MARINE NEWSIUCN GLOBAL MARINE AND POLAR PROGRAMME

ISSuE 10 - OCTObER 2013

Marine Protection Special

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MARINE NEWSIssue 10, October 2013

IUCN Global Marine and Polar ProgrammeRue Mauverney 281196 Gland, SwitzerlandTel +41 22 999 0217Fax +41 22 999 0002marine@iucn.org

www.iucn.org/marine

Edited and designed by: Fiona Potter & James Oliver

Back issues:Available at: http://www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/marine/gmp_newsletter/

Front cover photograph:© IUCN/Jerker Tamelander

Back cover photograph:© Carl Gustaf Lundin

In this Issue...

Three years ago I wrote an opinion piece about hope for the ocean. The premise of the piece recalled the fable of Pandora’s Box, in which the story goes that upon opening the box, Pandora found not gifts, but discovered and released a deluge of evils and plagues. By the time that she replaced the lid, they had all escaped, but for Hope, trapped in the bottom of the box. Before long, the world discovered that without Hope to accompany their troubles, human-ity became quickly filled with despair, and it was a great relief to all when Hope was set free as well some time later.

When we think of the ocean and efforts at protecting it, it’s easy to be-come depressed by the problems we face and the feeling that we are not acting quickly enough. It is true that the pace of protection and manage-ment improvement needs to pick up drastically, but there still is, and must be, room for hope. This year, IMPAC 3 is being held in Marseille, France, under the leadership of the French MPA Agency. This event needs to set the benchmark and agenda for the coming years. This year is also the 103rd birth year of Jacques Coust-eau, and 70 years since the invention of the aqualung, a moment which, together with the release of the first stunning pictures of Planet Earth taken by NASA from space in the 1960s and 70s, has since gone on to inspire generations, and inspired me in my ocean work.

When we look back over those years, it is refreshing to think how far we have already come. We are better at managing and presenting information on ocean protection, which helps people make improved decisions. From the Ocean in Google Earth – which has already provided a new view of the ocean for more than 1 billion people – through to UNEP WCMC’s Protected Planet system, we can access information on what is protected and ocean values as never before. We also know more than we ever have before about the nature of this ecological crisis which we are facing – it is the storm on the horizon that will impact all of our futures.

IUCN’s Red List process and key biodiversity areas show with increas-ing confidence, over a greater range of the natural world, what we stand to lose, and what there remains to protect. The interaction of ‘multiple stressors’ – climate change, ocean acidification and lowering oxygen lev-els in the ocean – shows us that time is really not on our side to change course before that storm arrives.

Whilst is it clear that we are making progress, much still remains to be achieved. As of right now, we have protected only an estimated 2.2% of the world ocean. Protection is uneven. Despite the appearance of very large MPAs designated off-shore, it is not close to the near 16% coverage we now have for land. It is sobering that we now know not only what needs to be done, but also the costs of inaction, more clearly than any previous generation.

Therefore, whilst we reflect on our successes, we also need to reflect on the growing list of deadly sins of ocean protection, sins which will hamper our effectiveness in the future. One of the most dangerous is countries trying to impose time limits on MPAs, restricting how long they are ‘allowed’ to exist before they need to be renewed. Whilst most people can accept that management needs may change over time, time limits on the MPAs themselves do not make ecological sense, and are in fact incompatible with the very def-inition of an MPA. There is also the perceived sin of consigning MPAs to residual areas, ocean locations of least resistance which other players had less use for, rather than targeting those areas which need our help the

most. I say a ‘perceived’ sin because our use of the sea is clearly on the increase and not the decrease, with the reality that if we are to meet the CBD 2020 target we need all these MPAs to be implemented, and many more areas of the ocean to be effec-tively managed in MPAs too.

But as we struggle with such issues we must not lose sight of hope. We have hope because we are now able to assess and rank the status of our ocean areas using the Ocean Health Index. We see hope in protecting the remote, open ocean, as over 30 major NGOs have come together to form the High Seas Alliance. We see hope also because we are moving from a perspective of what we have protected, to one with a sharper vision of what should be done to protect new areas. Using MPAs to protect and restore ecosys-tem services in coastal areas and elsewhere is now critically important. Key Biodiversity Areas, and the Hope Spots launched in this newsletter, also all help in adding new places, names and voices to what we now need to do.

Perhaps the best way to conclude is by reflecting on what Jacques Cous-teau once said, something which he might well have repeated to us now: “If we were logical, the future would be bleak, indeed. But we are more than logical. We are human beings, and we have faith, and we have hope, and we can work.”

Prof Dan LaffoleyMarine Vice ChairIuCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas

1 Editorial By Dan Laffoley, WCPA Marine Vice Chair

3 Coasts Blue Carbon, Seagrass research 6 News From the Field Global Blue Maldives, Global Blue Cook Islands, Pacific Islands, Mediterranean

12 Ocean Protection Sargasso Sea, EU Overseas territories

20 Ocean Frontiers High seas, Seamounts, Polar regions

23 Industry in the Environment Fair Coasts Mozambique, Responsible marine seismic surveys in Sakhalin

26 Working with governments Promoting best practices in Oceania

27 Publications

30 Where we are / what we do

32 Who we are

___________________________________________ SPECIAL FEATuRES

2 Introducing William Winram

15 Hope Spots & IMPAC pull-out section

19 Microplastics

Editorial

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MARINE NEWS - SPECIAL FEATURE MARINE NEWS - COASTS

Blue Carbon: plugging the knowledge gaps

back in 2009, after over three years of hard research, we brought carbon in coastal ecosys-

tems to the world’s attention. In coastal carbon sinks, now termed blue Carbon by some, we identi-fied a significant gap in global ef-forts to better manage and protect carbon stocks, where inappropri-ate development and damage can release vast amounts of naturally stored carbon back into the atmosphere. If we care about forests and peatlands because of their carbon, so in the same vein we should also focus on coastal carbon-rich ecosystems.

Little did we know quite how the knowledge of coastal carbon sinks would catch on four years later, nor could we foresee how many projects, regions, agencies and governments would be examining its potential and implementing projects around the world. By providing a global voice to support local actions, this has been

a major success in raising the profile of the wide range of benefits such ecosystems can provide.

It has created new opportunities for investment in coastal biodiversity and led to opportunities to work to support local communities who are so often the stewards of these areas. It has also demonstrated that when we think about these habitats we need also to think of economic and social models which can counter the existing market forces, causing small-scale but widespread losses of these crucial ecosystems. Tackling the small things is often as or even more crucial than tacking the eye-catching and newsworthy large-scale developments.

In recent years, much attention has been focussed on mangroves as the primary coastal carbon ecosystem. However, despite the fact that man-groves are viewed by most people as being best placed for implementation to protect and benefit from the car-

bon they store, in this newsletter we have chosen to focus on another es-sential coastal carbon sink – seagrass meadows. Dorothée Herr and Ameer Abdulla clear the waters to show just how valuable seagrass conservation is and why they deserve more conser-vation action.

Dan LaffoleyMarine Vice ChairIuCN’s World Commission on Pro-tected Areas

Fringing Mangrove Forest, Vanuatu © Dan Laffoley

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Deep Commitment: new IUCN Ambassador for Oceans breaks world freediving record

by breaking the world record for breath-hold diving on September 3rd this year, new IuCN

Ambassador for the Oceans, William Winram, hopes to bring more media attention to the plight of the endangered apex predators.

Vancouver-born Winram achieved a startling 145-metre dive in the discipline of Variable Weight (VWT), diving to a depth of 476 feet aided by a weighted sled and swam back to the surface on his own power. In achieving 145 metres, Winram broke the former record by 3 metres. The special world record event was or-ganized by Freediving World Apnea Center, in the Red Sea near Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. This is Winram’s 1st world record achieved in a sled discipline and his 28th national and North-American record claimed in this sport, which was made famous by Luc Besson’s movie The Big Blue.

William Winram is not only an ac-complished competitive freediver, he is also involved in ocean conserva-tion, particularly shark conservation. In 2012, he founded a non-profit organization The Watermen Project registered in Geneva, which sup-port all activities aimed at scientific research of large marine predators, particularly sharks, to protect them from extinction. Through public speaking Winram also helps restore the much-maligned reputation of these apex predators.

As far back as he can remember, Winram has always been fascinated by sharks. Considered an expert in shark behaviour, Winram has turned his unique breath-hold diving skills and knowledge of sharks, together with friend and colleague Fred Buyle, to provide direct environmental work support to scientists by tagging,

photographing, filming and taking tissue samples of various species of sharks.

This collaboration culminated in the release of a 3D IMAX film “Great White Shark”, which Winram is cur-rently promoting worldwide. Winram’s long experience of great whites allows him to dive and work alongside them without the use of a cage, nor protective equipment.

William Winram will explore the rationale of how breath-hold diving can play a role in the management, protection and scientific research of Marine Protected Areas. Since 2008, he has been working in various Ma-

rine Protected Areas around the globe using his breath-hold diving skills as-sisting scientists in the research they are conducting.

The Global Marine and Polar Pro-gramme welcomes William Winram to the IUCN family and looks forward to highlighting the need for stronger protection measures for sharks, other vulnerable marine species and the oceans more generally.

For more information, please visit: http://www.williamwinram.comhttp://greatwhiteshark3d.comor contact: michele@williamwinram.com

© Alice Cattaneo / www.dietrounobiettivo.com

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© Pemika Apichanangkool

Seagrass management

The overlooked nature-based solution to climate change mitigation

Many natural habitats contain large stores of carbon laid down by vegetation and other

natural processes over centuries. If these ecosystems are degraded or damaged by human activities, their capacity as a carbon sink is lost, thereby releasing significant amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2), which can contribute to climate change. Conserving and restor-ing terrestrial forests, as well as peatlands, has been recognized as an important component of nature-based solutions to climate change mitigation.

