ORCID Profile
0000-0002-6299-6451
Current Organisation
University of Queensland
Does something not look right? The information on this page has been harvested from data sources that may not be up to date. We continue to work with information providers to improve coverage and quality. To report an issue, use the Feedback Form.
Research Topics
In Research Link Australia (RLA), "Research Topics" refer to ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes. These topics are either sourced from ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes listed in researchers' related grants or generated by a large language model (LLM) based on their publications.
Top 5 Research Topics
ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)
Environmental Science and Management | Conservation and Biodiversity | Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology) | Environmental Management | Environment Policy | Natural Resource Management |
ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)
Coastal and Marine Management Policy | Land and Water Management of environments not elsewhere classified | Coastal and Estuarine Land Management | Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Forest and Woodlands Environments | Environmental Policy, Legislation and Standards not elsewhere classified | Coastal and Estuarine Water Management | Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Marine Environments | Sustainability Indicators | Trade and Environment
Related Links
Publications
Setting conservation priorities in Fiji: Decision science versus additive scoring systems
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2014
The role of scale in designing protected area systems to conserve poorly known species
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-2015
DOI: 10.1890/ES15-00346.1
Tradeoffs in marine reserve design: habitat condition, representation, and socioeconomic costs
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.1111/CONL.12005
Achieving the triple bottom line in the face of inherent trade-offs among social equity, economic return, and conservation
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 25-03-2013
Abstract: Triple–bottom-line outcomes from resource management and conservation, where conservation goals and equity in social outcomes are maximized while overall costs are minimized, remain a highly sought-after ideal. However, despite widespread recognition of the importance that equitable distribution of benefits or costs across society can play in conservation success, little formal theory exists for how to explicitly incorporate equity into conservation planning and prioritization. Here, we develop that theory and implement it for three very different case studies in California (United States), Raja Ampat (Indonesia), and the wider Coral Triangle region (Southeast Asia). We show that equity tends to trade off nonlinearly with the potential to achieve conservation objectives, such that similar conservation outcomes can be possible with greater equity, to a point. However, these case studies also produce a range of trade-off typologies between equity and conservation, depending on how one defines and measures social equity, including direct (linear) and no trade-off. Important gaps remain in our understanding, most notably how equity influences probability of conservation success, in turn affecting the actual ability to achieve conservation objectives. Results here provide an important foundation for moving the science and practice of conservation planning—and broader spatial planning in general—toward more consistently achieving efficient, equitable, and effective outcomes.
Prioritization of Marine Turtle Management Projects: A Protocol that Accounts for Threats to Different Life History Stages
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-11-2017
DOI: 10.1111/CONL.12324
Optimal Conservation Outcomes Require Both Restoration and Protection
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 27-01-2015
Testing the effectiveness of surrogate species for conservation planning in the Greater Virunga Landscape, Africa
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2016
Effectiveness of marine reserve networks in representing biodiversity and minimizing impact to fishermen: a comparison of two approaches used in California
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-2008
Multinational coordination required for conservation of over 90% of marine species
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-09-2021
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.15844
Abstract: Marine species are declining at an unprecedented rate, catalyzing many nations to adopt conservation and management targets within their jurisdictions. However, marine species and the biophysical processes that sustain them are naive to international borders. An understanding of the prevalence of cross‐border species distributions is important for informing high‐level conservation strategies, such as bilateral or regional agreements. Here, we examined 28,252 distribution maps to determine the number and locations of transboundary marine plants and animals. More than 90% of species have ranges spanning at least two jurisdictions, with 58% covering more than 10 jurisdictions. All jurisdictions have at least one transboundary species, with the highest concentrations of transboundary species in the USA, Australia, Indonesia, and the Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. Distributions of mapped bio ersity indicate that overcoming the challenges of multinational governance is critical for a much wider suite of species than migratory megavertebrates and commercially exploited fish stocks—the groups that have received the vast majority of multinational management attention. To effectively protect marine bio ersity, international governance mechanisms (particularly those related to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention on Migratory Species, and Regional Seas Organizations) must be expanded to promote multinational conservation planning, and complimented by a holistic governance framework for bio ersity beyond national jurisdiction.
