The Benefits to People of Expanding Marine Protected Areas

This study focuses on how the economic value of marine ecosystem services to people and communities is expected to change with the expansion of marine protected areas (MPAs). It is recognised, however, that instrumental economic value derived from ecosystem services is only one component of the overall value of the marine environment and that the intrinsic value of nature also provides an argument for the conservation of the marine habitats and biodiversity

Progress and challenges in coupled hydrodynamic-ecological estuarine modeling

© The Author(s), 2015. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Estuaries and Coasts 39 (2016): 311-332, doi:10.1007/s12237-015-0011-y.Numerical modeling has emerged over the last several decades as a widely accepted tool for investigations in environmental sciences. In estuarine research, hydrodynamic and ecological models have moved along parallel tracks with regard to complexity, refinement, computational power, and incorporation of uncertainty. Coupled hydrodynamic-ecological models have been used to assess ecosystem processes and interactions, simulate future scenarios, and evaluate remedial actions in response to eutrophication, habitat loss, and freshwater diversion. The need to couple hydrodynamic and ecological models to address research and management questions is clear because dynamic feedbacks between biotic and physical processes are critical interactions within ecosystems. In this review, we present historical and modern perspectives on estuarine hydrodynamic and ecological modeling, consider model limitations, and address aspects of model linkage, skill assessment, and complexity. We discuss the balance between spatial and temporal resolution and present examples using different spatiotemporal scales. Finally, we recommend future lines of inquiry, approaches to balance complexity and uncertainty, and model transparency and utility. It is idealistic to think we can pursue a “theory of everything” for estuarine models, but recent advances suggest that models for both scientific investigations and management applications will continue to improve in terms of realism, precision, and accuracy.NKG, ALA, and RPS acknowledge support from the USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program. DKR gratefully acknowledges support from NSF (OCE-1314642) and NIEHS (1P50-ES021923-01). MJB and JMPV gratefully acknowledge support from NOAA NOS NCCOS (NA05NOS4781201 and NA11NOS4780043). MJB and SJL gratefully acknowledge support from the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program—Defense Coastal/Estuarine Research Program (RC-1413 and RC-2245)

Progress and Challenges in Coupled Hydrodynamic-Ecological Estuarine Modeling

Numerical modeling has emerged over the last several decades as a widely accepted tool for investigations in environmental sciences. In estuarine research, hydrodynamic and ecological models have moved along parallel tracks with regard to complexity, refinement, computational power, and incorporation of uncertainty. Coupled hydrodynamic-ecological models have been used to assess ecosystem processes and interactions, simulate future scenarios, and evaluate remedial actions in response to eutrophication, habitat loss, and freshwater diversion. The need to couple hydrodynamic and ecological models to address research and management questions is clear because dynamic feedbacks between biotic and physical processes are critical interactions within ecosystems. In this review, we present historical and modern perspectives on estuarine hydrodynamic and ecological modeling, consider model limitations, and address aspects of model linkage, skill assessment, and complexity. We discuss the balance between spatial and temporal resolution and present examples using different spatiotemporal scales. Finally, we recommend future lines of inquiry, approaches to balance complexity and uncertainty, and model transparency and utility. It is idealistic to think we can pursue a theory of everything for estuarine models, but recent advances suggest that models for both scientific investigations and management applications will continue to improve in terms of realism, precision, and accuracy

A system dynamics approach towards assessing Posidonia oceanica habitat

Posidonia oceanica habitat is one of the most important coastal shallow water habitats in the Mediterranean region and provides highly valuable and varied ecological services such as supporting high species diversity, protecting against coastal erosion, and sequestering carbon. Posidonia oceanica habitat is declining as a result of a multitude of converging pressures, both natural and anthropogenic, in the coastal zone. The slow rate at which Posidonia oceanica meadows undergo recovery, in contrast to the rapid dynamics that bring about their decline, is consequently of great concern. The need to proactively manage this valuable resource must be met in order that the consequences of Posidonia oceanica habitat decline are not felt by social, economic and biological activities in the Mediterranean. This work identifies system dynamics modelling as an appropriate means of integrating the various factors relevant to Posidonia oceanica habitat in the coastal zone. The dissertation aims to synthesise knowledge about Posidonia oceanica habitat into a working model for a generic, hypothetical Posidonia oceanica meadow. The model’s purpose is to mimic the interactions of Posidonia oceanica growth with the algal epiphytes and algal grazers that occupy the meadow. These interactions are fundamental to the way in which Posidonia oceanica meadows contribute towards enhanced species diversity in the coastal zone. The System for Assessing Posidonia oceanica Habitat developed and described in this work is a first step towards a model capable of revealing the natural properties of P. oceanica habitat. The System for Assessing Posidonia oceanica Habitat is also described and validated fit for purpose in this dissertation. The System for Assessing Posidonia oceanica Habitat fulfils important purposes such as synthesising various data types into a logically consistent and defendable structure, and simulating responses typical of natural Posidonia oceanica habitat. The System for Assessing Posidonia oceanica Habitat may be improved and adapted, by future research efforts, to a tool that may be used to complement coastal management and decision making. Among the main suggestions made to direct future research efforts are: altering the time scale from a yearly to monthly or even daily time unit; including nutrient, water movement and temperature variables and dynamics; and modelling below ground, as well as above ground biomass compartments for Posidonia oceanica. Furthermore, future research work should adapt this model to encompass broad-scale, human-related dynamics in order to confirm its use in informing coastal management decisions