These approaches have now been broadened further to manage other natural systems that contain rich carbon reservoirs and to reduce the potentially significant emissions from their conversion and degradation. In particular, the coastal ecosystems of salt marshes, mangroves and seagrasses sequester and store large quantities of coastal “blue carbon” in both the plants and in the sediment below them. These ecosystems are being degraded and destroyed at a rapid rate along the world’s coast-lines, resulting in globally significant emissions of carbon dioxide into both the atmosphere and ocean, and con-tributing to climate change as a result.

Seagrasses thrive in shallow oceanic and estuarine waters and complete all physiological functions, including flowering, pollination, distribution of

seeds and germination, completely submerged in seawater. They trap suspended materials, thereby clearing the water, while the rhizome and root systems stabilize sediments and help prevent coastal erosion. The dense cover of shoots and roots provides refuge for many marine species - fish use seagrass meadows as a nursery, and prawns settle there until adult-hood. Seagrass detritus is also im-portant, as it is exported to and helps maintain food webs in deeper waters.

Seagrass have a considerable capacity to sequester CO2 due to high primary production and the abil-ity to filter particles from the water column and deposit them in the soils as long-term or permanent sinks. Between 95% and 99% of the carbon in seagrass ecosystems is stored as soil carbon and can extend up to 4-11 meters in depth, highlighting the high per unit area capacity to store carbon. A recent global study estimates that a total of between 4.2 to 8.4 gigatonnes of organic carbon is stored in only the top metre of seagrass soils – a disproportionately large, and there-fore very significant, amount, which illustrates how vital seagrasses, if well managed, could be to mitigating climate change.

However, global meadows are being lost due to numerous anthropo-genic activities including poor land management practices, dredging, eutrophication and herbicide runoff from agricultural lands. This degrada-

tion severely undermines their ability to store carbon and will also increase greenhouse gas emissions.

IUCN, together with the University of Technology (UTS) in Sydney, em-barked on a project funded by the To-tal Foundation to further find evidence and investigate specifically the role of seagrasses as one of the approaches to mitigating climate change.

Current carbon stock data that ex-ists for seagrass meadows is based on data from temperate seagrass areas. The work which UTS has done provides some insights into the carbon storage of tropical seagrass meadows. A combination of sediment analyses and benthic net production measurements suggest seagrass degradation results in a loss in gross primary production and reduces the capacity of sediment to store organic carbon.

The preliminary result of this project confirm that seagrass meadows which are lost or degraded do not only store less carbon in the biomass and sediment but also produce car-bon emissions during the degradation process. Estimation of carbon stocks show that organic carbon in the degraded sediment, where seagrass is completely lost, is several times lower than in sediment of the pristine seagrass beds. The project also looks at any potential difference for carbon storage in below-ground biomass (rhizome and root) and the living

biomass above ground (leaves, stem, and sheath).

The IUCN/UTS project further in-vestigated the influence of seagrass canopy structures and cover on the sink capacity of tropical seagrass meadows. In pristine seagrass beds, there are a number of seagrass spe-cies, which are distributed along the shoreline. Seagrasses are variable in their morphology, size and show differences in density and percentage cover. Final published results of this project will be available shortly.

Other recent work on seagrass and climate change mitigation shows that substantial gains for mitigation can be made by restoring degraded seagrass meadows, though this gain is smaller than if carbon emissions had been avoided in the first place. Meadow restoration has the potential to ef-fectively re-establish lost carbon sinks and stores, while providing a range of other valuable ecosystem services. However, success does vary greatly, particularly in situations where human activities such as the cutting and clear-ing of mangroves, dredging or land reclamation still persist.

A range of carbon policies and finan-cial mechanisms exist to incentivize nature-based mitigation activities in seagrass areas. The voluntary carbon market provides the possibility to gen-erate financial support for conservation or restoration activities. The Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), for example, has recently issued their new Wet-lands Restoration and Conservation (WRC) requirements for carbon offset projects, though appropriate meth-odologies for calculation of emission reductions still need to be developed.

On an international scale, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) promotes the reduction of greenhouse gases, and the conservation and enhance-ment of sinks and reservoirs of coast-al ecosystems. Relevant mechanisms such as REDD+ and National Ap-propriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) are emerging to support developing countries in their efforts, though these have as yet had limited applicability and success.

Despite the growing recognition, an increased number of field studies, and heightened understanding of the importance of seagrasses as carbon sinks, several knowledge gaps exist. Large areas containing seagrasses remain unknown, which is exacer-bated by the ephemeral nature of seagrass and resource constraints in tropical developing countries. Increased efforts to map seagrass

MARINE NEWS - COASTS

ecosystems would better allow us to understand the rate of carbon sequestration and emission following degradation. Additional information on carbon emissions and removal is also needed from a broader set of locations and species around the world, particularly the quantification of emissions from exposed organic soils from converted and degraded seagrass beds.

Further reading and key references:Crooks, S. et al. 2011. Mitigating Climate Change through Restoration and Manage-ment of Coastal Wetlands and Near-shore marine Ecosystems. Challenges and Opportunities. Environment Department Paper 121, World Bank, Washington, DC, USA.

Duarte, C. M., et al. 2011. Assessing the capacity of seagrass meadows for carbon burial: Current limitations and future strate-gies. Ocean and Coastal Management 51: 671-688.

Fourqurean, J. et al. 2012. Seagrass eco-systems as a globally significant carbon stock. Nature Geoescience. DOI: 10.1038/NGEO1477.

Herr, D., E. Pidgeon and D. Laffoley. (eds.) 2012. Blue Carbon Policy Framework 2.0: Based on the second workshop of the International Blue Carbon Policy Work-ing Group. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN and Arlington, USA: CI. vii+42pp.

For more information, please contact:Dorothée Herr (dorothee.herr@iucn.org) and Ameer Abdulla (a.abdulla2@uq.edu.au) or visit http://www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/marine/marine_our_work/climate_change/seagrass_project2/ and www.thebluecarbon-initative.org

© Pemika Apichanangkool

© Pemika Apichanangkool

© Pemika Apichanangkool

MARINE NEWS - COASTS

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News from the Field

First Annual Maldives Whale Shark Festival

On Saturday 29th June, school children and locals from all over South Ari Atoll gath-

ered on the beautiful local island of Dhigurah for the first annual Maldives Whale Shark Festival. The event was a collaborative initiative organised by Dhigurah Island Council and local NGO Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme (MWSRP) in associa-tion with the International union for the Conservation of Nature (IuCN), Global blue and a local NGO, SAMPA.

The Managing Director of MWSRP, Richard Rees, described the rationale behind the event; “The Maldives Whale Shark Festival is about celebrating the fact we are lucky enough to have the largest fish in the oceans in Maldivian waters all year round, especially here in South Ari MPA and also to acknowledge their special signifi-

cance to local communities in South Ari atoll. It’s also a fun, positive plat-form from which to raise awareness about conservation of whale sharks and their habitat, and to demonstrate the potential for collaboration between local communities, resorts and other ‘whale shark stakeholders’ in the area. We would love this event, the first of its kind in the Maldives, to continue to grow year on year, and eventually gain national status”.

In the weeks leading up to the event, the MWSRP visited five schools (Man-dhoo, Fenfushi, Maamigili, Dhangethi and Dhigurah), with the help of con-sultants from a London-based com-munity arts company, Emergency Exit Arts, and staged creative workshops during which year-10 pupils learned about whale shark biology, ecology and conservation through art and crafts.

Each school was tasked with complet-ing a section of a life-size whale shark

puppet - the centrepiece for the Fes-tival’s carnival style parade, along with other members of the whale shark food chain. The sections of the shark were symbolically brought to-gether on the morning of the festival and adorned with photos of the 100 young people that were involved in its creation.

The energetic Kumburudhoo Bodu-Beru band signalled the start of the parade, and the entrance of the whale shark puppet (named “Pearl” by the schools). A wonderfully vibrant scene unfolded as several hundred people gathered to watch a colourful procession of plankton, bait fish, jelly fish, remoras and the whale shark itself. In hot pursuit was a feat of in-genuity from Dhigurah Island Council - a dhoni on wheels, a traditional “bodu mas” made out of thatched coconut leaves complete with crew! The parade came to an end with a symbolic lowering of hooks from the fisherman.

In the afternoon, the stage was set for a cultural bonanza. Alongside a ‘pop-up’ cultural exhibit coordinated by the host island, there were presentations by Dhigurah School captain Noorus-salaam Ahmed and IUCN officer Rifaee Rasheed on ‘Whale Sharks of South Ari Atoll: Past, Present and Future’. Guests from three neighbour-ing resorts also attended and were taken on a journey through time, from Dhigurah’s whale shark hunt-ing past, to the research findings of today all the way through to the future of sustainable whale shark tourism in the Maldives. As a way of getting the school students inspired to whale shark conservation efforts made by MWSRP, students were given the opportunity to name five of the whale sharks in the programme’s database.

The honourable guest for the event was Mr Ibrahim Naeem of the Envi-ronmental Protection Agency (EPA) from the Maldivian Ministry of Envi-ronment and Energy. Mr Naeem gave a speech endorsing the choice of Dhigurah as the island to host the first festival and stating the EPA’s desire to establish the South Ari Marine Pro-tected Area as a community-managed MPA along similar lines to Hanifaru Bay in Baa Atoll.

In the spirit of cooperation which the event aimed to foster, a two-night stay at the Conrad Maldives luxury resort was auctioned to raise funds for the development of a permanent cultural centre on Dhigurah. Vilamendhoo, Mirihi and Holiday Island resorts all donated transport to the local schools for the event.

The festivities continued late into the night as ‘Pearl’ the whale shark made an appearance. This time, illuminated alongside glowing jellyfish and great Bodu-Beru music.

It is hoped that the Maldives Whale Shark Festival will become an annual fixture, moving from one host island to the next every year. On behalf of IUCN, Global Blue and MWSRP, we would like to extend a huge thank you to Dhigurah Island and all those involved in making the first Annual Whale Shark festival a whale-shark-sized success!

