About Us

WP1 will provide a solid data base and archive, powerful tools, and user friendly access on the Internet to data, tools and news around ICZM

Objectives:
Examine the patterns of long term change in selected coastal ecosystems and thereby establish targets for the restoration and sustainable use of living marine resources.

1. Identification, validation and assembly of historical data (e.g. biomass, mean size, maturity, fecundity) relating to key aquatic resources in selected large marine ecosystems (LMEs);
2. Collation, analysis and dissemination of the historical data collected and processed in (1);
3. Establish baselines against which the current status of aquatic resources and LMEs can be evaluated and restoration goals can be set.

Description of work:

The "Shifting Baselines" workpackage addresses the "shifting baseline syndrome". In essence, this problem has emerged as each generation of fisheries and environmental scientists has accepted existing stock size and species composition as the baseline against which temporal changes are measured. However, if stocks are progressively depleted, a shift in the baseline occurs over time. This results in an accommodation of the creeping disappearance of resource species, and the application of inappropriate reference points for the evaluation of economic losses due to overfishing, and the identification of targets for rehabilitation policies. To resolve this problem, criteria for selecting key aquatic resources (stocks) within particular large marine ecosystems will be developed. Historical data on catch and effort, biomasses, length-frequencies, maximum sizes, size and age at maturity, growth rates, natural mortality, etc. will be assessed, collated and analysed to establish baselines against which the current status and restoration goals of key aquatic resources can be assessed. Likewise, historical data on catch and effort, production, biomasses, predator-prey interactions, flows, and habitat change will be mined, assessed, collated and analysed to establish baselines against which the current status and restoration goals of selected marine ecosystems can be assessed. These data will be disseminated in conjunction with WP 1 and will inform the work of colleagues engaged in WP 3-6.

The "Biomap" workpackage will provide authoritative knowledge about the occurrence of marine species in space and time and in response to climate change

The overall goal of the "Ecosystem Modelling" work package is to provide standardized ecosystem models for all selected ecosystems.

• Compile and make available all data relevant for the construction of models for the selected LMEs (interacts with WP-1)
• Construct standardized ecosystem models
• Work closely with WP 5 on the size and placement of protected areas.
• Explore patterns of response of impacted ecosystems, testing hypothesis on resilience and impact of fisheries on ecosystems.
• Contribute to the exploration of ecosystem attributes in a two-level strategy, one within each model exploring impact of fishing, compatibility of conservation and exploitation under sustainable use of the ecosystems, resilience, among others. The second level will be a meta-analysis, searching patterns of response of aquatic ecosystems (to human activities, ecosystem attributes, structural and functional behaviour, etc...) (interacts with WPs 1, 2 & 7)

The "MPA" workpackage will improve the basis for planning of MPAs with a view to reconciling demands especially of fisheries, biodiversity conservation and industrial uses including coastal aquaculture:

• Compile data from three selected case studies of MPAs, compare and contrast the stated objectives, operation, and known effectiveness of the MPAs with respect to location, resource and other factors;
• Conduct simulations of existing MPAs where feasible with respect to stock benefits/costs, and derive objective criteria for the placement of MPAs in all three case studies;
• Consider possible alternatives for design of MPA networks in the shelf systems, develop conceptual models for the planning of MPAs on continental shelves, and apply these to the selected case studies.

To develop a framework for compilation and analysis of data for the understanding of interactions and flows in the coastal zone;
To provide coastal managers with a decision-making framework and communication tool for integrated management plan for coastal areas

Identify, apply, and evaluate the use of indicators that have the potential to end overfishing.

Valuation of Coastal Ecosystem Products and Services

Impact of Ecotourism on Ecosystems

Legal Instruments for Sustainable Fishing

Project Management