Marxan with Zones: Software for optimal conservation based land- and sea-use zoning
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2009
Prioritising the protection of habitat utilised by southern cassowaries Casuarius casuarius johnsonii
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 12-04-2012
DOI: 10.3354/ESR00397
Evaluating the influence of candidate terrestrial protected areas on coral reef condition in Fiji
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2014
Trade-offs between data resolution, accuracy, and cost when choosing information to plan reserves for coral reef ecosystems
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.JENVMAN.2016.11.070
Abstract: Conservation planners must reconcile trade-offs associated with using bio ersity data of differing qualities to make decisions. Coarse habitat classifications are commonly used as surrogates to design marine reserve networks when fine-scale bio ersity data are incomplete or unavailable. Although finely-classified habitat maps provide more detail, they may have more misclassification errors, a common problem when remotely-sensed imagery is used. Despite these issues, planners rarely consider the effects of errors when choosing data for spatially explicit conservation prioritizations. Here we evaluate trade-offs between accuracy and resolution of hierarchical coral reef habitat data (geomorphology and benthic substrate) derived from remote sensing, in spatial planning for Kubulau District, Fiji. For both, we use accuracy information describing the probability that a mapped habitat classification is correct to design marine reserve networks that achieve habitat conservation targets, and demonstrate inadequacies of using habitat maps without accuracy data. We show that using more detailed habitat information ensures better representation of biogenic habitats (i.e. coral and seagrass), but leads to larger and more costly reserves, because these data have more misclassification errors, and are also more expensive to obtain. Reduced impacts on fishers are possible using coarsely-classified data, which are also more cost-effective for planning reserves if we account for data collection costs, but using these data may under-represent reef habitats that are important for fisheries and bio ersity, due to the maps low thematic resolution. Finally, we show that explicitly accounting for accuracy information in decisions maximizes the chance of successful conservation outcomes by reducing the risk of missing conservation representation targets, particularly when using finely classified data.
Improving conservation outcomes for coral reefs affected by future oil palm development in Papua New Guinea
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2016
Striking a Balance between Biodiversity Conservation and Socioeconomic Viability in the Design of Marine Protected Areas
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-2008
DOI: 10.1111/J.1523-1739.2008.00896.X
Abstract: The establishment of marine protected areas is often viewed as a conflict between conservation and fishing. We considered consumptive and nonconsumptive interests of multiple stakeholders (i.e., fishers, scuba ers, conservationists, managers, scientists) in the systematic design of a network of marine protected areas along California's central coast in the context of the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative. With advice from managers, administrators, and scientists, a representative group of stakeholders defined bio ersity conservation and socioeconomic goals that accommodated social needs and conserved marine ecosystems, consistent with legal requirements. To satisfy bio ersity goals, we targeted 11 marine habitats across 5 depth zones, areas of high species ersity, and areas containing species of special status. We minimized adverse socioeconomic impacts by minimizing negative effects on fishers. We included fine-scale fishing data from the recreational and commercial fishing sectors across 24 fisheries. Protected areas designed with consideration of commercial and recreational fisheries reduced potential impact to the fisheries approximately 21% more than protected areas designed without consideration of fishing effort and resulted in a small increase in the total area protected (approximately 3.4%). We incorporated confidential fishing data without revealing the identity of specific fisheries or in idual fishing grounds. We sited a portion of the protected areas near land parks, marine laboratories, and scientific monitoring sites to address nonconsumptive socioeconomic goals. Our results show that a stakeholder-driven design process can use systematic conservation-planning methods to successfully produce options for network design that satisfy multiple conservation and socioeconomic objectives. Marine protected areas that incorporate multiple stakeholder interests without compromising bio ersity conservation goals are more likely to protect marine ecosystems.
Does the social equitability of community and incentive based conservation interventions in non-OECD countries, affect human well-being? A systematic review protocol
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-2016
Bias in protected-area location and its effects on long-term aspirations of biodiversity conventions
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-11-2018
DOI: 10.1111/COBI.12970
Abstract: To contribute to the aspirations of recent international bio ersity conventions, protected areas (PAs) must be strategically located and not simply established on economically marginal lands as they have in the past. With refined international commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity to target protected areas in places of "importance to bio ersity," perhaps they may now be. We analyzed location biases in PAs globally over historic (pre-2004) and recent periods. Specifically, we examined whether the location of protected areas are more closely associated with high concentrations of threatened vertebrate species or with areas of low agricultural opportunity costs. We found that both old and new protected areas did not target places with high concentrations of threatened vertebrate species. Instead, they appeared to be established in locations that minimize conflict with agriculturally suitable lands. This entrenchment of past trends has substantial implications for the contributions these protected areas are making to international commitments to conserve bio ersity. If protected-area growth from 2004 to 2014 had strategically targeted unrepresented threatened vertebrates, >30 times more species (3086 or 2553 potential vs. 85 actual new species represented) would have been protected for the same area or the same cost as the actual expansion. With the land available for conservation declining, nations must urgently focus new protection on places that provide for the conservation outcomes outlined in international treaties.
