National-scale marine bioregions for the Southwest Pacific

Maria Beger; Hans Wendt; Jonah Sullivan; Claire Mason; Jimaima LeGrand; Kate Davey; Stacy Jupiter; Daniela M. Ceccarelli; Alex Dempsey; Graham Edgar; David A. Feary; Douglas Fenner; Marian Gauna; Hannah Grice; Sahar Noor Kirmani; Sangeeta Mangubhai; Sam Purkis; Zoe T. Richards; Randi Rotjan; Rick Stuart-Smith; Helen Sykes; Naushad Yakub; Andrew G Bauman; Alec Hughes; Jason Raubani; Adam Lewis; Leanne Fernandes

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110710

National-scale marine bioregions for the Southwest Pacific

Maria Beger
, Hans Wendt
, Jonah Sullivan
, Claire Mason
, Jimaima LeGrand
, Kate Davey
, Stacy Jupiter
, Daniela M. Ceccarelli
, Alex Dempsey
, Graham Edgar
, David A. Feary
, Douglas Fenner
, Marian Gauna
, Hannah Grice
, Sahar Noor Kirmani
, Sangeeta Mangubhai
, Sam Purkis
, Zoe T. Richards
, Randi Rotjan
, Rick Stuart-Smith

Helen Sykes, Naushad Yakub, Andrew G Bauman, Alec Hughes, Jason Raubani, Adam Lewis, Leanne Fernandes

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Existing marine bioregions covering the Pacific Ocean are conceptualised at spatial scales that are too broad for national marine spatial planning. Here, we developed the first combined oceanic and coastal marine bioregionalisation at national scales, delineating 262 deep-water and 103 reef-associated bioregions across the southwest Pacific. The deep-water bioregions were informed by thirty biophysical environmental variables. For reef-associated environments, records for 806 taxa at 7369 sites were used to predict the probability of observing taxa based on environmental variables. Both deep-water and reef-associated bioregions were defined with cluster analysis applied to the environmental variables and predicted species observation probabilities, respectively to classify areas with high taxonomic similarity. Local experts further refined the delineation of the bioregions at national scales for four countries. This work provides marine bioregions that enable the design of ecologically representative national systems of marine protected areas within offshore and inshore environments in the Pacific.

Original language	American English
Article number	110710
Journal	Marine Pollution Bulletin
Volume	150
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110710 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110710
State	Published - Jan 1 2020
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2019

Funding

This study was supported by the country representatives of the Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Managementin Pacific Island Countries (MACBIO) project. We particularly thank in-country experts who helped refine and finalise the marine bioregions for use in their respective countries. MACBIO was funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety's (BMUB's) International Climate Initiative (IKI). It was implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) with the countries of Fiji, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu. It had technical support from the Oceania Regional Office of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and worked in close collaboration with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP). Significant assistance with data provision was provided by the following people and institutions: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Reef Life Survey; Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC); Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP); The Nature Conservancy (TNC); UNEP-WCMC; WorldFish Centre; World Resources Institute (WRI), Gerry Allen, Simon Donner (UBC), Maël Imirizaldu (Marine Conservation Consulting), Stuart Sandin (Scripps Institution of Oceanography), Karen Stone (Vava'u Environmental Protection Association), Paul Muir (Museum of Tropical Queensland), Yashika Nand and Waisea Naisilisili (Wildlife Conservation Society Fiji), Peter Houk (University of Guam) and the Micronesia Coral Reef Monitoring program, Emre Turak, and Kate Fraser, Badi R Samaniego, Janet Eyre working with the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation. We are further grateful to the University of Queensland and the University of Leeds for assistance with administration, and to Geoscience Australia for releasing Mr Sullivan for this project. The report benefitted from comments by Mark Spalding and Piers Dunstan, and the help of Roopinder Nagra. This study was supported by the country representatives of the Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Managementin Pacific Island Countries (MACBIO) project. We particularly thank in-country experts who helped refine and finalise the marine bioregions for use in their respective countries. MACBIO was funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety's (BMUB's) International Climate Initiative (IKI). It was implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) with the countries of Fiji, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu. It had technical support from the Oceania Regional Office of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and worked in close collaboration with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP). Significant assistance with data provision was provided by the following people and institutions: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Reef Life Survey; Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC); Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP); The Nature Conservancy (TNC); UNEP-WCMC; WorldFish Centre; World Resources Institute (WRI), Gerry Allen, Simon Donner (UBC), Maël Imirizaldu (Marine Conservation Consulting), Stuart Sandin (Scripps Institution of Oceanography), Karen Stone (Vava'u Environmental Protection Association), Paul Muir (Museum of Tropical Queensland), Yashika Nand and Waisea Naisilisili (Wildlife Conservation Society Fiji), Peter Houk (University of Guam) and the Micronesia Coral Reef Monitoring program, Emre Turak, and Kate Fraser, Badi R Samaniego, Janet Eyre working with the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation. We are further grateful to the University of Queensland and the University of Leeds for assistance with administration, and to Geoscience Australia for releasing Mr Sullivan for this project. The report benefitted from comments by Mark Spalding and Piers Dunstan, and the help of Roopinder Nagra.

