Ecosystem and Fisheries Management
Building Resilient Ecosystems Through Science and Local Knowledge
Area-Based Management
Design
Identifying the optimal locations for area-based ecosystem management, such as no-fishing areas, is essential for maximizing population recovery and benefits for the fishing community. Scientific data and local knowledge are very useful. It can create a comprehensive understanding of the movement of individual fish and invertebrates. It can also check the health of critical habitats, and the locations of ecologically important areas such as spawning aggregation sites.
Design Approach
To maximize the biological and social advantages of protection, we employ an interdisciplinary approach to guide the design of marine ecosystem management areas. This includes marine protected areas (MPAs) and other effective conservation management areas (OECMs). Maps identifying priority areas that satisfy criteria for habitat area protection, enhance habitat quality, promote ecological connectedness for fisheries sustainability, facilitate resistance to climate change, and maximize social value are the outputs of the design process.
Training Partners On The Theory And Application
We train partners on the theory and application of Ecosystem Management, using local knowledge (i.e., spawning aggregation sites, community goals for the fishery, target fisheries species), scientific data (larval dispersal and adult movement patterns) and spatial data on critical habitats to design networks of protected areas. We provide access to scientific data (habitat maps, underwater survey data, larval dispersal data, climate change indicators) and local knowledge (fishing grounds, nursery sites, spawning sites, areas of cultural importance) needed to make informed decisions about the location of protected areas. The design approach puts data that has been largely inaccessible into the hands of local organizations and management groups that can use it to maximize potential benefit from protected areas.