Integrated land-sea conservation planning: The missing links
Publisher: Annual Reviews
Date: 12-2011
DOI: 10.1146/ANNUREV-ECOLSYS-102209-144702
Abstract: Spatial management, including setting aside conservation areas, is central to curbing the global decline of bio ersity, but many threats originate from beyond the boundaries of conservation areas. This is a particular problem in marine systems, which are influenced by many activities on land. In addition, connections between land and sea support many species and ecological processes valued for conservation. Integrated land and sea conservation planning is therefore of utmost importance. We review the literature describing connections between land and sea and how they have been incorporated into conservation planning. Land-sea connections include land-sea processes, the natural flows occurring between realms cross-system threats, which originate in one realm and affect another and socioeconomic interactions associated with management decisions to maintain or restore land-sea processes and to prevent or mitigate cross-system threats. We highlight the need to explicitly incorporate land-sea connections in conservation planning and suggest ways of doing this through the use of a novel operational framework for integrated land-sea planning. On the basis of expert surveys and a literature review, we also identify those aspects of conservation planning for which improved integration between land and sea is most needed.
Prioritising Mangrove Ecosystem Services Results in Spatially Variable Management Priorities.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 23-03-2016
Incorporating climate velocity into the design of climate-smart networks of marine protected areas
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-08-2021
Abstract: Climate change is redistributing terrestrial and marine bio ersity and altering fundamental ecological interactions. To conserve bio ersity and promote its long‐term persistence, protected areas should account for the ecological implications of species’ redistribution. Data paucity across many systems means that achieving this goal requires generic metrics that act as proxies for likely responses of multiple taxa to climate change. Climate velocity is one such metric, representing the potential speed and direction of species’ range shifts. Here, we explore three approaches for incorporating climate velocity into the design of marine protected areas and demonstrate their application in the Mediterranean Sea. Our methods are designed to meet the climate‐smart adaptation strategy of protecting climate refugia by selecting slow‐moving climate velocity areas. For our case study, we found that incorporating climate velocity as a cost measure in Marxan best selects slower moving areas, which are robust indicators of climate refugia. However, this approach is unable to accommodate socio‐economic cost data and is thus impractical. Incorporating climate velocity as a boundary or as a feature selects slower moving areas with a lower socio‐economic cost. We recommend incorporating velocity as a boundary, where possible because it is a more flexible approach. The boundary approach considers the climate velocity of all planning units, rather than being limited to a subjective classification of ‘slow‐moving’ planning units when treated as a feature. However, further assessment is required. For different planning scales and for grid structures other than squares, the relative performance of incorporating climate velocity as a boundary or as a feature might vary among case studies. This work presents simple and practical ways of including climate velocity in conservation plans to achieve the key climate‐smart objective of protecting climate refugia, thereby enhancing ecological resilience. Our methods are widely applicable, encouraging researchers and practitioners to advance the field and deliver networks of climate‐smart protected areas by 2030.
Increased sediment loads cause non-linear decreases in seagrass suitable habitat extent
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 10-11-2017
Reconciling recreational use and conservation values in a coastal protected area
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 21-04-2016
Spatial cost–benefit analysis of blue restoration and factors driving net benefits globally
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-06-2021
DOI: 10.1111/COBI.13742
Abstract: Marine coastal ecosystems, commonly referred to as blue ecosystems, provide valuable services to society but are under increasing threat worldwide due to a variety of drivers, including eutrophication, development, land‐use change, land reclamation, and climate change. Ecological restoration is sometimes necessary to facilitate recovery in coastal ecosystems. Blue restoration (i.e., in marine coastal systems) is a developing field, and projects to date have been small scale and expensive, leading to the perception that restoration may not be economically viable. We conducted a global cost–benefit analysis to determine the net benefits of restoring coral reef, mangrove, saltmarsh, and seagrass ecosystems, where the benefit is defined as the monetary value of ecosystem services. We estimated costs from published restoration case studies and used an adjusted‐value‐transfer method to assign benefit values to these case studies. Benefit values were estimated as the monetary value provided by ecosystem services of the restored habitats. Benefits outweighed costs (i.e., there were positive net benefits) for restoration of all blue ecosystems. Mean benefit:cost ratios for ecosystem restoration were eight to 10 times higher than prior studies of coral reef and seagrass restoration, most likely due to the more recent lower cost estimates we used. Among ecosystems, saltmarsh had the greatest net benefits followed by mangrove coral reef and seagrass ecosystems had lower net benefits. In general, restoration in nations with middle incomes had higher (eight times higher in coral reefs and 40 times higher in mangroves) net benefits than those with high incomes. Within an ecosystem type, net benefit varied with restoration technique (coral reef and saltmarsh), ecosystem service produced (mangrove and saltmarsh), and project duration (seagrass). These results challenge the perceptions of the low economic viability of blue restoration and should encourage further targeted investment in this field.