Funders
BMUB's
IUCN
Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation
Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Managementin Pacific Island Countries
Oceania Regional Office of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature
Roopinder Nagra
Stuart Sandin
UNEP-WCMC
Vava'u Environmental Protection Association
WorldFish Centre
Yashika Nand and Waisea Naisilisili
Nature Conservancy
World Resources Institute
University of Leeds
University of Queensland
Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz, Bau und Reaktorsicherheit
University of Guam
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Pollution
Aquatic Science
Oceanography

Keywords

Bioregionalisation
Conservation planning data
Coral reef biodiversity
Hierarchical cluster analysis
Pelagic environment
Species distribution modelling

Disciplines

Marine Biology
Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology

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Cite this

Beger, M., Wendt, H., Sullivan, J., Mason, C., LeGrand, J., Davey, K., Jupiter, S., Ceccarelli, D. M., Dempsey, A., Edgar, G., Feary, D. A., Fenner, D., Gauna, M., Grice, H., Kirmani, S. N., Mangubhai, S., Purkis, S., Richards, Z. T., Rotjan, R., ... Fernandes, L. (2020). National-scale marine bioregions for the Southwest Pacific. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 150, Article 110710. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110710, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110710

Beger, M, Wendt, H, Sullivan, J, Mason, C, LeGrand, J, Davey, K, Jupiter, S, Ceccarelli, DM, Dempsey, A, Edgar, G, Feary, DA, Fenner, D, Gauna, M, Grice, H, Kirmani, SN, Mangubhai, S, Purkis, S, Richards, ZT, Rotjan, R, Stuart-Smith, R, Sykes, H, Yakub, N, Bauman, AG, Hughes, A, Raubani, J, Lewis, A & Fernandes, L 2020, 'National-scale marine bioregions for the Southwest Pacific', Marine Pollution Bulletin, vol. 150, 110710. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110710, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110710

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abstract = "Existing marine bioregions covering the Pacific Ocean are conceptualised at spatial scales that are too broad for national marine spatial planning. Here, we developed the first combined oceanic and coastal marine bioregionalisation at national scales, delineating 262 deep-water and 103 reef-associated bioregions across the southwest Pacific. The deep-water bioregions were informed by thirty biophysical environmental variables. For reef-associated environments, records for 806 taxa at 7369 sites were used to predict the probability of observing taxa based on environmental variables. Both deep-water and reef-associated bioregions were defined with cluster analysis applied to the environmental variables and predicted species observation probabilities, respectively to classify areas with high taxonomic similarity. Local experts further refined the delineation of the bioregions at national scales for four countries. This work provides marine bioregions that enable the design of ecologically representative national systems of marine protected areas within offshore and inshore environments in the Pacific.",

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author = "Maria Beger and Hans Wendt and Jonah Sullivan and Claire Mason and Jimaima LeGrand and Kate Davey and Stacy Jupiter and Ceccarelli, \{Daniela M.\} and Alex Dempsey and Graham Edgar and Feary, \{David A.\} and Douglas Fenner and Marian Gauna and Hannah Grice and Kirmani, \{Sahar Noor\} and Sangeeta Mangubhai and Sam Purkis and Richards, \{Zoe T.\} and Randi Rotjan and Rick Stuart-Smith and Helen Sykes and Naushad Yakub and Bauman, \{Andrew G\} and Alec Hughes and Jason Raubani and Adam Lewis and Leanne Fernandes",

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doi = "10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110710",

language = "American English",

volume = "150",

journal = "Marine Pollution Bulletin",

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AU - Davey, Kate

AU - Jupiter, Stacy

AU - Ceccarelli, Daniela M.

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AU - Edgar, Graham

AU - Feary, David A.

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AU - Mangubhai, Sangeeta

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AU - Stuart-Smith, Rick

AU - Sykes, Helen

AU - Yakub, Naushad

AU - Bauman, Andrew G

AU - Hughes, Alec

AU - Raubani, Jason

AU - Lewis, Adam

AU - Fernandes, Leanne

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N2 - Existing marine bioregions covering the Pacific Ocean are conceptualised at spatial scales that are too broad for national marine spatial planning. Here, we developed the first combined oceanic and coastal marine bioregionalisation at national scales, delineating 262 deep-water and 103 reef-associated bioregions across the southwest Pacific. The deep-water bioregions were informed by thirty biophysical environmental variables. For reef-associated environments, records for 806 taxa at 7369 sites were used to predict the probability of observing taxa based on environmental variables. Both deep-water and reef-associated bioregions were defined with cluster analysis applied to the environmental variables and predicted species observation probabilities, respectively to classify areas with high taxonomic similarity. Local experts further refined the delineation of the bioregions at national scales for four countries. This work provides marine bioregions that enable the design of ecologically representative national systems of marine protected areas within offshore and inshore environments in the Pacific.

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National-scale marine bioregions for the Southwest Pacific

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Keywords

Disciplines

Access to Document

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Cite this