For more information, please contact IUCN Marine Officer Rifaee Rasheed (rifaee.rasheed@gmail.com)

© R

ifaee

Ras

heed

MARINE NEWS - NEWS FROM THE FIELD

© Rifaee Rasheed

© Rifaee Rasheed

© Rifaee Rasheed

© Rifaee Rasheed

© Rifaee Rasheed

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© Jan Steffen

MARINE NEWS - NEWS FROM THE FIELDMARINE NEWS - NEWS FROM THE FIELD

Supporting the establishment of the Cook Islands Marine ParkIn the context of the Convention on Biological Diversity Programme of Work on Protected Areas, state parties have committed themselves to establishing an effectively man-aged, representative, global system of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) covering 10% of all marine ecological regions, comprising both multiple use areas and strictly protected areas. Based on the Pacific Islands Re-gional Ocean Policy, the Pacific Is-land Forum Leaders have endorsed a Pacific Oceanscape Framework, under which countries aim for closer coordination and collaboration on ocean conservation and manage-ment.

On the 7th of September 2012, Prime Minister Henry Puna of the Cook Islands announced the des-ignation of a Marine Protected Area across roughly half of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), covering one million square kilometres. Initial stakeholder consultations in Raro-tonga showed strong support for the planned Marine Park by a wide range of government departments, political parties, traditional leaders and civil society. The established National Marine Park Steering Committee emphasized the need for a truly par-ticipatory decision-making process

and underlined the importance of planned community consultations in the remote outer islands. Existing marine biodiversity information needs to be consolidated and data gaps identified as part of an integrated marine spatial planning process, to provide a sound basis for the Marine Park management plan. Global Blue, a financial services company head-quartered in Nyon, Switzerland, has provided a grant to IUCN to support the Cook Islands Government and partners in designing and establish-ing the management for the Cook Islands MPA. This support is in ad-dition to that already received by the Cook Islands from other partners and donors. The overall project aims to:

1. Increase awareness among local stakeholders regarding the types, purposes, functions and ben-efits of Marine Protected Areas, and provide technical support for stakeholder consultations in regard to the establishment of a Cook Islands Marine Park.

2. Conduct a legal analysis of rel-evant environment and fisheries acts in order to provide recom-mendations and legal options for the declaration and zoning of the proposed Marine Park.

Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Management in Pacific Island Countries and Atolls (MACBIO)

Natural resources in marine and coastal areas are of high economic importance for Pacific island coun-

tries, sustaining the livelihoods of hundreds of coastal communities. However, the need to conserve and use marine resources sustainably is not sufficiently reflected in na-tional planning processes, due in part to a lack of information regard-ing their economic value.

Existing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have often been developed opportunistically, lack a strategic design and spatial planning process, and are not managed in a way to secure biodiversity and ecosystem services in the medium and long term. If well designed, individual MPAs and MPA networks can protect biodiversity and ecosystem services, sustain local fisheries, build resilience against the increasing impacts of climate change and provide food security for local communities which depend upon them for their livelihoods.

In 2013, in collaboration with the GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Interna-tionale Zusammenarbeit GmbH) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), IUCN Oceania Programme Office launched the MACBIO (Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Management in Pacific Island Countries and Atolls) project. The project aims to carry out economic assessments of marine and coastal ecosystems, and use as-sessments to engage the five Pacific Island countries (Fiji, Kiribati, Tonga, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu) in ma-rine spatial planning and the develop-ment of representative MPA networks to achieve their Aichi targets. The results may also be integrated into national development plans as they are revised and updated.Over a period of five years, MACBIO will assist the Pacific Islands coun-tries to mainstream and extend re-designed MPA networks using seascape-level planning. The project will also demonstrate effective ap-proaches to site management, includ-

ing payment for ecosystem services. Tried and tested concepts and instru-ments that are successful throughout the project countries will be then shared and leveraged to the benefit of the wider Oceania region. Through the development and provision of a spatial planning framework for territo-rial waters and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs), the project will support partner countries in setting up and expanding national protected area systems that are ecologically rep-resentative of existing marine and coastal ecosystems and habitat types.

Wider marine spatial planning, extending from coasts to the outer boundaries of countries’ EEZs, can help identify and reduce conflicting uses, and ensure greater transparen-cy and equitable sharing of the eco-logical, social and economic benefits of marine and coastal resources.

For more information please contact Sangeeta Mangubhai (sangeeta.mangubhai@iucn.org).

3. Support the national stocktake of marine biodiversity and physical oceanography data as a baseline for associated marine spatial planning purposes, and facilitate the compilation of related infor-mation under a national biodiver-sity database.

4. Strengthen existing traditional coastal MPAs (e.g. Raui) as spe-cific entities under a Marine Park zoning concept.

5. Facilitate the development of a ‘Cook Islands Marine Park Management Plan’ and support environmental and socioeco-nomic assessments to establish baselines for the monitoring and evaluation of MPA effectiveness.

This project supports and is in line with a Memorandum of Understand-ing between the Government of the Cook Islands through the office of the Prime Minister, IUCN, Conserva-tion International, and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP).

For more information please contact Sangeeta Mangubhai (sangeeta.mangubhai@iucn.org).

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MARINE NEWS - NEWS FROM THE FIELD

Mediterranean MPA and ICZM projects

The Mediterranean Marine Programme has been work-ing on fourteen on-going projects, primarily focusing

on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Other topics of interest have included environmental legislation, Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) governance in the Mediterranean

region, and seagrass conservation and management.

MEDPAN, the Mediterranean Net-work of Marine Protected Areas Managers In June 2013, the MedPAN North project, which had been launched three years earlier with twelve key

actors from European countries, was completed. Its objective was to enhance the management effective-ness of MPAs and to contribute to the networking of MPAs in the North-ern Mediterranean.

In 2013, this project has seen the publication of three documents about MPA management. • A guide on Monitoring Invasive Species in Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas maps 47 invasive marine species and provides advice to Mediterranean MPA managers to identify and monitor these species, in order to prevent their establish-ment or spread. • A Guide for quick evaluation of management in Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas presents a set of 18 indicators assessing all dimensions of MPA management, from management approaches to the final outcomes in terms of biodiversity conservation, stake-holder participation, governance and socioeconomic impacts. This evalu-ation tool is meant to encourage adaptive management by pointing out the areas in which actions are most needed and allowing year-to-year comparisons. Some managers have already started to use it in their own MPA. • Mediterranean Marine Pro-tected Areas and Climate Change provides a synthetic summary of the main effects of climate change on Mediterranean marine biodiversity and outlines the many uncertain-ties that still exist in understanding ecological responses to climate change. This publication intends to give some guidance to MPA manag-ers on how to measure the impact of climate change on the marine biodiversity of protected areas, and how to improve their planning for the mitigation of this threat.

LebanonIn Lebanon, the National Strategy for Marine Protected Areas has been adopted by the Ministry of Environ-ment and its implementation is sup-ported by the MAVA foundation.

Country profiles on legal and insti-tutional framework for MPAsTwo projects have been developed: one, concerning four Adriatic coun-tries (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Montenegro), is being

MARINE NEWS - NEWS FROM THE FIELD

developed in collaboration with the Regional Activity centre for Specially Protected Areas (RAC/SPA) of the Barcelona Convention, as well as the relevant national authorities. The second one is being developed with the support of the MAVA foundation for four North African Countries (Al-geria, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia). Other countries are being considered for 2014.

ICZM and coastal governanceThe IUCN Mediterranean Pro-gramme has been working on two European funded projects. The first is PEGASO, a four-year-long project (2010-2014) with the objective to de-velop ICZM in the Mediterranean and the Black Seas, while the second project, MEDINA (2011-2014), aims to enhance Northern African coun-tries’ capacity in order to implement environmental policies and decisions based on the support of satellite imagery.

The shared management of the Alboran SeaBased on the previous work and reports released by IUCN-Mediter-ranean, two projects are assisting in the informal and formal discussions between the three countries of the

Alboran Sea (Algeria, Morocco and Spain). The EU-funded Poctefex-Alboran will consider specific themes such as the realization of a geo-portal for biodiversity, discussions on artisanal fisheries, scientific and technical workshops, ecological conditions, and species, in order to improve the knowledge of informa-tion in the Alboran Sea. The RAC/SPA project is promoting more formal discussion in order to develop coop-

eration between the three countries, concerning in particular the devel-opment and management of the network of MPAs.

For more information please contact Alain Jeudy de Grissac (alain.jeudy@iucn.org). All publications can be found on the Mediterranean Marine Programme website

© Joao Sousa

© Joao Sousa

Caulerpa Racemosa © Juan Cuetos

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Sargasso Sea AllianceTaking steps towards High Seas protection

Since the launch of the Sar-gasso Sea Alliance (SSA) in November 2010, much progress, from scientific

documentation to international recognition, has been made to-ward achieving objectives for high seas protection.

Science Case published In September 2012, our Science Case, The protection and manage-ment of the Sargasso Sea: The golden floating rainforest of the At-lantic Ocean-Summary Science and Supporting Evidence Case, became available for download on the SSA website. Edited by Professors Dan Laffoley and Howard Roe, the draft-ing process convened 74 collabora-tors from over 10 countries and 11 science institutions. The Science Case, which synthesized data and other evidence for the Sargasso Sea, will be used as the basis for protec-tion proposals at the IMO, ICCAT and other related international and regional entities.

International recognition as an ecologically important area At a meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Hy-derabad, India, in October 2012, the Sargasso Sea Ecologically or Biologically Significant Area (EBSA) proposal (through a report provided by CBD Subsidiary Body on Science, Technical and Technological Advice - SBSTTA), was included in the EBSA repository maintained by the CBD Secretariat and was submitted to the United Nations General Assembly, as well as to governments and relevant international organizations. This pro-cess was initiated in February 2012 in Recife, Brazil where the Sargasso Sea was “identified” as a potential EBSA at a regional CBD workshop.