A habitat-based approach to predict impacts of marine protected areas on fishers
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 30-06-2018
DOI: 10.1111/COBI.12974
Abstract: Although marine protected areas can simultaneously contribute to bio ersity conservation and fisheries management, the global network is biased toward particular ecosystem types because they have been established primarily in an ad hoc fashion. The optimization of trade-offs between bio ersity benefits and socioeconomic values increases success of protected areas and minimizes enforcement costs in the long run, but it is often neglected in marine spatial planning (MSP). Although the acquisition of spatially explicit socioeconomic data is perceived as a costly or secondary step in MSP, it is critical to account for lost opportunities by people whose activities will be restricted, especially fishers. We developed an easily reproduced habitat-based approach to estimate the spatial distribution of opportunity cost to fishers in data-poor regions. We assumed the most accessible areas have higher economic and conservation values than less accessible areas and their designation as no-take zones represents a loss of fishing opportunities. We estimated potential distribution of fishing resources from bathymetric ranges and benthic habitat distribution and the relative importance of the different resources for each port of total catches, revenues, and stakeholder perception. In our model, we combined different cost layers to produce a comprehensive cost layer so that we could evaluate of trade-offs. Our approach directly supports conservation planning, can be applied generally, and is expected to facilitate stakeholder input and community acceptance of conservation.
Spatial socioeconomic data as a cost in systematic marine conservation planning
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-2009
Incorporating uncertainty associated with habitat data in marine reserve design
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2013
Balancing extractive and non-extractive uses in marine conservation plans
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2015
Global fishing between jurisdictions with unequal fisheries management
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Date: 18-10-2022
Abstract: The demand for seafood is increasing globally and is being met, in some cases, by unsustainable fishing practices. When a country fishes outside of its jurisdiction, any negative social and environmental impacts associated with fishing are displaced to the fished location and may not be compensated. This is particularly problematic when a country fishes in jurisdictions with poorer, less-effective, fisheries management than itself (henceforth ‘unequal displacement’). Using two different indices for national fisheries management effectiveness, we calculated unequal displacement of wild-capture seafood globally. We found that up to 23% (19.8 Mt) of seafood was unequally displaced annually between 1976–2015, most of which was caught in the high seas. During the period that the management effectiveness data is most accurate (2007–2011), almost all 172 countries unequally displace seafood ( n = 123), but a few are responsible for the majority (China, India, Japan, Norway, Russia, Republic of Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand). Achieving both sustainable food provision and ocean health requires improving international fishing and trade policies targeted at these countries to encourage the reduction of unequal seafood displacement.
Reconciling Development and Conservation under Coastal Squeeze from Rising Sea Level
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 17-12-2015
DOI: 10.1111/CONL.12213
Ocean zoning for conservation, fisheries and marine renewable energy: Assessing trade-offs and co-location opportunities
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.JENVMAN.2015.01.045
Abstract: Oceans, particularly coastal areas, are getting busier and within this increasingly human-dominated seascape, marine bio ersity continues to decline. Attempts to maintain and restore marine bio ersity are becoming more spatial, principally through the designation of marine protected areas (MPAs). MPAs compete for space with other uses, and the emergence of new industries, such as marine renewable energy generation, will increase competition for space. Decision makers require guidance on how to zone the ocean to conserve bio ersity, mitigate conflict and accommodate multiple uses. Here we used empirical data and freely available planning software to identified priority areas for multiple ocean zones, which incorporate goals for bio ersity conservation, two types of renewable energy, and three types of fishing. We developed an approached to evaluate trade-offs between industries and we investigated the impacts of co-locating some fishing activities within renewable energy sites. We observed non-linear trade-offs between industries. We also found that different subsectors within those industries experienced very different trade-off curves. Incorporating co-location resulted in significant reductions in cost to the fishing industry, including fisheries that were not co-located. Co-location also altered the optimal location of renewable energy zones with planning solutions. Our findings have broad implications for ocean zoning and marine spatial planning. In particular, they highlight the need to include industry subsectors when assessing trade-offs and they stress the importance of considering co-location opportunities from the outset. Our research reinforces the need for multi-industry ocean-zoning and demonstrates how it can be undertaken within the framework of strategic conservation planning.
Prioritising catchment management projects to improve marine water quality
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2016
From Marxan to management: ocean zoning with stakeholders for Tun Mustapha Park in Sabah, Malaysia
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 08-05-2018
DOI: 10.1017/S0030605316001514
Abstract: Tun Mustapha Park, in Sabah, Malaysia, was gazetted in May 2016 and is the first multiple-use park in Malaysia where conservation, sustainable resource use and development co-occur within one management framework. We applied a systematic conservation planning tool, Marxan with Zones, and stakeholder consultation to design and revise the draft zoning plan. This process was facilitated by Sabah Parks, a government agency, and WWF-Malaysia, under the guidance of the Tun Mustapha Park steering committee and with support from the University of Queensland. Four conservation and fishing zones, including no-take areas, were developed, each with representation and replication targets for key marine habitats, and a range of socio-economic and community objectives. Here we report on how decision-support tools informed the reserve design process in three planning stages: prioritization, government review, and community consultation. Using marine habitat and species representation as a reporting metric, we describe how the zoning plan changed at each stage of the design process. We found that the changes made to the zoning plan by the government and stakeholders resulted in plans that compromised the achievement of conservation targets because no-take areas were moved away from villages and the coastline, where unique habitats are located. The design process highlights a number of lessons learned for future conservation zoning, which we believe will be useful as many other places embark on similar zoning processes on land and in the sea.
