DPLUS 071 - FINE SCALING THE DESIGN OF FALKLAND ISLANDS MARINE MANAGEMENT AREAS
Background
The Falkland Islands economy is heavily reliant on its marine environment. Commercial fisheries, tourism, shipping, potential offshore hydrocarbons and indeed its coastal landscapes and marine seascapes are central to Falkland Islands economic success. Recognizing the need for holistic marine management across all sectors and our maritime spaces, the Falkland Islands embarked on a long-term process of marine spatial planning (MSP), which includes the development of a network of marine management areas (MMAs) aligned to international criteria for marine protected areas (MPAs).
The marine environment on the Falklands has had management measures in place for a long time, however formal ‘Marine Spatial Planning’ was first explored in 2014 (MSP Phase I), as part of a Darwin-Plus funded project. Following its successful conclusion, the Falkland Islands Government (FIG)contracted SAERI, to undertake a second phase (MSP Phase II, 2016-18) which covered three key aspects; a legislative review; developing a strategy for MSP and an assessment of potential areas suitable for MMAs. The Assessment of Fishing Closure Areas as Sites (AFCAS) case study made evidence-based recommendations on potential MMAs that would meet international criteria for MPAs (Fig. 1). The AFCAS study identified three key areas: (1) the inshore areas of the Falkland Islands 3nm from the baseline, (2) Beauchêne Island and (3) the Burdwood Bank areas (See Fig. 2).
Figure 1. Simplified diagram showing marine spatial planning (MSP) and marine management areas (MMA) process
Figure 2. Map showing the Falkland Islands Outer Conservation Zone (FIOCZ) and the proposed marine management areas. These are the offshore Burdwood Bank (green), Beauchêne Island and the inshore marine management area (MMA; Stripped). Within the later, three sites have been highlighted for their abundant wildlife, these are Jason Islands, Bird Island and Cochon and Kidney Island.
Ander’s research interest is in human aspects of the marine environment and benthic ecology, having had experience working on benthic food-webs, terrestrially-derived organic matter and its dispersion, as well as working with fisheries and aquaculture. This interest has been developed through experience while living in different corners of the world. Originally from Spain, he obtained his BSc (Hons.) in Marine Science and MSc Marine Resources Development and Protection in Scotland, moving to South Africa to do his PhD. This work focused on the importance of terrestrial organic matter as a driver of benthic and pelagic nearshore ecosystems and on producing geochemical maps of the continental shelf on South Africa’s east coast. More recently he moved first to France – where he worked on a project to map the origin (terrestrial or marine) of benthic organic matter in the English Channel – and then to Seychelles (in the Indian Ocean). He greatly enjoyed the more social and applied aspects of his work, which was one of the reasons that the current position drew his interest; especially the amazing opportunity to set up three marine management areas in the South Atlantic with input from stakeholders.
Project Officer
DR MARINA COSTA
Marina holds an MSc degree in Biology as well as an MSc degree in Environmental Policy and Economy (Statale University of Milan, Italy). She alsohas a PhD in Marine Biology (St Andrews University, Scotland, UK). She boasts an extensive background in marine biology, working with marine benthic communities in the Mediterranean Sea and cetacean communities in several regions, including the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, North Sea and Red Sea. Since 2002 Marina has been collaborating with the Tethys Research Institute (of which she is a member) studying presence, abundance and habitat use of cetaceans in Greece and Italy (Adriatic Sea and Strait of Messina). In 2005-2006 she was the project manager and principal investigator for the project Dolphin Habitat Conservation and Sustainable Use Pilot Experience in the Egyptian Coastal Red Sea, focusing on Stenella longirostris abundance and residency. From 2010 to 2012 she was the Senior Marine Biologist and Consultant for the project Sustainable Development in the Southern Egyptian Red Sea, with the Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation (HEPCA). Marina’s professional interests are focused on cetacean abundance and habitat modelling together with development of awareness, education and capacity building to make research a tool for conservation. Marina is an experienced boat skipper, accomplished field cetologist and advanced SCUBA diver. She can speak Italian, English, French and some Modern Greek.