Steps toward fisheries ecosystem protectionThe International Commission for Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (IC-CAT) Science Committee is consid-

ering Sargasso protection measures. Representatives from the UK and Bermuda governments and the Sargasso Sea Alliance participated in the ICCAT Commission meeting from November 12-19 in Agadir, Mo-rocco. On the basis of a proposal put forward by UK Overseas Territories (Bermuda) with strong support from the EU, the US and South Africa, the ICCAT Commission resolved to ask its Standing Committee on Research and Statistics (SCRS) to “examine the available data and information concerning the Sargasso Sea and its ecological importance to tuna and tuna-like species and ecologically associated species”. The resolution asks the SCRS to provide an update on the progress of the work in 2014 with final recommendations in 2015. While the timeline is long-term, it marks one of the first times that IC-CAT will discuss management at an ecosystem scale, using the Sargasso Sea as a potential case study.

NAFO Scientific Council to review Sargasso Science CaseAt the September 2012 Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) 34th Annual meeting, the NAFO Scientific Council was formally asked by the NAFO Commission to comment and advise on whether the Sargasso Sea provides forage area or habitat for living marine resources that could be impacted by different types of fishing; and on whether there is a need for any closure or other conservation and management measures to protect this ecosystem. Geographical coordinates were pro-vided by the Sargasso Sea Alliance to illustrate the overlap between the Sargasso Sea Study Area and NAFO jurisdiction.

bringing countries together for voluntary collaboration On 21 September 2012, the Ber-muda Government declared Ber-muda’s Exclusive Economic Zone (more than 170,000 square nautical miles) a marine mammal sanctuary. Bermuda also furthered collaboration

with the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary in the United States by signing a Sister Sanctu-ary Agreement to protect, and assist in the global recovery of humpback whales, to promote and encourage research into and monitoring of this iconic species while consequently promoting Bermuda as an important hot spot for whale watching. The sister sanctuary agreement was the result of on-going diplomatic efforts of SSA. Future plans for a related relationship with the Government of the Dominican Republic are under discussion.

Hamilton Declaration negotiations initiated From 2-4 December 2012, the Sargasso Sea Alliance convened a technical preparatory meeting of governments and relevant interna-tional organizations to discuss the draft text of a political declaration which is planned to be approved by an inter-ministerial meeting in March 2014 (the Hamilton Declaration). The Hamilton Declaration will be a politi-cal agreement amongst the countries bordering the Sargasso Sea and the range countries of important spe-cies which spawn or migrate through the Sargasso Sea, such as the endangered European eel (Anguilla anguilla). The Declaration will seek to elaborate the ways in which these countries can voluntarily collaborate in such an effort. It also envisages the establishment of a Sargasso Sea Commission based in Bermuda. Official representatives from the following governments attended: Bermuda, US, UK, Portugal (and the Azores), Sweden, Belgium, Dominican Republic, South Africa, Trinidad & Tobago, together with the European Commission. In addition, representatives from international and regional organizations, partici-pating as observers, including the UN Division of Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea, the UNEP regional Seas Programmes for the Carib-bean and West Africa, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological

© M. Ittner, A. Jeffrey

Ocean ProtectionDiversity and CARICOM. The meet-ing reviewed the aims and objectives of the Sargasso Sea Alliance, and its achievements to-date. It then reviewed in detail the draft text of the Hamilton Declaration suggesting improvements and flagging poten-tial political issues to be resolved before the inter-ministerial meeting. A number of participants commented on how inspiring the sessions were, which helped them to galvanize their government’s involvement with this process. The outcome is a much improved text. A second technical negotiation meeting is planned for November 2013, in advance of the Hamilton Meeting in March 2014 where formal adoption of the Decla-ration is anticipated.

Sargasso Sea noted in uN General Assembly Oceans ResolutionThe 2012 UN General Assembly Annual Composite Resolution on Oceans and Law of the Sea (see paragraph 199), noted the efforts of the Sargasso Sea Alliance - led by the Government of Bermuda - to raise awareness of the ecological significance of the Sargasso Sea. This language was the result of a joint proposal from South Africa, the

UK and the USA and lays the foun-dation for, potentially, more elaborate language in the 2013 Resolution and beyond.

Holding the high seas in the palm of your handConserving the Sargasso Sea is the first-ever iPhone app developed for a proposal to protect a high seas marine area. The app offers a map of the Study Area, nine reasons why the area should be protected (and associated images), recent news up-dates and links to more information about project partners and relevant international organizations. The app was developed for the gen-eral public, to educate users about the importance of the Sargasso Sea and to share information on a pro-posal to protect a high seas marine area in a mobile and easily portable format. The app can be downloaded for free from the iTunes store. Over time, it is hoped that the app can play a role in facilitating two-way communications between mariners to share information on observations of human activities like shipping activity, and ecological features like the pres-ence of large Sargassum mats.

Looking AheadIn the coming years, the Alliance plans to:• Continue to pursue proposals,

through Bermuda and the UK, for fishing and shipping protection measures at international and regional entities

• Convene states and interna-tional organizations to adopt the Hamilton Declaration on Collabo-ration for the Conservation of the Sargasso Sea,

• Launch the Sargasso Sea Com-mission, based in Bermuda, to play a key research, monitoring and surveillance role and provide a forum for longer-term manage-ment discussions, and

• Share lessons learned with other high seas protection efforts through conferences, workshops and publications.

For more information and to sign up for our e-newsletter, please visit: www.sargassoalliance.org

For more information, please contact:Kate Morrison (kmorrison@sargas-soalliance.org) or David Freestone (dfreestone@sargassoalliance.org)Diversity and CARICOM.

Map © SSA/Duke Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab/Marine Conservation Institute

MARINE NEWS - OCEAN PROTECTION

 

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MARINE NEWS - NEWS FROM THE FIELD

Putting European Overseas conservation needs on the map

It’s an incredible statistic and a figure that is not widely known: 70% of biodiversity in the Euro-pean union is actually hosted

by the overseas entities. In part, this is because of the colossal Exclusive Economic Zone, made up of the 34 associated over-seas territories, which altogether amounts to 15 million km2, and which provides strategic gateways for regional cooperation in all the oceans of our blue planet. These locations are home to a unique diversity of species and ecosys-tems, and over the past year IuCN has stepped up efforts to ensure that conservation efforts in these incredible biodiversity hotspots are strengthened.

Protecting Europe’s overseas means protecting an important part of the world’s marine biodiversity as the entire European overseas marine and coastal areas play host to very diverse marine ecosystems, includ-ing polar and sub-polar ones, as well as holding more than 20% of the world’s coral reefs and lagoons. However, these beautiful and fragile locations are also at the mercy of hu-man behaviour and many locations are struggling to tackle a wealth of issues such as the spread of harmful

invasive alien species, land-based pollution, coastal development, over-fishing and climate change.

IUCN has been focusing on mak-ing decision makers, and the wider society, more aware of the need for action, and over recent months efforts have been targeted at the in-ternational level, both within Europe and further afield.

For example, in May of this year, IUCN co-organised a special event in the European Parliament where parliamentarians, European Com-mission officials and other key stakeholders were brought together to discuss the role of the European Union in supporting conservation work in Europe’s outermost regions and overseas countries and territo-ries.

One of the key opinions expressed at the event was that securing Euro-pean funds for conservation work was particularly difficult for overseas entities. Such a concern has indeed been made in the past and because of this, IUCN commissioned two ma-jor studies exploring what potential there is for a new funding mecha-nism to support conservation work in Europe overseas. The findings of the

studies should provide some clear insights into how such conservation work could be better supported, and both reports should be ready for publication very soon.

In order to underline the global importance of the marine ecosystem of the EU Overseas Territories, IUCN will also publish soon the first over-view of marine conservation efforts in the EU Overseas.

At the global level, IUCN has been working to boost awareness and support for conservation efforts in European overseas entities. One of the areas of interest here has been to raise awareness of how European islands can be included as part of the EU’s efforts to achieve global envi-ronmental targets. In this vein, IUCN and the Global Island Partnership will be running a special seminar this October at the IMPAC3 event. Here, island initiatives that have looked to advance conservation and sustain-able livelihoods will be explored and we hope very much that the semi-nar will bring a mix of stakeholders together to show what can be done across the globe to help tackle the numerous marine threats that both European and non-European islands are faced with.

Finally, IUCN has been collaborating closely with many of the key stake-holders associated with Outermost Regions and Overseas Countries and Territories through our role of co-ordinating the European Overseas Roundtable. In May, the first of two meetings for 2013 took place again in the European Parliament thanks to the ever supportive MEP Maurice Ponga and right now, we are plan-ning for a second Roundtable in late September. The overarching aim of these Roundtable meetings is to al-low all the different levels of govern-ment, NGOs and other associated stakeholders to come together and develop synergies to better protect and conserve the terrestrial and ma-rine biodiversity of Europe overseas. There is still a lot to do in order to ensure such actions come about but we are hopeful that as awareness of the needs of European overseas entities becomes more visible, the right response will be taken.

For more information, please contact: Carole Martinez (carole.martinez@iucn.org), or Chris Carroll (chris.car-roll@iucn.org)

MARINE NEWS - NEWS FROM THE FIELD

© Franck Manzeas

MARINE NEWS - OCEAN PROTECTION Hope Spots 50! Protecting Our Ocean: new opportunities for awareness, inspiration and action

Currently little over two percent of the ocean is set aside for wildlife and habitats, and only a fraction is fully protected and effectively managed. We must take action to massively scale up the level of protection that experts consider necessary for a sustainable future. My TED Wish for more such sanctu-aries is the rationale for launching 31 new Mission Blue Hope Spots.

A Hope Spot is an area of ocean that merits special protection because of its wildlife and significant underwater habitats. Each Hope Spot can give the ocean a breathing space from human activities so that it may recover and flourish. Mission Blue in association with Google will showcase some of these outstanding areas, and highlight why increasing ocean pro-tection must be a global priority.