Avoiding Costly Conservation Mistakes: The Importance of Defining Actions and Costs in Spatial Priority Setting
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 02-07-2008
Forest conservation delivers highly variable coral reef conservation outcomes
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-2012
DOI: 10.1890/11-1718.1
Abstract: Coral reefs are threatened by human activities on both the land (e.g., deforestation) and the sea (e.g., overfishing). Most conservation planning for coral reefs focuses on removing threats in the sea, neglecting management actions on the land. A more integrated approach to coral reef conservation, inclusive of land-sea connections, requires an understanding of how and where terrestrial conservation actions influence reefs. We address this by developing a land-sea planning approach to inform fine-scale spatial management decisions and test it in Fiji. Our aim is to determine where the protection of forest can deliver the greatest return on investment for coral reef ecosystems. To assess the benefits of conservation to coral reefs, we estimate their relative condition as influenced by watershed-based pollution and fishing. We calculate the cost-effectiveness of protecting forest and find that investments deliver rapidly diminishing returns for improvements to relative reef condition. For ex le, protecting 2% of forest in one area is almost 500 times more beneficial than protecting 2% in another area, making prioritization essential. For the scenarios evaluated, relative coral reef condition could be improved by 8-58% if all remnant forest in Fiji were protected rather than deforested. Finally, we determine the priority of each coral reef for implementing a marine protected area when all remnant forest is protected for conservation. The general results will support decisions made by the Fiji Protected Area Committee as they establish a national protected area network that aims to protect 20% of the land and 30% of the inshore waters by 2020. Although challenges remain, we can inform conservation decisions around the globe by tackling the complex issues relevant to integrated land-sea planning.
Fisheries and biodiversity benefits of using static versus dynamic models for designing marine reserve networks
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-2015
DOI: 10.1890/ES14-00429.1
Walk the talk, don't eat it: a call for sustainable seafood leadership from marine scientists
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 14-08-2014
DOI: 10.1017/S0376892914000253
Abstract: Fisheries stocks are rapidly declining around the world. A reduction in the consumption of unsustainable seafood may help curb this decline. Sustainable seafood consumption is not commonplace, even in the marine science and conservation community. The frequency of unsustainable and/or unlabelled seafood at marine science and conservation meetings motivates this enquiry and call for leadership. Information about the species served and where they were caught/farmed was obtained for seven marine ecology and conservation meetings held in Australia, attended by c. 4000 people from around the world. Menu item sustainability was assessed according to the relevant sustainable seafood guide, which considered stock status and impact of fishing/aquaculture method. Seafood was served at all meetings four meetings served at least one unsustainable species, and only two meetings served a sustainable species. Additional leadership by marine scientists, especially conservationists, is urgently required to turn science into action and ensure that sustainable seafood is available, not only at meetings, but more widely, to achieve a positive conservation outcome.
A multidisciplinary approach in the design of marine protected areas: Integration of science and stakeholder based methods
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2015
The Effect of Carbon Credits on Savanna Land Management and Priorities for Biodiversity Conservation
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 14-09-2011
Best-practice forestry management delivers diminishing returns for coral reefs with increased land-clearing
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 22-09-2020
Hitting the target and missing the point: target-based conservation planning in context
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-2009
Integrated planning for land-sea ecosystem connectivity to protect coral reefs
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2013
The effectiveness of marine reserve systems constructed using different surrogates of biodiversity
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-04-2015
DOI: 10.1111/COBI.12506
Abstract: Biological s ling in marine systems is often limited, and the cost of acquiring new data is high. We sought to assess whether systematic reserves designed using abiotic domains adequately conserve a comprehensive range of species in a tropical marine inter-reef system. We based our assessment on data from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. We designed reserve systems aiming to conserve 30% of each species based on 4 abiotic surrogate types (abiotic domains weighted abiotic domains pre-defined bioregions and random selection of areas). We evaluated each surrogate in scenarios with and without cost (cost to fishery) and clumping (size of conservation area) constraints. To measure the efficacy of each reserve system for conservation purposes, we evaluated how well 842 species collected at 1155 sites across the Great Barrier Reef seabed were represented in each reserve system. When reserve design included both cost and clumping constraints, the mean proportion of species reaching the conservation target was 20-27% higher for reserve systems that were biologically informed than reserves designed using unweighted environmental data. All domains performed substantially better than random, except when there were no spatial or economic constraints placed on the system design. Under the scenario with no constraints, the mean proportion of species reaching the conservation target ranged from 98.5% to 99.99% across all surrogate domains, whereas the range was 90-96% across all domains when both cost and clumping were considered. This proportion did not change considerably between scenarios where one constraint was imposed and scenarios where both cost and clumping constraints were considered. We conclude that representative reserve systems can be designed using abiotic domains however, there are substantial benefits if some biological information is incorporated.
