Building foundations to monitor and conserve Falklands marine forest habitats

Seaweeds are a vital natural resource for the Falklands. The kelp forests habitats are major contributors to primary production, support diverse seaweed and faunal assemblages, provide spawning grounds for the Falklands squid fishery, nurseries for fish and are a major habitat for higher predators, including red-listed dolphins and whales. Threats include offshore oil exploration, fishing activities, invasive species and climate change. Potential consequences include changes in species composition, habitat loss and increased risk of invasive species spread.

Despite this, Falkland’s seaweeds are not well inventoried or studied. Yet this baseline knowledge is crucial, underpinning all biodiversity action and a critical knowledge gap for the Falkland’s Biodiversity Framework. By providing baseline data, available locally in SAERI’s data repository, offering identification and monitoring training, this project contributes to developing data systems, conservation policies and management plans (including baseline survey and subsequent monitoring). Seaweed biodiversity knowledge, including recognising key habitats, endemics and non-natives, will enable effective monitoring. This in turn will enable better management and conservation of the seaweed resource. Results will inform conservation, protection or management of the UKOTS marine environment and further the UK Government’s Blue Belt manifesto commitment. Identifying non-natives will contribute to dealing with invasive alien species.

This project aims to provide tools to enable environmental management through habitat monitoring through filling a major gap in baseline knowledge of seaweed biodiversity, populating local information systems and providing training in species identification.

During summer 2018, NHM researchers Juliet Brodie and Rob Mrowicki undertook an intensive four-week field expedition to survey seaweeds and collect new specimens from 30 sites across the Falklands. Further information can be found here.

It is being led by the Natural History Museum, and SAERI is a project partner.