In 2009, my TED wish was “to ignite public support for a global network of marine protected areas, Hope Spots, large enough to save and restore the ocean,” and it catalyzed sup-port around an initiative - called Mission Blue™ - to build a global coalition to increase protection and restore the health of the ocean. Since its inception, Mission Blue has been grow-ing in scale; building an increasingly influential community of partners and supporters around the world.

We are fortunate to live in ‘a sweet spot in time.’ Now we know what is happening to our fragile blue planet and its ocean, and we also know what steps are needed to change the course we are on. With this message of hope, Mission Blue and IUCN are mobilizing a growing international community of stakeholders to take the urgent action needed to reverse the ocean’s current state of peril while we are still in this special sweet spot in time.

Sylvia Earle IUCN Patron of Nature

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Hope Spots

KeyExisting Hope Spots

New Hope Spots

Bathymetry: GEBCO_08 Grid, version 20100927, http://www.gebco.net Map: Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab, Duke University (2013)

18 19

Plastic debris has recently become a major concern because it represents the main source of marine

litter worldwide and has adverse effects on marine organisms, food webs and biodiversity, as well as on human livelihoods and the global economy. Despite the widespread presence of plastic debris in the world’s oceans, there is a lack of understanding about the environmental impacts of plastic debris, especially regard-ing aquatic organisms but also concerning the potential effects on higher-level trophic feeders through the accumulation of toxic pollutant in the marine food webs.

Plastic fragments find their way to the oceans mainly via the discharge of wastewater and through storm water carried by rivers, the accidental loss of industrial resin pellets which are used in the plastic manufacturing process, and the fragmentation of larger plastic debris from domestic and industrial wastes. It is estimated that approximately 20% of all marine litter comes from sea-based sources as a result of fishing, nautical and aquaculture activities. Overall, marine plastics result from inadequate infra-structure and management practices and a lack of public knowledge about the consequences of inappropri-ate waste disposal. Due to its low density and high resistance to natural

degradation processes, plastic debris present in the oceans will persist for decades, even centuries. As a result, plastic litter accumulates quickly both in coastal areas and in remote areas such as the oceanic gyres which are formed by the ocean’s surface currents. Plastic pollution represents a significant cost to society and the local economies due to the need for regular beach cleaning to maintain tourism revenues, but it also inter-feres with recreational activities and the commercial fishing industry. Further to the need to better limit the sources and pathways of marine plastics and to evaluate the effects of the ingested plastics on the marine food chain, there is therefore a need to inform society about the adverse effects of marine plastics, in order to reduce their emissions on a global scale and to encourage their removal from the environment. Plastic pollution also gives rise to health-related issues. It is well known that the ingestion of plastic debris greatly increases the risk of choking and suffocation for a broad range of marine organisms as well docu-mented for turtles, fish, bivalves and seabirds. Conversely, there is a lack of understanding about the effects of the ingested plastic particles in the food chain; especially with respect to bioaccumulation of (i) the plastic additives that are introduced during the manufacturing process of plastics

(e.g. phtalates or Bisphenol A), and (ii) the toxic pollutants that highly ac-cumulate on plastic debris during their transport in sea waters. Apart from their additives, plastics do not other-wise represent a significant additional source of toxic pollutants on a global scale compared with atmospheric or water sources. However, floating microplastics (defined as particles of less than 5mm in size) adsorb and greatly concentrate the organic toxic contaminants present on the surface of seawater. Therefore, the adsorption and the accumulation of toxic con-taminants by plastic particles during their long residence time in seawater increase their exposure to organisms through ingestion and entrance into the food chain. Although the ingestion of microplastics by a wide variety of organisms is well documented, there is to date an absence of information about the response of marine organ-isms to ingested plastics contami-nated with toxic substances.

The long residence time of plastics particles in seawater has another significant effect on marine ecosys-tems, in that some marine organisms are colonizing the artificial habitats formed by the floating plastic litter and can therefore be transported over very long distances. There is, however, a lack of knowledge to date about the ecological impacts of the transport of invasive species by float-ing plastics. This issue is nonetheless of high importance to marine organ-isms that are at the base of marine food webs.

The awareness of this growing threat to individual organisms, species and ecosystems is now recognized by the international community as a priority issue for the protection of the marine environment. IUCN will produce a publication on microplastics in 2014 and will seek to work with its partners and member organizations to build a coalition to raise awareness and iden-tify policy options on this issue.

For more information, please contact: Florian Thevenon (florian.thevenon@iucn.org); James Oliver (james.oliver@iucn.org); Joao Sousa (joao.sousa@iucn.org); and Chris Carroll (chris.carroll@iucn.org)

Urgent need to assess impact of microplastics on marine ecosystems

MARINE NEWS - SPECIAL FEATURE

1. Management efficiency: Do we have the right tools to manage MPAs? Do we have the right capacities? How do we overcome the ob-stacles to sound MPA management?

2. Financing: How can we raise funds, from both projects and local users, to improve knowledge, management, enforcement control, monitoring and surveillance for MPAs? How do we value the ecosystem services MPAs provide?

3. Ecological representativity: How can we achieve ecological representation with MPA net-works? How do we identify the important areas? What knowledge do we need to make sure that each single ecosystem is represented within an MPA?

4. Integration: What is the role of MPAs at the local level? How do we involve local stakehold-ers and users of the sea, and to achieve what? What is the right level of involvement for the industrial sector?

5. High seas: How do we manage to set up MPAs in the areas beyond national jurisdiction (knowing that they represent broadly 50 % of the global ocean)?

IMPAC3 : the issues to be tackled

IMPAC3 will set the agenda for Marine Protection for the coming few years. Here is the map of MPA coverage as it stands today...

© Steven Siegel

Source: UNEP WCMC/WDPA

© J

ohn

Wel

ler

20 21

© IUCN / Aurélie SpadoneProtecting the High Seas

cific and the Wider Caribbean and Western Mid-Atlantic regions were considered by COP 11, and the summary report was submitted to the United Nations General Assem-bly (A/67/838). The results of the later workshops will be submitted to SBSTTA 18 and COP 12 for their consideration.

All the regional workshops covered marine areas beyond national juris-diction. Some included marine areas within national jurisdiction upon re-quest of the relevant States Parties. Areas described so far include the Sargasso Sea Area and the Central American Dome, a highly dynamic and productive area of ocean in the northeastern tropical Pacific which supports marine predators, such as tuna and dolphins, and provides year-round habitat for highly endan-gered blue whales.

IUCN is involved in initiatives to enhance the protection of both the Sargasso Sea and the Central American Dome through better use of existing instruments while continu-ing to promote progress towards a new international agreement. IUCN has also been spearheading a GEF-funded project in the Southern Indian Ocean (see box opposite).

The next step is for IUCN to gal-vanize its full capacity –through its State and NGO members, its Commissions, headquarters, pro-grammes and regional offices -- to provide expertise and support to these regional initiatives as well as a future treaty. For more information, please contact:Kristina Gjerde (kristina.gjerde@eip.com.pl) and Aurélie Spadone (aurelie.spadone@iucn.org)

The high seas and interna-tional seabed Area span nearly half the planet, yet remain the most poorly

protected places on Earth. As these areas support significant biodiversity, produce oxygen, store carbon and absorb heat –functions essential for maintain-ing human life -- their sustainable management remains one of the most pressing challenges.

Recognizing the urgent need to protect international waters, the Fifth IUCN World Conservation Congress in Jeju, Korea (6-15 September 2012) called on states to adopt a new treaty to protect and conserve this area (WCC Resolution 074). The treaty would address gaps in ocean governance that are stymieing ef-forts to establish ecologically coher-ent systems of Marine Protected Areas, manage cumulative impacts on ecosystems, and share the benefits of marine genetic resources from beyond national jurisdiction.

The World Conservation Congress resolution puts IUCN and its mem-bers in the forefront of efforts to develop a new international agree-ment under the 1982 UN Conven-tion on the Law of the Sea for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction. At Rio+20 in June 2012, government leaders recognized the urgent need for a global agreement but delayed a decision on whether or not to take action for yet another two years. Persuading the few remaining governments is a pressing neces-sity, for as they debate, pressures on high seas biodiversity mount.

On top of existing threats such as overfishing, illegal fishing, pollution and habitat destruction, global scale

threats now loom. Greenhouse gas emissions are leading firstly to a rise in the temperature of seawater and secondly, in some areas, a decline in oxygen levels, which means that certain species are being forced to abandon their natural habitats.

Ocean acidification is the third major effect. In addition to corroding shells and skeletons, potential impacts include shifts in phytoplankton diver-sity, reduced growth, production and life span of adults, juveniles and lar-vae, and reduced tolerance to other environmental stressors. Key links in the food chain are vulnerable.

The good news is that we have the knowledge and the power to restore global ocean resiliency through establishing ecologically coherent systems of Marine Protected Areas, applying ecosystem approaches, reducing pollution and applying a strong dose of precaution.

A good place to start is to promote protection of the areas described as marine areas of “ecological or biological significance” by the Con-vention on Biological Diversity, which has been facilitating a series of regional scientific workshops since 2010, to describe EBSAs based on criteria adopted by the CBD 10th Conference of Parties (Decision IX/20 (annex I)). 75% of the total estimated ocean area has now been surveyed in six CBD regional workshops involving experts from 92 countries and 79 organizations. EBSA processes are also being convened by regional organiza-tions in collaboration with the CBD Secretariat in North East Atlantic and Mediterranean regions.

The results of the first two work-shops in the Western South Pa-

MARINE NEWS - OCEAN FRONTIERS

Seamounts in the South Indian Ocean

Among its efforts towards conservation of biodi-versity in the high seas, IuCN’s Global Marine

and Polar Programme (GMPP) led a 4-year project (2009-2013) on seamounts in the Southern Indian Ocean. This pilot project, sup-ported by UNDP, financed by the GEF, was aimed at developing an ecosystem approach to manage-ment of seamounts, with a focus on seamounts of the South West Indian Ridge (SWIR).