Tracing the influence of land-use change on water quality and coral reefs using a Bayesian model
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-07-2017
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-017-05031-7
Abstract: Coastal ecosystems can be degraded by poor water quality. Tracing the causes of poor water quality back to land-use change is necessary to target catchment management for coastal zone management. However, existing models for tracing the sources of pollution require extensive data-sets which are not available for many of the world’s coral reef regions that may have severe water quality issues. Here we develop a hierarchical Bayesian model that uses freely available satellite data to infer the connection between land-uses in catchments and water clarity in coastal oceans. We apply the model to estimate the influence of land-use change on water clarity in Fiji. We tested the model’s predictions against underwater surveys, finding that predictions of poor water quality are consistent with observations of high siltation and low coverage of sediment-sensitive coral genera. The model thus provides a means to link land-use change to declines in coastal water quality.
Ecosystem-based adaptation in marine ecosystems of tropical Oceania in response to climate change.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2011
DOI: 10.1071/PC110241
Abstract: Tropical Oceania, including Melanesia, Polynesia, Micronesia and northern Australia, is one of the most bio erse regions of the world. Climate change impacts have already occurred in the region and will become one of the greatest threats to bio ersity and people. Climate projections indicate that sea levels will rise in many places but not uniformly. Islands will warm and annual rainfall will increase and exhibit strong decadal variations. Increases in global atmospheric CO2 concentration are causing ocean acidification, compromising the ability of organisms such as corals to maintain their calcium carbonate skeletons. We discuss these climate threats and their implications for the bio ersity of several ecosystems (coral reefs, seagrass and mangroves) in the region. We highlight current adaptation approaches designed to address these threats, including efforts to integrate ecosystem and community-based approaches. Finally, we identify guiding principles for developing effective ecosystem-based adaptation strategies. Despite broad differences in governance and social systems within the region, particularly between Australia and the rest of the Pacific, threats and planning objectives are similar. Ensuring community awareness and participation are essential everywhere. The science underpinning ecosystem-based adaptation strategies is in its infancy but there is great opportunity for communicating approaches and lessons learnt between developing and developed nations in tropical Oceania.
Spatial marine zoning for fisheries and conservation
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2010
DOI: 10.1890/090047
Global rarity of intact coastal regions
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-02-2022
DOI: 10.1111/COBI.13874
Abstract: Management of the land–sea interface is essential for global conservation and sustainability objectives because coastal regions maintain natural processes that support bio ersity and the livelihood of billions of people. However, assessments of coastal regions have focused strictly on either the terrestrial or marine realm. Consequently, understanding of the overall state of Earth's coastal regions is poor. We integrated the terrestrial human footprint and marine cumulative human impact maps in a global assessment of the anthropogenic pressures affecting coastal regions. Of coastal regions globally, 15.5% had low anthropogenic pressure, mostly in Canada, Russia, and Greenland. Conversely, 47.9% of coastal regions were heavily affected by humanity, and in most countries (84.1%) % of their coastal regions were degraded. Nearly half (43.3%) of protected areas across coastal regions were exposed to high human pressures. To meet global sustainability objectives, all nations must undertake greater actions to preserve and restore the coastal regions within their borders.
Spatial conservation prioritization inclusive of wilderness quality: A case study of Australia's biodiversity
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2009
Critical research needs for managing coral reef marine protected areas: Perspectives of academics and managers
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.JENVMAN.2012.10.051
Abstract: Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a primary policy instrument for managing and protecting coral reefs. Successful MPAs ultimately depend on knowledge-based decision making, where scientific research is integrated into management actions. Fourteen coral reef MPA managers and sixteen academics from eleven research, state and federal government institutions each outlined at least five pertinent research needs for improving the management of MPAs situated in Australian coral reefs. From this list of 173 key questions, we asked members of each group to rank questions in order of urgency, redundancy and importance, which allowed us to explore the extent of perceptional mismatch and overlap among the two groups. Our results suggest the mismatch among MPA managers and academics is small, with no significant difference among the groups in terms of their respective research interests, or the type of questions they pose. However, managers prioritised spatial management and monitoring as research themes, whilst academics identified climate change, resilience, spatial management, fishing and connectivity as the most important topics. Ranking of the posed questions by the two groups was also similar, although managers were less confident about the achievability of the posed research questions and whether questions represented a knowledge gap. We conclude that improved collaboration and knowledge transfer among management and academic groups can be used to achieve similar objectives and enhance the knowledge-based management of MPAs.
