNEX VOn the Protection and Conservation of the Ecosystems and

Biological Diversity of the Maritime Area

                

                    

                                                                                                   

 

(OSPAR has generated criteria for the identification of marine protected areas and lists of threatened habitats and species)

Recent imperatives:

(OSPAR has recommended the establishment by 2010 of an ecologically coherent network of well-managed marine protected areas )

32. … promote the conservation and management of the oceans through …:(c) … the establishment of marine protected areas consistent with international law and based on scientific information, including representative networks by 2012 …(d) … develop national regional and international programmes for halting the loss of marine biodiversity…

Recent imperatives:

Recent imperatives:

How many marine species?

Green algae (162) Other algae (83)

Dinoflagellates (440)

Uniflagellates (117)

Brown algae (233)

Diatoms (932)

Birds (218)

Red algae (427)

Other Vertebrates (38)

Fish (333)

Other invertebrates (573)

Sea squirts (122)

Echinoderms (148) Sea mats (295) Molluscs (873)

Crustaceans (2689)

Segmented worms (1020)

Round worms (410)

Gastrotrichs (141)

Sponges (356)Sea firs, anemones &

corals (386)

Numbers of marine species in major groups in Britain & Ireland (excluding

viruses, bacteria, cyanobacteria, & fungi)

See: www.marlin.ac.uk/PDF/MLTN_biodiversity.pdf

8, 229 multicellular marine species listed in the Species Directory for Britain and Ireland.

How many marine habitats?

262/370 biotopes (at Level 4/5) in the 2004 classification (Connor et al. 2004. See: www.jncc.gov.uk/page-1584)

Biotopes are the most common level at which habitats are classified: A biotope is: The smallest geographical unit of the biosphere or of a habitat that can be delimited by convenient boundaries and is characterized by its biota (Lincoln et al., 1998).

Phymatolithon calcareum maerl beds with hydroids and echinoderms in deeper infralittoral clean gravel or coarse sand (Code: IGS.Phy.HEc). Image: Keith Hiscock

‘New’ tools since the mid-90’s: the Species Directory (1997/99)

Now getting out-of-date and in need of replacement (NBN Species Dictionary or European Register of Marine Species?)

‘New’ tools since the mid 90’s:

The Britain and Ireland biotopes classification (Connor et al. 1997 and 2004. See: www.jncc.gov.uk/page-1584).

‘New’ tools since the mid 90’s: Identifying sensitivity and ‘threat of significant decline’ (MarLIN Biology and Sensitivity Key Information for species and biotopes)

www.marlin.ac.uk

Hiscock, K. & Tyler-Walters, H. 2006. Identifying sensitivity in marine ecosystems: the MarLIN programme. Hydrobiologia, 555, 309-320.

‘New’ tools since the mid 90’s: Criteria for the identification of Important Marine Areas*

• Typicalness• Naturalness• Size• Biological diversity• Critical area• Area important for a priority marine feature

* Defra, 2005. Review of Marine Conservation – Working Group report to Government. PB 9714. London, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/ewd/rmnc/pdf/rmnc-report-0704.pdf

“Features that qualify as special features or which are declined or threatened should contribute to the identification of these areas”. Encompasses OSPAR criteria: “THREATENED OR DECLINING SPECIES AND HABITATS/BIOTOPES”. [Include Rarity’ as information on decline is often lacking.] and IMPORTANT SPECIES AND HABITATS/BIOTOPES. [Refers to global (‘Proportional importance’) and UK (‘Regional importance’) distribution and population numbers.] and SENSITIVITY.

‘New’ tools since the mid 90’s: Criteria for identifying Nationally Important Marine Features

Defra, 2005. Review of Marine Conservation – Working Group report to Government. PB 9714. London, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/ewd/rmnc/pdf/rmnc-report-0704.pdf

CRITERION 1: Proportional ImportanceA high proportion of the populations of a species occurs within the UK. Species are categorised as follows:Global importance: a high (>25%) proportion of the global population of a species occurs within the UK.

Regional importance: a high (>30%) proportion of the regional (NE Atlantic within the OSPAR area) population of a species.CRITERION 2: Rarity

Marine species that are sessile or of restricted mobility are considered nationally rare if distribution is restricted to eight or less 10km squares (0.5%) within the 3 mile territorial seas limit of UK waters. A mobile species qualifies as nationally rare if the total population size is known, inferred or suspected to be fewer than 250 mature individuals. Outside of inshore areas, sparse survey data makes it difficult to apply

quantitative criteria and expert judgement is used.CRITERION 3: Decline

An observed, estimated, inferred or suspected significant decline (exceeding expected or known natural fluctuations) in numbers, extent or quality of a marine species in the UK (quality refers to life history parameters). Decline should be at least 25% in the past 25 years where figures are available.

CRITERION 4: Threat of declineIt is estimated, inferred or suspected that a species will suffer a significant decline in the foreseeable future

as a result of human activity. (Factors included for Biodiversity Action Plans: 1. It is predicted that the species will decline by 50% in a current 25 year period, or in the next 25 years; 2. The species is

believed to be long-lived (>25 years) with a low recovery potential and if action is not taken to reverse current trends then the species is likely to become extinct in the next 100 years.)

Species

How many species and habitats?