Availability of Coastal and Marine Data and Potential Applications for Development Co-operation

This report summarise the availability of coastal and marine data and highlights some of the potential applications such data may have in the context of development co-operation. The focus is on the data and the applications which already exist at the Global Environment Monitoring (GEM) Unit of the Institute of Environment and Sustainability (IES), and is not intended as a global overview of all possible use of data. The report also emphasises some potential new activities targeted to provision of information relevant for thematic policies and actions in EC and beneficiary countries and regions.JRC.H.3-Global environement monitorin

Assessing the Application Potential of Selected Ecosystem-Based, Low-Regret Coastal Protection Measures

Climate change and subsequent processes triggered by climate change demand novel assessments and protection schemes in coastal environments, as frequency and intensity of extreme events as well as mean sea water levels are expected to rise. Most often, conventional coastal engineering approaches are solely built for protection purposes, but often come with negative side-effects to the coastal environment and communities. During the last decade, new concepts in coastal engineering have started emerging. Several technical measures with an ecosystem-based design have been developed and, in some places, already implemented over the last decade. These low-regret measures, for instance green belts, coir fibers and porous submerged structures, reveal their full potential as stand-alone coastal protection or when used in combination with each other. They are believed – and in some cases documented – to be a better alternative or potential complement to conventional “hard” coastal engineering protection. Concrete examples are taken from the densely populated coastal area of Jakarta Utara (North Jakarta) and the National Capital Integrated Coastal Development (NCICD), showing benefits and further opportunities, but also challenges for applied low-regret coastal protection measures and ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction. An assessment of the application potential of three “soft” protection measures is given and discussed

Mapping Long-Term Changes in Eelgrass Meadows Using Aerial Photography

Masteroppgave i biologiBIO399MAMN-HAVSJMAMN-BI

The Colour of Ocean Data: International Symposium on oceanographic data and information management, with special attention to biological data. Brussels, Belgium, 25-27 November 2002: book of abstracts

Ocean data management plays a crucial role in global as well as local matters. The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission -with its network of National Oceanographic Data Centres- and the International Council of Scientific Unions- with its World Data Centres- have played a major catalysing role in establishing the existing ocean data management practices. No one can think of data management without thinking of information technology. New developments in computer hard- and software force us to continually rethink the way we manage ocean data. One of the major challenges in this is to try and close the gap between the haves and the have-nots, and to assist scientists in less fortunate countries to manage oceanographic data flows in a suitable and timely fashion. So far major emphasis has been on the standardisation and exchange of physical oceanographic data in open ocean conditions. But the colour of the ocean data is changing. The ‘blue’ ocean sciences get increasingly interested in including geological, chemical and biological data. Moreover the shallow sea areas get more and more attention as highly productive biological areas that need to be seen in close association with the deep seas. How to fill in the gap of widely accepted standards for data structures that can serve the deep ‘blue’ and the shallow ‘green’ biological data management is a major issue that has to be addressed. And there is more: data has to be turned into information. In the context of ocean data management, scientists, data managers and decision makers are all very much dependent on each other. Decision makers will stimulate research topics with policy priority and hence guide researchers. Scientists need to provide data managers with reliable and first quality controlled data in such a way that the latter can translate and make them available for the decision makers. But do they speak the same ‘language’? Are they happy with the access they have to the data? And if not, can they learn from each other’s expectations and experience? The objective of this symposium is to harmonize ocean colours and languages and create a forum for data managers, scientists and decision makers with a major interest in oceanography, and open to everyone interested in ocean data management