The Location and Protection Status of Earth's Diminishing Marine Wilderness
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.CUB.2018.06.010
Abstract: As human activities increasingly threaten bio ersity [1, 2], areas devoid of intense human impacts are vital refugia [3]. These wilderness areas contain high genetic ersity, unique functional traits, and endemic species [4-7] maintain high levels of ecological and evolutionary connectivity [8-10] and may be well placed to resist and recover from the impacts of climate change [11-13]. On land, rapid declines in wilderness [3] have led to urgent calls for its protection [3, 14]. In contrast, little is known about the extent and protection of marine wilderness [4, 5]. Here we systematically map marine wilderness globally by identifying areas that have both very little impact (lowest 10%) from 15 anthropogenic stressors and also a very low combined cumulative impact from these stressors. We discover that ∼13% of the ocean meets this definition of global wilderness, with most being located in the high seas. Recognizing that human influence differs across ocean regions, we repeat the analysis within each of the 16 ocean realms [15]. Realm-specific wilderness extent varies considerably, with >16 million km
Wilderness and future conservation priorities in Australia
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-10-2009
Replacing underperforming protected areas achieves better conservation outcomes
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-06-2010
DOI: 10.1038/NATURE09180
Abstract: Protected areas vary enormously in their contribution to conserving bio ersity, and the inefficiency of protected area systems is widely acknowledged. However, conservation plans focus overwhelmingly on adding new sites to current protected area estates. Here we show that the conservation performance of a protected area system can be radically improved, without extra expenditure, by replacing a small number of protected areas with new ones that achieve more for conservation. Replacing the least cost-effective 1% of Australia's 6,990 strictly protected areas could increase the number of vegetation types that have 15% or more of their original extent protected from 18 to 54, of a maximum possible of 58. Moreover, it increases markedly the area that can be protected, with no increase in overall spending. This new paradigm for protected area system expansion could yield huge improvements to global conservation at a time when competition for land is increasingly intense.
Prioritizing Land and Sea Conservation Investments to Protect Coral Reefs
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 30-08-2010
Developing Marine Protected Area Networks in the Coral Triangle: Good Practices for Expanding the Coral Triangle Marine Protected Area System
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-02-2014
Incorporating climate velocity into the design of climate-smart networks of protected areas
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 08-06-2020
DOI: 10.1101/2020.06.08.139519
Abstract: Climate change is redistributing terrestrial and marine bio ersity and altering fundamental ecological interactions. To adequately conserve bio ersity and promote its long-term persistence, protected areas should account for the ecological implications of species redistribution. Data paucity across many systems means that achieving this goal requires generic metrics that represent likely responses of multiple taxa to climate change. Climate velocity is one such metric, reflecting potential species range shifts at a generic level. Here, we explore four approaches to incorporating climate velocity metrics into the design of protected areas using the Mediterranean Sea as an illustrative ex le. Our methods are designed to meet two climate-smart planning objectives: 1) protect climate refugia by selecting slow-moving climate velocity areas, and 2) maintain the capacity of ecological systems to adapt by representing a suite of climate-velocity trajectory classes. We found that incorporating climate velocity as a cost measure in Marxan is the best approach for selecting slower-moving areas, which are good indicators of climate refugia. However, this approach fails to accommodate socio-economic cost data, and is probably impractical. Incorporating climate velocity as a boundary or as a feature provides both selection of slower-moving areas and solutions with lower socio-economic cost. Finally, we were able to design cost-effective networks of protected areas representing a suite of climate-velocity trajectories classes, which have the potential to help species adapt to a changing climate. This work presents simple and practical ways of including climate velocity in conservation plans on land and in the ocean to achieve the key climate-smart objectives of protecting climate refugia and enhancing ecological resilience.
The Effect of Applying Alternate IPCC Climate Scenarios to Marine Reserve Design for Range Changing Species
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-11-2015
DOI: 10.1111/CONL.12147
Simple rules can guide whether land- or ocean-based conservation will best benefit marine ecosystems
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 06-09-2017
Measures of prevent the importation of illegal, unreported and unregulated searfood: Discussion paper
Publisher: The University of Queensland
Date: 23-06-2023
DOI: 10.14264/0FD4E88
Incorporating Conservation Zone Effectiveness for Protecting Biodiversity in Marine Planning
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 04-11-2013
Habitat change mediates the response of coral reef fish populations to terrestrial run-off
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 03-08-2017
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS12221
Climate Velocity Can Inform Conservation in a Warming World
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.TREE.2018.03.009
Abstract: Climate change is shifting the ranges of species. Simple predictive metrics of range shifts such as climate velocity, that do not require extensive knowledge or data on in idual species, could help to guide conservation. We review research on climate velocity, describing the theory underpinning the concept and its assumptions. We highlight how climate velocity has already been applied in conservation-related research, including climate residence time, climate refugia, endemism, historic and projected range shifts, exposure to climate change, and climate connectivity. Finally, we discuss ways to enhance the use of climate velocity in conservation through tailoring it to be more biologically meaningful, informing design of protected areas, conserving ocean bio ersity in 3D, and informing conservation actions.