Seamounts are hotspots of marine life. These unique habitats - the seamounts and the water column above them - support globally sig-nificant biodiversity. Sharks, tuna, cephalopods, marine mammals and seabirds congregate over seamounts to feed. Seamounts may also be vital stopping points for some migratory animals, such as whales. One typical feature of seamount communities is

that they grow and reproduce slowly (e.g. the commercial fish species Or-ange Roughy only becomes sexually mature at 30-40 years old, see photo above right). It accentuates the need for protection and sustainable use of these ecosystems and their living resources.

The commercial fishing industry has noted the aggregational effect of sea-mounts, and in the last thirty to forty

years, targeted fishing has been taking place on these sites. Many seamounts have been extensively fished, including in the southern Indian Ocean. Overexploitation and destructive fishing methods such as bottom-trawling put these whole ecosystems under threat. Respon-sible management is necessary in order to be able to sustainably use the living resources of these high seas areas.

The project achieved a better scien-tific understanding of five seamounts of the SWIR and of the functioning of these ecosystems in general, proposed a range of options to improve the governance framework both in the region and globally in the high seas, and drafted a road map towards sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity with an ecosystem approach to manage-ment of seamounts.

IUCN GMPP would like to sincerely thank every partner that took part in this project, taking steps in the long-term effort towards biodiversity conservation in the high seas.

A follow-on project is being de-veloped by IUCN GMPP and will be financed by the French Global Environmental Fund (FFEM). This new project will consider the emerg-ing threat of deep-sea mining on ecosystems such as hydrothermal vents and seamounts and will take further steps to encourage conserva-tion of biodiversity and sustainable use (e.g. fishing) of these high seas areas resources, with a focus on the South West Indian Ocean.

For more information, please contact: Aurélie Spadone (aurelie.spadone@iucn.org), James Oliver (james.oliver@iucn.org), or François Simard (francois.simard@iucn.org)

© Natural Environment Research Council (U.K.)

OCEAN FRONTIERS

Seamounts project 2009-2013

• UNDP-supported, GEF-financed, mid-size project

• Project partners, including support and financial contribution: UNDP (www.undp.org), GEF (www.thegef.org), ACEP, ASCLME Project, CenSeam, ECOMAR, FAO & EAF-Nansen Project, IMR, IOZ/ZSL, NERC (U.K.), Norad, SIODFA, Total Foundation, Univer-sity of Oxford.

• Two expeditions at sea and research work associated:

» in 2009; on board the Norwegian vessel Dr. Fridtjof Nansen; with FAO & EAF-Nansen projects, Norad, IMR and IOZ/ZSL; focused on the pelagic realm (in the water column)

» in 2011; on board the RRS James Cook, with Oxford University and the National Oceanographic Centre – Southampton; grant from NERC (U.K.); focused on the benthic realm (at the bottom of the sea)

• Options towards improvement of the governance framework proposed

• A road map towards sustainable use and biodiversity conservation drafted

• Fed the international discussions on high seas issues notably within the UN system

• Collaborated throughout the project with the fishing industry via the Southern Indian Ocean Deep-sea Fishers Association (SIOD-FA) that proposed voluntary closure for fishing within certain areas (BPAs – Benthic Protected Area)

• Four IUCN publications (project outputs) are available online.

• Communications and awareness raising among stakeholders, policy-makers and the general public (see www.iucn.org/marine/seamounts)

22 23© Birgitta Bostrom

Pole to Pole

Crowning the ends of the Earth, the Arctic and Antarctic are home to an array of enchanting

wildlife, protected by ice, ocean, and the relative remoteness of the regions. Today, these virtually pristine environments are at risk from increased warming, ocean acidification and pollutants, caus-ing the erosion of sea ice, chang-es in weather patterns, and altered natural habitats, amongst other things, and opening areas for new development. There are gaps in our full understanding of the rapidly changing environmental, social, economic, and managed systems. The challenges in our polar regions are too big for one player to solve alone. The IuCN Polar Programme works with its members to ensure a safe, secure, and sustainable future that con-siders the multiple users of the marine and coastal environment.

The conservation of polar marine environments, its ecosystems, and its species is essential for keeping these regions alive, and for providing key ecosystem services. Establish-ing coordinated protected areas will maintain the biodiversity and resilience of the Polar Regions and allow for important areas to continue to act as a natural laboratory, where the impacts of climate change can be

monitored and thereby better understood. Ecological hotspots are also hotspots for economic activ-ity such as oil and gas extraction, fishing, and tourism. The physical characteristics, economic activity, and social culture vary within the Polar Regions, so a number of pro-tective measures might be pursued to fit the needs of the people and the Regions:

• Ecologically and Biologically Sig-nificant Areas (EBSAs) – desig-nation through the Convention on Biological Diversity

• Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSA) – designation through the International Maritime Organiza-tion

• Special Areas – designation under MARPOL through the Inter-national Maritime Organization

• World Heritage Sites – designa-tion by states through the World Heritage convention

• Marine Protected Areas – desig-nation by State Parties

• International treaties

The Arctic is a homeland to four million people and holds vast natural resources. The IUCN Polar Pro-gramme works with Arctic stakehold-ers and the Arctic Council to promote responsible use and management that accounts for healthy ecosystems and local communities. Maritime

shipping is increasing in the Arctic as globalization increases, and global climate change opens ice-free water. IUCN supports the development of the ongoing Polar Shipping Code through the International Maritime Organization. Regionally, IUCN has identified viable options to better manage the Bering Strait region with the increase in ship transits. This in-cludes protecting indigenous subsist-ence use and improving communica-tion infrastructure (see box). IUCN is also working to develop a set of voluntary measures for shippers (i.e. seasonal buffer zones, areas to be avoided) to be used by the U.S. and Russia to ensure safety and steward-ship in the Bering Strait Region.

For more information, please contact:Martha McConnell (martha.mcconnell@iucn.org)

© Carl Gustaf LundinFair Coasts Initiative - Mozambique

One of the world’s poorest countries, Mozambique has in the past two years become the epicentre of

the East African energy boom. Mozambique has recently de-veloped into the second largest exporter of coal in Africa with an estimated 20 million tonnes of reserves. Furthermore, more than 127 Tcf (Trillion cubic feet) of natu-ral gas have been discovered so far, mainly in the offshore Rovuma basin.

Although gas exploration started in the 1960s, it is only in the last couple of years that natural gas has proved to be commercially exploitable. Still, before it becomes the world’s largest exporter of natural gas, Mozambique has yet to become a major producer.

Mozambique is also considered one of the most vulnerable countries in Africa in terms of climate change impacts and environmental degrada-tion.

Most of the gas operations are being developed in a very sensitive bio-diversity area of the country. As an example, there are only six kilome-tres between the Rovuma Offshore Northern Area 1 and the Quirimbas National Park (QNP), the first Park in the world to be established at the request of the area’s inhabitants.

The Rovuma Offshore Northern Area 1 and the park’s habitats are home to many of the world’s most endangered species, including the extremely rare dugong dugon (sea cow), which is listed as vulnerable to extinction at a global scale by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Spe-cies.

The Quirimbas archipelago in north-ern Mozambique, one of the most remote and unspoiled coastal areas of East Africa, is made up of 32 coral islands, which have been proposed as a UNESCO World Heritage site for biodiversity and cultural harmony. Isolated for more than 30 years by the country’s civil war, researchers were unable to document its conser-vation value until the late 1990s.

The recent discoveries of large natural gas reserves along the north-eastern coast constitute both enormous opportunities and risks to the country’s development prospects. The challenge is to establish a vi-brant and prosperous gas industry which is sustainable, responsible and fair.

The Cabo Delgado Sustainable and Fair Coasts Initiative has been established to create a fair deal for the local communities in the prov-ince and the companies operating there, while protecting the province’s natural environment. The Initiative is an ongoing multi-stakeholder process that seeks to enhance the sustainability and fairness of benefits realized from gas exploration and development in the province by creating enabling institutional frame-works for the effective management of diverse stakeholder relationships and interests. A partnership between IUCN and Mozambique LNG aims to establish a framework to put the vision of Fair Coasts into practice.

For more information, please contact: Joao Sousa (joao.sousa@iucn.org)

© Carl Gustaf Lundin

INDuSTRY IN THE ENVIRONMENT

© National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Maritime Safety for bering Strait Small Vessels To minimize the emerging risks from increased commercial vessel traffic, IUCN has provided communications and vessel tracking capabilities to subsistence hunting parties operating in the Bering Strait region. This offers several advantages, including assistance during search and rescue, and the ability to see and be seen by larger vessels operating in the region. Over the long-term, it is expected that the pilot program is a first step toward a more comprehensive multi-functional communications networks to enhance marine safety, emergency response, and environmental monitoring for this region. If successful, the program can expand for the 2014 hunting season to reach more vessels and villages and expand the reach of Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) in this region.

MARINE NEWS - OCEAN FRONTIERS

24 25

Marine seismic surveys in oil and gas explora-tion and development employ pulses of sound

to image the geological structure of the seabed. If they are in close spatial proximity, the resulting noise can increase the risk of harm to marine animals, such as whales, which rely on sound for orientation, communication and foraging. IuCN, marine scientists and Sakhalin Energy have de-veloped jointly a comprehensive approach enabling the company to obtain the necessary geologi-cal data while, at the same time, minimising the risk of disturbance to the whales.

Based on this experience, a ground breaking scientific article is sched-uled for publication in the journal Aquatic Mammals later in 2013. The paper should be of great help for specialists involved in the planning and execution of marine seismic surveys in areas such as the north-eastern Sakhalin shelf that are important for the conservation of whales and other marine mam-mals. The article presents practical steps for considering, planning and conducting a commercially-effective marine seismic survey in an environ-mentally-responsible and precaution-ary manner.

The expectation is that at least some principles of this approach will be applicable to seismic and monitoring processes of discrete exploration activities as part of the research for

conventional and alternative offshore energy development in any sensitive habitat around the world. Below is a brief preview of the rationale and design of the approach described in the forthcoming scientific article.

