Search results for "Marine Protected Area"
showing 10 items of 105 documents
Summer aggregation of common eagle ray, Myliobatis aquila (Chondrichthyes: Myliobatidae), in the Marine Protected Area of the Egadi Islands (southwes…
2021
Author(s): Grancagnolo, Desiree; Arculeo, Marco | Abstract: We report for the first time in Italian waters a periodic and frequent presence of a summer aggregation of common eagle ray Myliobatis aquila in the island of Marettimo (southwestern Tyrrhenian Sea), which is part of the Marine Protected Area of the Egadi Islands. These aggregation could be related to different phenomena such as reproduction, feeding or simply as a transit zone.
The comparative biological effects of spatial management measures in protecting marine biodiversity: a systematic review protocol
2015
Background: The global decline of marine biodiversity and the perceived need to protect marine ecosystems from irreparable alterations to ecosystem functioning and ecosystem service provision have produced an extensive range of spatial management measures (SMMs). The design of SMMs is a complex process often involving the integration of both conservation objectives and socio-economic priorities and the resultant trade-offs are highly dependent on the management regime in place. Future marine management is likely to involve greater use of different forms of protected areas with differing levels of protection, particularly for sites where there are multiple competing demands. Consequently, ev…
Evidence for spatiotemporal shift in demersal fishery management priority areas in the western Mediterranean
2022
14 pages, 10 figures, 2 tables, 1 appendix
The effects of recreational Paracentrotus lividus fishing on distribution patterns of sea urchins at Ustica Island MPA (Western Mediterranean, Italy)
2006
This study evaluated the effects of recreational Paracentrotus lividus fishing on average density and size of this edible sea urchin, and its indirect effects on Arbacia lixula on barren substrates of Ustica Island MPA (SW Italy, Mediterranean Sea). Size, single and pooled species densities, density of large individuals (>40 mm long) and small individuals (<20 mm long) of the two species were estimated by scuba diving in autumn 2003, spring and summer 2004 at two sites impacted by P. lividus fishing (Punta Cavazzi and Pagliaro, take zone C) and one control (Cala Sidoti, no take zone). Two samplings were performed in each season. We found that reduced densities of P. lividus and A. lixula oc…
ARE MARINE PROTECTED AREAS (MPAs) EFFECTIVE IN PROTECTING FROM INVASIVE SPECIES? THE CASE STUDY OF CAULERPA CYLINDRACEA SONDER (CAULERPALES, CHLOROPH…
2019
The main purpose of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is biodiversity conservation. The effects that invasive species have on MPAs, and vice versa, are still not completely known, even though their assessment is crucial for MPA management and conservation purposes. In this respect, monitoring plans are essential and the involvement of citizen scientists may be fundamental. Our experience of Caulerpa cylindracea Sonder 1845 monitoring within the Egadi Islands MPA highlighted that the alga is widespread within the MPA, mainly at Favignana Island, also threatening valuable habitats such as vermetid reef and coralligenous formations. Moreover, Favignana is the island of the Aegadian archipelago mos…
Citizen science: a successful tool for monitoring biodiversity in Marine Protected Areas
2018
In the last few decades, anthopogenic activities, introduction of Non-Indigenous Species (NIS, i.e. organisms introduced outside of their natural range), and climate changes, have significantly affected Mediterranean marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (Coll et al., 2010). All that is also true for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), whose major aim is biodiversity conservation. Therefore, monitoring and surveillance plans are strongly needed, and the creation of public awareness campaigns might be effective tool to plan effective management and conservation strategies in MPAs. Since intensive monitoring programs could be very expensive, citizen science, the involvement of citizens in …
Five key attributes can increase marine protected areas performance for small-scale fisheries management
2016
AbstractMarine protected areas (MPAs) have largely proven to be effective tools for conserving marine ecosystem, while socio-economic benefits generated by MPAs to fisheries are still under debate. Many MPAs embed a no-take zone, aiming to preserve natural populations and ecosystems, within a buffer zone where potentially sustainable activities are allowed. Small-scale fisheries (SSF) within buffer zones can be highly beneficial by promoting local socio-economies. However, guidelines to successfully manage SSFs within MPAs, ensuring both conservation and fisheries goals, and reaching a win-win scenario, are largely unavailable. From the peer-reviewed literature, grey-literature and intervie…
Bright spots as climate‐smart marine spatial planning tools for conservation and blue growth
2021
Marine spatial planning that addresses ocean climate-driven change (‘climate-smart MSP’) is a global aspiration to support economic growth, food security and ecosystem sustainability. Ocean climate change (‘CC’) modelling may become a key decision-support tool for MSP, but traditional modelling analysis and communication challenges prevent their broad uptake. We employed MSP-specific ocean climate modelling analyses to inform a real-life MSP process; addressing how nature conservation and fisheries could be adapted to CC. We found that the currently planned distribution of these activities may become unsustainable during the policy's implementation due to CC, leading to a shortfall in its s…
Sizing up the role of predators on Mullus barbatus populations in Mediterranean trawl and no-trawl areas
2019
Abstract Fishing leads to drastic changes in ecosystems with a net loss of predatory biomass. This issue has been evidenced from historical ecological studies and from the evaluation of the effects of effective and large marine protected areas. In two fishery reserves off the northern Sicily coast the red mullet Mullus barbatus underwent an impressive biomass increment and a few piscivores fish species recovered after a trawl ban. The red mullet, more than 20% of all demersal fish in the untrawled areas, represented a huge food resource to its potential predators. By contrasting two trawled and two untrawled gulfs we figured out predator - prey relationships through the use of a combined ap…
Native predators control the population of an invasive crab in no-take marine protected areas
2018
1. The resistance of an ecosystem to species invasion is considered to be related to the abundance and diversity of native species i.e. biotic resistance hypothesis). Theory predicts that the high native diversity in pristine systems can hinder the establishment and/or the spread of non‐native species through direct and indirect mechanisms (e.g. through competitive and/or predatory interactions). 2. Here we tested whether predation provides higher resistance to invasion by the Percnidae crab Percnon gibbesi (H. Milne Edwards, 1853) in protected native communities, compared with exploited ones. Specifically, this study aimed to compare: (i) the abundance and diversity of potential predator a…