Top marine predators like tuna and sharks are suffering from the effects of climate change as the availability of prey decreases and the spatial distribution of their prey shifts. Countless other marine plants and animals are also affected.
One way to adapt to or mitigate these changes is to design marine protected areas (MPA) and MPA networks that integrate these and other climate-related considerations.
Accordingly, the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) has published Scientific Guidelines for Designing Resilient Marine Protected Area Networks in a Changing Climate in collaboration with the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and based on the work of thirty-three of North America’s top experts. The published guidelines were launched at the Restore America’s Estuaries Conference in Tampa, Florida.
Climate change is affecting the earth’s oceans and many of the species that depend on them. Warmer ocean temperatures are being associated with smaller populations of phytoplankton and zooplankton, an important food source for fish and marine mammals. Rising coastal sea levels may impact nesting sites for turtles and habitat for marine birds. Also, the carbon cycle is being impacted by warmer temperatures and ocean acidification. This bleaches and kills coral reefs, a major undersea habitat and nursery for countless species of fish, shellfish and crustaceans of vital importance to us, and is negatively influencing natural carbon sinks such as mangroves, salt marches, seagrasses, and tidal wetlands, reducing their ability to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
MPA size, placement, and their respective role in reducing pressures such as fishing and coastal habitat conversion, are just some of the considerations for designing resilient MPAs in light of climate change. The CEC’s practical set of guidelines will help scientists, MPA planners and managers improve their ability to design, connect, manage, assess and adapt MPAs and MPA networks to potential climate change at national and continental scales. The guidelines are broken down into four sections:
1.Protect species and habitats with crucial ecosystem roles, or those of special conservation concern 2.Protect potential carbon sinks 3.Protect ecological linkages and connectivity pathways for a wide range of species 4.Protect the full range of biodiversity present in the target biogeographic area
In November 2012 the CEC will be publishing a companion piece—a practical guide for MPA managers and network planners on how to implement these guidelines. North America is an ideal region to pilot this global effort because of the interconnectivity of its oceans, diverse marine life and its nearly 2000 MPAs. The guidelines identify some of the benefits of working collaboratively across a region such as North America, considering that connectivity is particularly important for migratory species and species that move throughout their life stages. The guidelines also advocate that international collaboration strengthens capacity through shared experiences.
CEC short films show how MPAs help sustain communities and protect marine life.
The CEC recently launched a series of four films featuring remarkable places along the coasts of Canada, the United States and Mexico that protect our continent’s incredible variety of marine life and help sustain our communities.
They were produced through a unique collaboration of marine protected area agencies and aquarium learning centers in the three countries of North America.