Why Sakhalin? The northeastern shelf of Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East has large proven oil and gas reserves. One of the projects exploiting those reserves – Sakhalin-2 - is one of the largest integrated oil and gas ventures in the world. The project is operated by Sakhalin Energy Invest-ment Company Ltd., an oil and gas consortium consisting of Gazprom, Shell, Mitsui and Mitsubishi.

Sakhalin waters are also home to many marine species, including some 150 gray whales that feed and wean there in summer and autumn before migrating thousands of miles to distant wintering areas, where they fast and breed. The activities arising from seismic surveys can increase the risk of whales needing to move away from these crucial feeding areas. For that reason, management of activities to minimise that risk is regarded as essential behaviour by responsible companies.Since 2004, internationally renowned scientists of IUCN’s Western Gray Whale Advisory Panel (WGWAP) and experts from the top Russian marine research institutions, have provided advice and recommendations to help Sakhalin Energy minimise potential risks from the company’s operations on the whales and their habitat.

In 2010, the company conducted a large-scale seismic survey to assess hydrocarbon reserves near key whale feeding areas off the Sakha-lin coast. Given the potential risks of disturbance or physical harm to the whales, the survey was initially postponed by the company and was preceded by careful and lengthy preparations. These efforts repre-sented a substantial investment of good will, time, funds and other re-sources by the company, its research organisations and WGWAP, in order to plan, implement and analyse all monitoring and mitigation measures related to the survey.

How is it achieved? The WGWAP, Sakhalin Energy and the Russian marine research institu-tions working with Sakhalin Energy, jointly developed an innovative, com-prehensive, interdisciplinary, monitor-ing and mitigation programme, with integrated planning and assessment.During the early stages of planning, there was very little data avail-able on the effects of noise on gray whales, especially when feeding. It also appeared that much of what is considered as ‘best practice’ mitiga-tion has rarely, if ever, been properly evaluated. Monitoring was quickly recognised to be an essential component of the planning for the 2010 survey, both to evaluate the effectiveness of the miti-gation component of the plan, and to ensure that similar plans in the future could be based on stronger scientific information than was available prior to 2010.

Since 1995, Russian and interna-tional collaborations of academic and private sector researchers have been studying the biology, behaviour and population trends of Western gray whales in the Sakhalin area. Sakha-lin Energy and Exxon Neftegas Limited - the operator of Sakha-lin-1, another oil and gas project in Sakhalin – have been significantly contributing to this research through their joint annual Western Gray Whale Research and Monitoring Programme. The data gathered over these years provided a robust base-line of scientific understanding of the whale population, which is essential for responsible planning of any large seismic survey.

The environmental protocols de-veloped collaboratively and imple-mented by Sakhalin Energy had two purposes, the primary one being to minimise impacts on the whales by monitoring responses in real time (mitigation) and the secondary one to analyse responses after the survey was completed (monitoring). The most critical aspects of planning and implementation were efforts to reduce the operation’s acoustic footprint by limiting noise levels, reducing the sur-vey area to a minimum and adjusting the timing of the survey to reduce the temporal overlap with whale pres-ence, thus avoiding the peak whale feeding period. Additionally, a number of real-time monitoring technologies were deployed in combination with operational procedures to keep whale exposure to seismic noise below specified response thresholds.

Results Importantly, the survey was com-pleted on schedule and all monitor-ing and mitigation components were successfully implemented. While ongoing analyses are evaluating ef-fects, or lack thereof, on the whales, the preliminary results suggest no perceived direct impact.

The successful collaboration between Sakhalin Energy and WGWAP used the best available scientific informa-tion and an integration of modern technologies to plan for and complete a large-scale industrial activity while striving to minimise impacts on a potentially vulnerable marine species. This was one of the most complete whale-focussed plans developed for a seismic survey anywhere in the world.

The use of multi-disciplinary, inte-grated teams to monitor both the survey operations and the whales, with specific operational protocols tuned to the biology and behaviour of the animals, represented a significant advance in the planning of a seismic survey in an environmentally sensi-tive area.Hopefully, the lessons learned both in general, and those specific to each element of monitoring and mitigation, will inform the planning and imple-mentation of future seismic surveys by other oil and gas operators in Sakhalin and in other sensitive habi-tats around the world.

Future plans The company has strived to use the noise level criteria recommended

by WGWAP for the 2010 survey and applied those to its other installations and subsequent operations. Sakhalin Energy is planning another, larger seis-mic survey in 2015 as part of ongoing reservoir monitoring and has confirmed its commitment to build on the experi-ence of the 2010 survey.

The planning of monitoring and mitiga-tion aspects of the 2015 survey is start-ing this year jointly with WGWAP and provides an opportunity to further pilot the innovative and ground breaking ap-proach applicable to both species con-servation and wider industry practices.

For more information, please contact Anete Berzina (anete.berzina@iucn.org), Tatiana Saksina (tatiana.saksina@iucn.org) or consult our website _www.iucn.org/wgwap About WGWAPIUCN works with Sakhalin Energy to provide advice and recommendations on how the company can minimise risks associated with its operations on critically endangered Western gray whales and their habitat. As part of this initiative, in 2006, IUCN created a panel of independent scientists – the Western Gray Whale Advisory Panel (WGWAP) – which provides scientific advice and recommendations on the company’s operational plans and mitigation measures. The project demonstrates that critically endangered species can coexist with the economic development and aims at the development of better scientific knowledge of the species and international best practices for the environmental management aspects of oil and gas operations in environmentally sensitive habitats such as Sakhalin.

MARINE NEWS - INDUSTRY IN THE ENVIRONMENT MARINE NEWS - INDUSTRY IN THE ENVIRONMENT

Piloting responsible marine seismic surveys in Sakhalin New approaches help minimise risks to marine mammals in environmentally sensitive areas

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New Publications and Reports

Monitoring Marine Invasive Species in Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)A strategy and practical guide for managersAlien species — sometimes termed exotic, introduced or non-native species — are plants and animals that have been intentionally or unintentionally introduced, have established popula-tions and have spread into the wild in the new host region (IUCN, 2002). In their home ranges, these species live in balance with their local native environment, and populations are con-trolled by ecosystem interactions such as predation, parasitism and disease. However, once they arrive in a new environment, they may become established and invasive.

An ecosystem approach to management of seamounts in the Southern Indian Ocean : volume 1 : overview of seamount eco-systems and biodiversitySeamounts are topographic rises of the seabed with a limited extent across the summit. There is evidence that seamounts form hotspots of biological activity in the oceans. Why seamounts host abundant populations of fish and other pelagic and aquatic predators is still uncertain. This publication examines seamounts in general and specifically those in the Southern Indian Ocean, focusing on the biodiversity of these ecosystems and management of deep-sea fisher-ies on seamounts and surrounding high seas.

An ecosystem approach to management of seamounts in the Southern Indian Ocean : volume 2 : anthropogenic threats to sea-mount ecosystems and biodiversity’The individual and cumulative threats to and effects of the full range of human activities on marine ecosystems and biodiversity in general, and seamounts in particular, in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) are still largely unknown. These threats and their effects must be taken into account in order to be able to develop a robust, holistic ecosystem-based man-agement scheme. This paper compiles and examines existing and potential future threats to seamount ecosystems and biodiversity located in ABNJ of the Indian Ocean. It is also intended to serve as a template for anthropogenic threat analyses of other seamount ecosystems else-where.

An ecosystem approach to management of seamounts in the Southern Indian Ocean : volume 3 : legal and institutional gap analysisThis publication presents a legal and institutional gap analysis of the project area, covering five seamount regions, two of which are inside proposed Benthic Protected Areas (BPAs), Atlantis Bank and Coral Seamount, and three outside BPAs. It proposes improvements to the legal and institutional framework. This type of analysis identifies global and regional legal instruments and institutional arrangements which apply to the project area and assesses any legal and governance gaps related to the conservation of biodiversity in the project area.

An Ecosystem Approach to Management of Seamounts in the South-ern Indian Ocean: Volume 4 – A Road Map towards sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity in the Southern Indian OceanWithin the framework of an IUCN/GEF/UNDP Southern Indian Ocean (SIO) Project, IUCN organized in Rome, on 16–17 July 2012, a Management Workshop on conservation and man-agement measures applicable to high seas areas in the SIO. The objectives were to: (i) define the different elements of a governance plan for the region (specific objectives, actors, actions required for its implementation); and (ii) discuss ways towards achieving an operational man-agement plan for the SIO (develop considerations for an ecosystem approach, identify options for monitoring, control and surveillance, etc.).

IuCN Oceania is helping to implement a part of the Asia Development bank funded project, Strengthening Coastal

and Marine Resources Management in the Coral Triangle of the Pacific (Phase II). The project is seeking to help Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste and Vanuatu to build more resilient marine and coastal ecosystems in order to halt and reverse the decline in the productivity of these natural systems. Specifically, the project intends to strengthen the capabilities of national and local institutions in sustainable coastal and marine resources management, and to encourage coastal communities to apply best practices in ecosystem-based fishery management and climate change adaptation. IUCN Oceania is implementing two components of this project. One looks at strengthening environmental law capacities and the second looks at the development of regional learning forums for the dissemination of best practices in integrated coastal resources management. In Fiji, the province of Ra is the focus of efforts to build on lessons learned from past integrated coastal resources management attempts and to apply the Fiji Locally Managed Marine Area community-based management model. IUCN is supporting Fiji in developing road maps on coastal management laws and policies to raise legal awareness and also working with partners to capture and share lessons for learning.

In Papua New Guinea, efforts build on coastal management work in Kimbe Bay, with a focus on managing land-based threats and identifying livelihood opportunities through ecologically sustainable economic development, and extend ecosystem-based fisheries management in Manus Island. IUCN has established an environmental law working group to support the project with the intention of increasing awareness and conducting training for private sector, government and civil society lawyers. IUCN is also working with the PNG Learning and Training Network to put in place a learning hub at the provincial level and to support the promotion of best management practices on a national scale.

