Society for Conservation Biology, Annual Conference, Hawaii 2001.

Symposium:

The application of top predator distribution to the design and efficacy of marine reserves.

Organisers: Leah Gerber and Sascha K. Hooker

Significance of this topic

Ecological theory has recently been applied to the design of marine reserves with mixed success. Some of the lessons learned from these reserves have now been widely accepted (e.g., bigger is better, dispersal matters). One of the most interesting questions to emerge from initial explorations of reserve design theory is the significance of life history detail. Most models of marine reserves have been developed with mid-trophic level fish in mind (e.g., rockfish), but much marine conservation concerns top-predators such as marine mammals and seabirds. In the terrestrial realm, Michael Soulé and others advocating “wildlands” have argued that the only way to maintain top carnivores such as elephants, grizzly bears, or wolves is through the allocation of much larger fractions of land in protected areas than other reserve planning methods would suggest. This may be a generality that applies to top carnivores regardless of ecosystem.

As yet, the designation of marine reserves for marine mammals and birds has largely taken place without ecological input and no-take zones for fishery recovery have not considered the conservation concerns of these top predators. At the same time, marine sanctuaries are being established worldwide based on their marine mammal or bird fauna (e.g., Southern Ocean Sanctuary, California sea otter game refuge). However, as yet, there is little systematic theory for how to select, design and monitor these reserves. Furthermore, the efficacy of these areas to protect their target species is not clear. A rational and informed structure for the designation of conservation strategies for marine birds and mammals is therefore urgently required. Our symposium will bring together individuals with substantial knowledge from their specific research systems, ranging in size and life-history requirements from sea otters to blue whales, and in habitat from the subarctic to the subtropics.

Goals of the symposium

Our symposium will focus on reviewing case-studies and approaches for the design of marine reserves based on marine mammal and bird distributions, as well as modeling approaches to designing reserves for these top predators. We will emphasize assessment of the similarities and differences between approaches in the marine and terrestrial realms. Discussion of several ecological issues and their application to marine reserve design will also be encouraged, particularly the concept of "indicator" species as applied to top marine predators, and issues of life-history in the design and management of reserves.

Speakers:

Keynote Presentation (1/2 hour presentation)

Dee Boersma, University of Wasington, USA

Marine Reserves and marine zoning as tools for the conservation of marine mammals and seabirds

Theoretical Approaches to Marine Reserves

Andy Dobson, Princeton University, USA

Marine reserves: Are there any lessons to be learnt from terrestrial reserve systems?

Leah Gerber, National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, USA

Demographic sensitivity analysis as a tool for marine reserve design

Fiorenza Micheli, University of Pisa, Italy

Incorporating multispecies interactions in marine reserve design

Eli Holmes, National Marine Fisheries Service, USA

Monitoring the effect of marine protected areas for long-lived marine mammals, a case study

Near-shore MPAs

Kevin Lafferty, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA

Fishing predators leads to overgrazing and disease

Glenn VanBlaricom, University of Washington, USA

Restoring top carnivores and fisheries: The ecological naivite of multipurpose marine reserves

Offshore MPAs

Sascha Hooker, British Antarctic Survey, UK

The use of higher predators as indicator species: the Gully, a case study

David Hyrenbach, Scripps Inst. Oceanography, USA

MPA Design Criteria: Oceanographic Considerations

Ian Boyd, British Antarctic Survey, UK

Top predator foraging distributions in the Scotia Sea, Antarctica: Implications for reserve design

Current Selection criteria for Marine Reserves

John Harwood, University of St. Andrews, UK

Purpose, identification and management of Special Areas for Conservation of marine mammals in Europe

Sarah Allen, National Park Service, USA

Selection criteria for marine protected areas in the Gulf of the Farallones, California

Link to abstracts from the conference

Link to published paper resulting from this: Hooker, S.K., and L.R. Gerber. 2004. Marine reserves as a tool for ecosystem-based management: the potential importance of megafauna BioScience 54: 27-39. [Adobe PDF file]