Iterative mapping of marine ecosystems for spatial status assessment, prioritization, and decision support

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution

Ecology and Evolution

Mapula Makwela¹  Natasha Karenyi²  Maya Pfaff³  Lara J. Atkinson⁴  Melanie Lück-Vogel⁵  Zoleka Filander⁶  David Herbert⁷  Tamsyn Livingstone⁸  Andrew Green⁹  Wilhem Van Zyl^1,10  Hayley Cawthra^1,10  Stephen Holness^1,11  Linda R. Harris^1,11  Lara van Niekerk^1,12  Stephen Lamberth^1,13  Stephen Kirkman^1,14  Willem de Wet^1,15  Fiona Mackay^1,16  Sean Porter^1,16  Ryan Palmer^1,17  Anthony Bernard^1,17  Luther A. Adams^1,18  Jock Currie^1,18  Mariel Bessinger^1,18  Loyiso Dunga^1,19  Andrew Skowno^1,19  Mari-Lise Franken^1,19  Kerry J. Sink^2,20  Anisha Dayaram^2,21 

[1] Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa;Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa;Centre for Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa;Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa;Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Branch Oceans and Coasts, Cape Town, South Africa;Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa;Egagasini Node, South African Environmental Observation Network, Cape Town, South Africa;Coastal Systems Research Group, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Stellenbosch, South Africa;Department for Geography and Environmental Studies, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa;Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Branch Oceans and Coasts, Cape Town, South Africa;Department of Natural Sciences, National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, United Kingdom;Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa;Geological Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa;Geophysics and Remote Sensing Unit, Council for Geoscience, Cape Town, South Africa;Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa;Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa;Coastal Systems Research Group, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Stellenbosch, South Africa;Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa;Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Branch Fisheries Research and Development, Cape Town, South Africa;Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa;Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Branch Oceans and Coasts, Cape Town, South Africa;Marine Research Institute and Department of Geological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa;Oceanographic Research Institute, Durban, Kwa-Zula Natal, South Africa;South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Makhanda, South Africa;South African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town, South Africa;South African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town, South Africa;Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa;South African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town, South Africa;Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa;South African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town, South Africa;Restoration and Conservation Biology Research Group, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa;

关键词: ecosystem mapping;    evidence-based biodiversity management;    marine ecosystem map;    ecosystem types;    benthic ecosystems;    pelagic ecosystems;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fevo.2023.1108118

 received in 2022-11-25, accepted in 2023-02-28,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

South Africa has taken an iterative approach to marine ecosystem mapping over 18  years that has provided a valuable foundation for ecosystem assessment, planning and decision-making, supporting improved ecosystem-based management and protection. Iterative progress has been made in overcoming challenges faced by developing countries, especially in the inaccessible marine realm. Our aim is to report on the approach to produce and improve a national marine ecosystem map to guide other countries facing similar challenges, and to illustrate the impact of even the simplest ecosystem map. South Africa has produced four map versions, from a rudimentary map of 34 biozones informed by bathymetry data, to the latest version comprising 163 ecosystem types informed by 83 environmental and biodiversity datasets that aligns with the IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology. Data were unlocked through academic and industry collaborations; multi-disciplinary, multi-realm and multi-generational networks of practitioners; and targeted research to address key gaps. To advance toward a more transparent, reproducible and data-driven approach, limitations, barriers and opportunities for improvement were identified. Challenges included limited human and data infrastructure capacity to collate, curate and assimilate many data sources, covering a variety of ecosystem components, methods and scales. Five key lessons that are of relevance for others working to advance ecosystem classification and mapping, were distilled. These include (1) the benefits of iterative improvement; (2) the value of fostering relationships among a co-ordinated network of practitioners including early-career researchers; (3) strategically prioritizing and leveraging resources to build and curate key foundational biodiversity datasets and understand drivers of biodiversity pattern; (4) the need for developing, transferring and applying capacity and tools that enhance data quality, analytical workflows and outputs; and (5) the application of new technology and emerging statistical tools to improve the classification and prediction of biodiversity pattern. South Africa’s map of marine ecosystem types has been successfully applied in spatial biodiversity assessment, prioritization to support protected area expansion and marine spatial planning. These successes demonstrate the value of a co-ordinated network of practitioners who continually build an evidence base and iteratively improve ecosystem mapping while simultaneously growing ecological knowledge and informing changing priorities and policy.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Sink, Adams, Franken, Harris, Currie, Karenyi, Dayaram, Porter, Kirkman, Pfaff, van Niekerk, Atkinson, Bernard, Bessinger, Cawthra, de Wet, Dunga, Filander, Green, Herbert, Holness, Lamberth, Livingstone, Lück-Vogel, Mackay, Makwela, Palmer, Van Zyl and Skowno.