• 254 marine ‘Species of Conservation Concern’ (i.e. listed on conventions, directives and statutes) (information from JNCC)

• 8,229 multicellular marine species listed in the Species Directory for Britain and Ireland. (About 1/7 of terrestrial & freshwater numbers.)

• 47 marine species listed in Annex II, IV & V of the Habitats Directive

• 19 marine species (84 including grouped species) and 18 habitats (plus 6 broad habitats) listed in the 1999 Biodiversity Action Plan.• 402 candidate NIMF and 119 candidate (of which 57 are existing) BAP species in the recent MBA review to JNCC. (Not including sharks, skates & rays.)

• 52 candidate NIMF and 72 candidate BAP habitats in the recent MBA review. (Existing 18 BAP habitats are additional)

Numbers of species in major groups:Green algae (162) Other algae (83)

Dinoflagellates (440)

Uniflagellates (117)

Brown algae (233)

Diatoms (932)

Birds (218)

Red algae (427)

Other Vertebrates (38)

Fish (333)

Other invertebrates (573)

Sea squirts (122)

Echinoderms (148) Sea mats (295) Molluscs (873)

Crustaceans (2689)

Segmented worms (1020)

Round worms (410)

Gastrotrichs (141)

Sponges (356)Sea firs, anemones &

corals (386)

Numbers of marine species in major groups in Britain & Ireland (excluding

viruses, bacteria, cyanobacteria, & fungi)

See: www.marlin.ac.uk/PDF/MLTN_biodiversity.pdf

Initial numbers of candidate species submitted to JNCC from MBA-led review.

(Sharks, skates and rays to be added)

‘Threat of significant decline’ criteriaParticularly important for fragile species with short-lived propagules and/or that are long-lived, slow growing and may recruit infrequently

Note: whilst marine habitats are well ‘connected’ by the sea – that only benefits species with planktonic propagules and highly mobile species. ‘Networks’ of marine protected areas do not ‘work’ for most of the species that qualify under ‘Threat of significant decline’.

Sunset coral. Larva short-lived, settles very near parent.

Branching axinellid sponges. Very slow-growing & long-lived? (No colonisation new surfaces).

Fan mussel. Very long-lived larva. Devastated by mobile fishing gear. Mpa network needed?

Incorporating NIMF into decision-making

Adapted from: Hiscock, K. & Tyler-Walters, H. 2006. Identifying sensitivity in marine ecosystems: the MarLIN programme. Hydrobiologia, 555, 309-320.

Identifying ‘hotspots’

Part species and biotope richness Not endemism

Takes account of NIMF

Work currently underway by the MBA for WWF-UK: Workshop in Bristol on 26 July 2006

Issues: to resolve in identification of NIMF and BAP species and habitats1. Uneven coverage due to differing points-of-view from expert advisors.Most points-of-view concern ‘rarity’ including concepts of ‘naturally rare’ and issues of under-recorded.

3. Habitats Directive Annex 1 marine habitats too broad – most biotopes would qualify for BAP under “Habitat for which the UK has international obligations” criterion.

4. And, just because it’s a habitat in the Habitats Directive, does not necessarily mean that it has any special merit for protection – ross worm Sabellaria spinulosa reefs and ‘Shallow sandbanks slightly covered by seawater ….’

2. Some potential expert advisors too busy to advise.

Issues: Applying criteria to ‘old’ dataMarine is different to terrestrial: many marine habitats are in a close to natural state (not being managed to prevent succession) and the associated species and biotopes do not change greatly from year-to-year. Return to the same location, and you’ll find much the same biotopes and species:

And I should know

KH circa 1969

For instance, based on work by Forster (1954):

“The overall appearance of the fauna and flora was much as described in the 1950’s but with some species not re-found in 2003 and some species added to the lists from the 1950’s”

There are, of course, changes (e.g. Lundy)

But, often, we have to use old data as we do not have time to re-survey unless a part of statutory monitoring.

1986

2001

And habitat destruction has and is happening on a massive scale in places

(Lyme Bay now)

Survey data from the MNCR (1987-1998) (includes data from Northern Ireland surveys and BioMar surveys in Eire)

Survey data from the MBA MarLIN data access sub-programme. 1999

Issues: availability of data

Issues: there are significant gaps (MNCR data from MERMAID)

www.jncc.gov.uk/mermaid

Issues: Locating, accessing, validating and making available unpublished records

Part of unpublished 1927 survey data from Torbay, ‘rescued’ 2005

Issues: some data sets very time-consuming to enter to a database

See: www.mba.ac.uk/pmf

Issues: data sets in danger

Skips arrive at the (closed) Port Erin Marine laboratory on 3 July 2006Skips arrive at the (closed) Port Erin Marine laboratory on 3 July 2006

New survey: Intertidal biotope surveys (with ‘target notes’ for small-scale features)

A type of biodiversity – but searches for rich habitats and rare species needed to identify ‘special’ sites

Image courtesy of Envision. www.envision.uk.com

New survey: Biotope maps via acoustic survey and video: just a starting point -

species data is needed to identify rare, scarce or threatened species, richness and to apply NIMF & BAP criteria.

Issues: we need to ‘major’ on surveys that describe species occurrences and quantities - but they are not ‘fashionable’

Issues: decline of marine naturalists and associated knowledge

Sir Frederick S. RussellPhilip Henry Gosse

And finally,what it’s about:is keeping it looking like this