In Solomon Islands, our work has triggered integrated coastal resources management and ecosystem-based coastal fisheries management within an existing community-based programme, with a focus on Malaita and Isabel Provinces. IUCN Oceania continues to back Solomon Islands in the establishment of an environmental law association, and we are working with the Solomon Islands Locally Managed Marine Areas Network to document and disseminate lessons and best practice outcomes of the project.

Timor Leste’s National Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries will introduce integrated coastal resources management and ecosystem-based coastal fisheries management around the islands of Atauro Island and Batugede. IUCN

is working with the Timor Leste Legal Training Centre to run a legal training course for lawyers both in the public and the private sector. We are also facilitating cross-site-learning where practitioners from the Indonesia Locally Managed Marine Areas network will visit and work with communities in Timor Leste to assist them with MPA establishment, seaweed farming and use of Fish Aggregating Devices.

In Vanuatu, IUCN is working with local stakeholders to support the establishment of an environmental law association. Through various training opportunities and workshops, stakeholders and practitioners have started to work together with the aim of introducing best practice approaches to coastal management.

The implementation of various components of the whole project is undertaken by a number of partners which includes government departments, ministries and non-governmental organizations. IUCN does not work in isolation but is utilizing existing expertise and networks and our own diverse networks within these countries to add value and achieve the project’s goals. The project began in 2011 and will end in 2014.

For more information, please contact Salote Sauturaga (salote.sauturaga@iucn.org), Etika Rupeni (etika.rupeni@iucn.org) or Patricia Parkinson (patricia.parkinson@iucn.org)

MARINE NEWS - WORKING WITH GOVERNMENTS

Improving Management and Promoting Best Practices in Oceania

© André Seale / Marinephotobank

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Lebanon’s Marine Protected Areas StrategyLebanon’s Ministry of Environment and IuCN with the support of partners such as the Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas and uN Development Programme have brought forward a Marine Protected Areas Strategy aimed at achieving a healthy, productive, and biologically diverse marine environment in Lebanese waters.The Strategy is part of the results of the project “Supporting Management of Important Marine Habitats and Species in Lebanon” (2010-2012) which has been funded by the Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales (OAPN, Spain), the Spanish Agency for International Develop-ment Cooperation (AECID) and the MAVA Foundation, to help develop of a network of MPAs and an associated monitoring programme to evaluate their management effectiveness.

Guidelines for Applying the IuCN Protected Area Management Categories to Marine Protected AreasThe smaller number of MPAs compared to terrestrial protected areas means there is less experience and understanding of applying categories to MPAs. Application of the categories to MPAs has often been inaccurate and inconsistent. These supplementary marine guidelines are therefore aimed at ensuring that the IUCN categories can be effectively applied to all types of MPAs, as well as to any marine components of adjoining terrestrial protected areas, pro-vided a site meets the IUCN definition of a protected area.

Updating what we know about ocean acidification and key global challengesIt is amazing to think that just ten years ago hardly anyone had heard of ocean acidification. It is now much more widely understood that the increasing amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) we are emitting into the air by our activities is reacting with the ocean to alter its chemistry and push it along the scale towards acidity and is, amongst other effects, reducing the availability of carbonate ions needed by many marine animals and plants to build their shells and skeletons.

A changing Mediterranean coastal marine environment under predicted climate-change scenariosA manager’s guide to understanding and addressing climate change impacts in marine protected areas.This new brochure has been coordinated by Giuseppe di Carlo, WWF Mediterranean Pro-gramme Office, Italy and Maria del Mar Otero, IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, Spain under the MedPan North Project.

Nome Workshop Report on bering Strait Ecologically and bio-logically Significant Areas (EBSAs)Warming ocean temperatures and the dramatic loss of ice cover is opening Arctic waters to new and expanded shipping, fishing, research, offshore oil development, and other economic activities.Trans-Arctic and “destinational” shipping will likely grow substantially and will neces-sarily transit the Bering Strait, a relatively narrow 53 mile wide passage which provides the only connection between the Pacific and Arctic Oceans.

Propuesta de una red representativa de áreas marinas protegi-das en el mar de Alborán / Vers un réseau représentatif d’aires marines protégées dans la mer d’Alboran

La Unión Internacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (UICN) decidió poner en mar-cha en 2006 una iniciativa tendente a tratar de conseguir una mejor conservación y desarrol-lo sostenible del mar de Alborán. / L’Union Internationale pour la Conservation de la Nature (UICN) a décidé de mettre en marche en 2006 une initiative pour améliorer la Conservation et le développement durable de la mer d’Alboran.

Workshop Report - Improved Management of the bering StraitThe International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) have undertaken a coopera-tive project to identify measures that could be adopted to protect important areas of the Bering Strait region, including ecologically and biologically sensitive areas (EBSAs) and to explore ways in which such measures might be implemented.

Saving Western Gray Whales / Спасти западных серых китовThis updated version of the brochure introduces and explains the Western Grey Whale Adviso-ry Panel (WGWAP): a joint partnership between the IUCN and Sakhalin Energy. The brochure details successful conservation efforts to date, and how knowledge acquired through collabo-ration is communicated and shared. Further scientific findings arising from the joint collabora-tion and future research necessary to reduce potential impacts on gray whales are discussed.

Marine Seismic Surveys / Морские сейсморазведочные работыThis brochure “Marine Seismic Surveys: Modern Approaches to Minimizing Risks in Environ-mentally Sensitive Areas - Sakhalin Case Study” details an integrated and interdisciplinary approach to conducting marine seismic surveys at Sakhalin Island; home to a resident popula-tion of endangered gray whales. The brochure provides information on the planning, monitor-ing, and mitigation processes that were developed for a marine seismic survey in 2010. This modern approach to conducting marine seismic surveys was created through collaboration between the Western Gray Whale Advisory Panel (WGWAP) and Sakhalin Energy.

Guide for quick evaluation of management in Mediterranean MPAsAccording to a recent survey conducted by the MedPAN Association over 80 Mediterranean marine protected areas (MPA) more than half of them did not yet have a management plan for the sites and 75% of the Natura 2000 sites (in EU countries) still did not have a manage-ment body. In order to reinforce the effectiveness of Mediterranean marine protected areas and to achieve a more unified approach, the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation and WWF-Italy have worked in close collaboration with MPA managers to create an inclusive yet synthetic tool to assess MPA management.

New Publications and Reports

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Who we are

Carl Gustaf Lundin Director, Global Marine and Polar Programme

François Simard Deputy Director and Senior Advisor for Fisheries

James OliverProgramme Operations Officer

Tatiana Saksina Coordinator, Western Gray Whale Conservation Initiative

Headquarters Switzerland

Anete berzinaProject Officer, Western Gray Whale Conservation Initiative

Elisabeth KjellqvistAdministrative Assistant

Olivia MeylanAdministrative Assistant

Joao SousaMarine Programme Officer

Caroline WilhelmTemporary Marine Officer

Suzanne Garrett Research FellowWashington DC, USA slgarrett@hotmail.com

Chris CarrollProject Officer - EU Outermost Re-gions and Overseas TerritoriesBrussels, Belgium

Harlan CohenSenior Advisor, Ocean Govern-ance and Antarctic Issues Washington DC, USA

Dorothée Herr Marine Programme OfficerBerlin, Germany

David Freestone Executive Director, Sargasso Sea AllianceWashington DC, USAdfreestone@sargassoalliance.org

Kate Killerlain Morrison Assistant to the Executive Director, Sargasso Sea AllianceWashington DC, USAkmorrison@sargassoalliance.org

Outposted StaffMartha McConnell Polar Programme CoordinatorWashington DC, USA

Magnus NgoileHigh Seas Senior Policy AdvisorDar-el-Salaam, Tanzaniamagnus.ngoile@asclme.org

Kristina GjerdeSenior High Seas AdvisorCambridge, MA, USA kristina.gjerde@eip.com.pl

AdvisorsDan LaffoleyPrincipal Advisor, Marine Science and ConservationPeterborough, Englanddanlaffoley@btinternet.com

Jeremy JacksonSenior scientist, Coral ReefsWashington DC, USA jeremybcjackson@gmail.com

Patricio bernal Coordinator, High Seas Biodiversity InitiativesParis, Francepatricio.bernal@gmail.com

Ameer Abdulla Senior Advisor, Marine Biodiversity and Conservation ScienceMalaga, Spainameer.abdulla@gmail.com

Francis Vorhies Senior Advisor, Economics Switzerland fvorhies@earthmind.net

unless another email address is provided, the format is: FirstName.LastName@iucn.org

Nilufer Oral IUCN Council Focal Point for Oceans niluferoral@hotmail.com

Pierre-Yves CousteauIUCN Goodwill AmbassadorParis, France

Patrons of Nature & Ambassadors

HRH Prince Carl Philip of Sweden

Mattias KlumIUCN Goodwill AmbassadorUppsala, Sweden

HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco

Sylvia EarleMission Blue San Francisco, USA

Christophe LefèbvreAgence des Aires Marines Protégées christophe.lefebvre@aires-marines.fr

Florian ThevenonTemporary Marine Officer

Sangeeta MangubhaiCoordinatorGlobal Blue Cook Islands ProjectSuva, Fiji

William WinramIUCN Ocean Ambassador

Laura CassianiUS Fundraisinglcassiani@indigobayus.com

Sargasso Sea Initiative

Carole MartinezProgramme Coordinator - EU Outermost Regions and Overseas TerritoriesBrussels, Belgium

Mary DonovanCoordinator, Global Coral Reef Monitoring NetworkHawaii, USAdonovan.maryk@gmail.com

Aurélie SpadoneMarine Programme OfficerBoston, USA

Rifaee Rasheed Marine Programme OfficerMale, Maldives

Patrik Svensson Marine Projects Coordinator Maldives patrik@cde.com.mv

 

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INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

WORLD HEADQUARTERSRue Mauverney 28 1196 Gland, Switzerland marine@iucn.org Tel +41 22 999 0217Fax +41 22 999 0002www.iucn.org/marine