Publisher :
Place of publication :
Publication year : 2009
Thematic : Marine Protected Areas
Language : English
Note
Marine protected areas (MPAs) provide placebased
management of marine ecosystems through various
degrees and types of protective actions. Habitats such as
coral reefs are especially susceptible to degradation resulting
from climate change, as evidenced by mass bleaching
events over the past two decades. Marine ecosystems are
being altered by direct effects of climate change including
ocean warming, ocean acidification, rising sea level,
changing circulation patterns, increasing severity of storms,
and changing freshwater influxes. As impacts of climate
change strengthen they may exacerbate effects of existing
stressors and require new or modified management
approaches; MPA networks are generally accepted as an
improvement over individual MPAs to address multiple
threats to the marine environment. While MPA networks are
considered a potentially effective management approach for
conserving marine biodiversity, they should be established
in conjunction with other management strategies, such as
fisheries regulations and reductions of nutrients and other
forms of land-based pollution. Information about interactions
between climate change and more ‘‘traditional’’
stressors is limited. MPA managers are faced with high levels of uncertainty about likely outcomes of management
actions because climate change impacts have strong interactions
with existing stressors, such as land-based sources of
pollution, overfishing and destructive fishing practices,
invasive species, and diseases. Management options include
ameliorating existing stressors, protecting potentially resilient
areas, developing networks of MPAs, and integrating
climate change into MPA planning, management, and
evaluation.
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Keywords : Myotis altarium
Encoded by : Pauline Carmel Joy Eje