What makes these sites important?
The inshore marine management area and Beauchêne Island
A total of 67 species of seabirds, of which 22 species are consider breeders, have been counted in the Falkland Islands. It was estimated in the early 2000’s that the islands supported more than 2 million pairs of breeding prions. Many of the bird and mammal species have globally significant populations on the Falkland Islands. Some examples of these include as much as half of the world’s population dolphin gulls, 38% of the global population of southern rockhopper penguin populations and 74% of the global black-browed albatross population. Or over 100,000 sooty shearwaters just in Kidney Island during the summer season. In addition, three species of pinnipeds also use the coastal regions and outer islands for shelter and mating. The largest population of South American fur seals (Fig. 3) in the world inhabit the Falkland Islands, with an estimated population of 36,425. A total of 25 cetacean species have been recorded in the Falkland Islands , including two species of dolphins which are genetically distinct enough to be considered as different subpopulations from those occurring around South America. Species such as sei, southern right and killer whales are abundant and there are several other transient cetacean species that use the Falkland Islands on their way to Antarctica. The Jason, Bird, Kidney and Cochon Islands marine regions are being considered as strict nature reserves due to the high numbers of marine megafauna. Finally, Beauchêne Island, 54km south of the Falkland Islands, are believed to host 18% of the breeding black-browed albatross population and 12% of the breeding rockhopper population in the world, as well as more than 30 species of birds recorded, which led to the Island being designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA) in 2006.
The inshore benthos
In near shore Falkland Islands, there are large expanses of kelp. Kelp forests are recognised as being important for diversity, structurally complex ecosystems and highly productive regions worldwide. In the Falkland Islands kelp ecosystems are key to the health of our inshore, offshore ecosystems and the Falkland Islands fishery. They are important nursery grounds for many finfish and are a key trophic link between in the offshore and inshore. Also notable is the Falkland Islands most important domestic fishery, Loligo (Doryteuthis gahi), spawns in and around the kelp forests and the eggs can be found attached to both kelp, they also provide nursery grounds for their paralarvae. Further research continues to confirm that the inshore Falkland Islands are incredibly species diverse in terms of marine algae and its fauna. One of the reasons for this is that the islands were not completely glaciated in the last ice age (Last Glacial Maximum) and therefore offered refugia from ice scour. This is contrary to areas in southern South America. Recent work has shown that Falkland Islands species provided founder populations that recolonised southern South America and the sub-Antarctic.
The Burdwood Bank is known to be a key foraging area for marine megafauna. Wondering albatrosses, northern and southern giant petrels, white-chinned petrels, rockhopper penguins, elephant seals, sperm whales and orcas are just a few examples of large megafauna that utilise the Bank. It is also believed to be an important area for benthic fauna diversity. This area is important for taxa that breed below and above the Polar Front. On a field campaign on the east side of the Bank in the late 2018, at least 24 Classes of species were collected (yet to be identified to species level) on four different trawling efforts. This included 218 samples of Anthozoa, i.e. stony corals in this case. Because of their location, the ecology/biology of cold-water corals is not fully understood, however, these organisms are now known to be important nursery grounds for fish larvae, they are also known to be important for carbon sequestration. The Bank marks the (Eastern side of the) Southern continental shelf limit, and thus a hard-stop for organisms shifting Southwards; South of this, abyssal depths and the world’s strongest current, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, separate it from Antarctica. Thus, the Bank is an obvious location to monitor climate-mediated range and niche compression of native species and of the arrival of range-shift species. The Bank is very likely to become one of the most important shelf environment refuges for temperate species at their limit, providing very strong justification for protection status, if data can be gathered to support this.
PROJECT FUNDING AND PARTNERS
The project is funded by the Darwin Initiative through the UK Government
