Quantifying the effects of fragmentation of connectivity networks of deep‐sea vulnerable marine ecosystems
Abstract Aim Protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) in the high seas has focussed on identifying concentrations of indicator species and prohibiting the operation of bottom‐contact fishing gears where those occur in significant concentrations. Most such species have planktonic larvae and...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ddi.13824 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/ddi.13824 |
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crwiley:10.1111/ddi.13824 2024-06-02T08:12:16+00:00 Quantifying the effects of fragmentation of connectivity networks of deep‐sea vulnerable marine ecosystems Wang, Shuangqiang Kenchington, Ellen Murillo, F. Javier Lirette, Camille Wang, Zeliang Koen‐Alonso, Mariano Kenny, Andrew Sacau, Mar Pepin, Pierre Fisheries and Oceans Canada 2024 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ddi.13824 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/ddi.13824 en eng Wiley http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Diversity and Distributions volume 30, issue 5 ISSN 1366-9516 1472-4642 journal-article 2024 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.13824 2024-05-03T11:55:03Z Abstract Aim Protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) in the high seas has focussed on identifying concentrations of indicator species and prohibiting the operation of bottom‐contact fishing gears where those occur in significant concentrations. Most such species have planktonic larvae and depend on dispersal networks for inter‐generational persistence. Yet, connectivity amongst patches of VME has seldom been considered when spatial management measures are introduced. Here, the relative importance of individual patches for the maintenance of their connectivity networks is evaluated, and a prioritization scheme for management action is proposed. Effective conservation measures should maintain approximately natural network configurations whenever possible. Location Grand Bank and Flemish Cap, Northwest Atlantic Ocean. Methods 3‐D Lagrangian particle tracking was used to model larval dispersal connections between known patches of each of seven groups of benthic invertebrate taxa, previously recognized as indicators of VME. Connectivity networks were constructed and the effects of habitat loss simulated by systematic removal of whole patches, to determine the importance of each patch to connectivity within its respective network. Results The various patches differed widely in their contributions to network connectivity. Each taxon group had both some patches that, if removed from the network, would result in a major decline in connectedness but also several which could be lost with negligible consequences for the remainder. Main Conclusions While protecting each patch of VME has conservation value, the wide variation in connectedness shows that some patches are much more critical than others to the long‐term persistence of the taxa, providing a foundation for prioritization of conservation actions. Article in Journal/Newspaper Northwest Atlantic Wiley Online Library Diversity and Distributions |
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English |
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Abstract Aim Protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) in the high seas has focussed on identifying concentrations of indicator species and prohibiting the operation of bottom‐contact fishing gears where those occur in significant concentrations. Most such species have planktonic larvae and depend on dispersal networks for inter‐generational persistence. Yet, connectivity amongst patches of VME has seldom been considered when spatial management measures are introduced. Here, the relative importance of individual patches for the maintenance of their connectivity networks is evaluated, and a prioritization scheme for management action is proposed. Effective conservation measures should maintain approximately natural network configurations whenever possible. Location Grand Bank and Flemish Cap, Northwest Atlantic Ocean. Methods 3‐D Lagrangian particle tracking was used to model larval dispersal connections between known patches of each of seven groups of benthic invertebrate taxa, previously recognized as indicators of VME. Connectivity networks were constructed and the effects of habitat loss simulated by systematic removal of whole patches, to determine the importance of each patch to connectivity within its respective network. Results The various patches differed widely in their contributions to network connectivity. Each taxon group had both some patches that, if removed from the network, would result in a major decline in connectedness but also several which could be lost with negligible consequences for the remainder. Main Conclusions While protecting each patch of VME has conservation value, the wide variation in connectedness shows that some patches are much more critical than others to the long‐term persistence of the taxa, providing a foundation for prioritization of conservation actions. |
author2 |
Fisheries and Oceans Canada |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Wang, Shuangqiang Kenchington, Ellen Murillo, F. Javier Lirette, Camille Wang, Zeliang Koen‐Alonso, Mariano Kenny, Andrew Sacau, Mar Pepin, Pierre |
spellingShingle |
Wang, Shuangqiang Kenchington, Ellen Murillo, F. Javier Lirette, Camille Wang, Zeliang Koen‐Alonso, Mariano Kenny, Andrew Sacau, Mar Pepin, Pierre Quantifying the effects of fragmentation of connectivity networks of deep‐sea vulnerable marine ecosystems |
author_facet |
Wang, Shuangqiang Kenchington, Ellen Murillo, F. Javier Lirette, Camille Wang, Zeliang Koen‐Alonso, Mariano Kenny, Andrew Sacau, Mar Pepin, Pierre |
author_sort |
Wang, Shuangqiang |
title |
Quantifying the effects of fragmentation of connectivity networks of deep‐sea vulnerable marine ecosystems |
title_short |
Quantifying the effects of fragmentation of connectivity networks of deep‐sea vulnerable marine ecosystems |
title_full |
Quantifying the effects of fragmentation of connectivity networks of deep‐sea vulnerable marine ecosystems |
title_fullStr |
Quantifying the effects of fragmentation of connectivity networks of deep‐sea vulnerable marine ecosystems |
title_full_unstemmed |
Quantifying the effects of fragmentation of connectivity networks of deep‐sea vulnerable marine ecosystems |
title_sort |
quantifying the effects of fragmentation of connectivity networks of deep‐sea vulnerable marine ecosystems |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ddi.13824 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/ddi.13824 |
genre |
Northwest Atlantic |
genre_facet |
Northwest Atlantic |
op_source |
Diversity and Distributions volume 30, issue 5 ISSN 1366-9516 1472-4642 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.13824 |
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Diversity and Distributions |
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1800758651917434880 |