Priority-Setting Exercises at Various Scales

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Priority-Setting Exercises at Various Scales

• Tundi Agardy, Ph.D.
• Marine Biological Valuation Workshop
• 2-4 Dec 2004

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Interpretation of Task

• Address how to undertake biological valuation
• Not how to map biota or build databases
• Attaching value to a site determining priority
  areas

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Experience with priority-setting

• Two extremes in data-driven, objective analyses
• 1. Global scale CI Hotspots
• 2. Local scale Asinara Marine Park zoning

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CI Marine Hotspots

• 74 LMEs provided the framework
• Analysis of biodiversity, including species
  richness, endemism, habitat diversity
• Analysis of productivity and other ecological
  processes
• Analysis of degree of threat

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Resulting Priority Areas
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15 Highest Priority Areas

• Antillean/Bahamian LME
• Californian LME
• Celebes and Sulu Seas
• Galapagos LME
• Gulf of Guinea
• Indonesian Archipelago
• Mediterranean Sea
• Melanesian LME
• Micronesian Islands
• Northeast US/ Gulf of Maine
• Peruvian LME
• Red Sea
• Sea of Cortes
• Somali Current LME
• W Madagascar/ W Indian Gyre LME

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Asinara Marine Park Zoning

• Optimization using a MARXAN precursor
• Concordance analysis looking at maximizing
  certain kinds of objectives
• Presenting various sorts to zoning scenarios to
  target different objectives (biodiversity
  conservation, fisheries use, recreational, use,
  tourism development, etc.)

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Asinara A1 Zone Priorities
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Data used in concordance mapping

• Geology geomorphology
• Benthic assemblages
• Fish species diversity
• Nursery areas
• Patella feruginea, Caretta caretta sites
• Potential cetacean and Foca monacha sites
• Marine bird rookeries
• Archeologically important sites
• Scientific research sites
• Traditional and commercial fishing sites
• Aquaculture sites
• Recreational sites
• Navigation areas
• Industrial installations security zones
• Tourism infrastructure

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Results highlighting priorities vary

• Depending on what values are considered most
  important

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Learning from these two extremes

• 1. Scale matters
• 2. Knowing objectives a priori is crucial

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Examples from delphic processes

• LAC Priority-setting Exercise scale matters
• Mid-Atlantic Priority Oceans Areas objectives
  matter

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LAC Geographic Priorities

• Nine biogeographic provinces, with regions in
  each
• Top priorities selected in each region

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Mid-Atlantic Priority Ocean Areas

• 14 experts
• Criteria
• biodiversity
• high abundance
• migratory pathways
• physical features
• nursery/spawning areas
• endangered/threatened species
• fisheries
• Map notable for degree of non-overlap!

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A Possible Solution

• Hierarchical System Spanning Scales
• Different Objectives lead to focusing of
  conservation spotlight within each scale

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Example NAMPAN

• Largest scale (Continental) Ecoregions, with
  goal of representation
• Within Ecoregions Priority Conservation Areas,
  with goal of ecosystem-based management
• Within PCAs ecologically critical areas, with
  goals of biodiversity conservation or fisheries
  management, focusing on processes
• Within ECAs Specific MPAs

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Role of Focal Species

• Marine Species of Common Conservation Concern
  (MSCCC) priorities for different countries
• Umbrella function choose species whose
  protection will protect a whole suite of other
  species
• Span all scales, from local through ecoregions
  and Large Marine Ecosystems

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Other Hierarchical Examples

• Tanzania MPA Network
• Emerging Mediterranean Initiative
• (building on SPAMI)

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Thank you!