The potential for applying “Nonviolent Communication” in conservation science
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 22-09-2021
DOI: 10.1111/CSP2.540
Abstract: The role of a conservation scientist has never been more challenging. Amidst the rapid degradation occurring across Earth's natural ecosystems and the loss of bio ersity and ecosystem services, conservation scientists must learn new and effective ways to build trust and engage with the wider community. Here, we discuss the potential utility of a particular communication technique, Nonviolent Communication (also known as Compassionate Communication or Collaborative Communication), in conservation science. Nonviolent Communication is a structured form of communication, developed in the 1960s by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg, that seeks to foster interpersonal understanding and connection through communication of judgment‐free observations, recognition of people's feelings, needs and values, and requests for specific actions to meet those needs. It has delivered positive outcomes in erse fields such as prisoner reform, health science, and social work, and holds great promise for conservation applications. While there is no single communication strategy that resonates with all people, we argue that Nonviolent Communication could be used by conservation scientists and practitioners when communicating with colleagues, politicians, and the general public about important and sometimes contentious environmental issues.
Where Does River Runoff Matter for Coastal Marine Conservation?
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 27-12-2016
Spatio-temporal marine conservation planning to support high-latitude coral range expansion under climate change
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-02-2014
DOI: 10.1111/DDI.12184
Software for prioritizing conservation actions based on probabilistic information
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-07-2021
DOI: 10.1111/COBI.13681
Abstract: Marxan is the most common decision‐support tool used to inform the design of protected‐area systems. The original version of Marxan does not consider risk and uncertainty associated with threatening processes affecting protected areas, including uncertainty about the location and condition of species’ populations and habitats now and in the future. We described and examined the functionality of a modified version of Marxan, Marxan with Probability. This software explicitly considers 4 types of uncertainty: probability that a feature exists in a particular place (estimated based on species distribution models or spatially explicit population models) probability that features in a site will be lost in the future due to a threatening process, such as climate change, natural catastrophes, and uncontrolled human interventions probability that a feature will exist in the future due to natural successional processes, such as a fire or flood and probability the feature exists but has been degraded by threatening processes, such as overfishing or pollution, and thus cannot contribute to conservation goals. We summarized the results of 5 studies that illustrate how each type of uncertainty can be used to inform protected area design. If there were uncertainty in species or habitat distribution, users could maximize the chance that these features were represented by including uncertainty using Marxan with Probability. Similarly, if threatening processes were considered, users minimized the chance that species or habitats were lost or degraded by using Marxan with Probability. Marxan with Probability opens up substantial new avenues for systematic conservation planning research and application by agencies.
Can we determine conservation priorities without clear objectives?
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2010
Incorporating feasibility and collaboration into large-scale planning for regional recovery of coral reef fisheries
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 04-10-2018
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS12743
Shortfalls in the global protected area network at representing marine biodiversity
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-12-2015
DOI: 10.1038/SREP17539
Abstract: The first international goal for establishing marine protected areas (MPAs) to conserve the ocean’s bio ersity was set in 2002. Since 2006, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has driven MPA establishment, with 193 parties committed to protecting % of marine environments globally by 2020, especially ‘areas of particular importance for bio ersity’ (Aichi target 11). This has resulted in nearly 10 million km 2 of new MPAs, a growth of ~360% in a decade. Unlike on land, it is not known how well protected areas capture marine bio ersity, leaving a significant gap in our understanding of existing MPAs and future protection requirements. We assess the overlap of global MPAs with the ranges of 17,348 marine species (fishes, mammals, invertebrates) and find that 97.4% of species have % of their ranges represented in stricter conservation classes. Almost all (99.8%) of the very poorly represented species ( % coverage) are found within exclusive economic zones, suggesting an important role for particular nations to better protect bio ersity. Our results offer strategic guidance on where MPAs should be placed to support the CBD’s overall goal to avert bio ersity loss. Achieving this goal is imperative for nature and humanity, as people depend on bio ersity for important and valuable services.
Integrating regional conservation priorities for multiple objectives into national policy
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 14-09-2015
DOI: 10.1038/NCOMMS9208
Abstract: Multinational conservation initiatives that prioritize investment across a region invariably navigate trade-offs among multiple objectives. It seems logical to focus where several objectives can be achieved efficiently, but such multi-objective hotspots may be ecologically inappropriate, or politically inequitable. Here we devise a framework to facilitate a regionally cohesive set of marine-protected areas driven by national preferences and supported by quantitative conservation prioritization analyses, and illustrate it using the Coral Triangle Initiative. We identify areas important for achieving six objectives to address ecosystem representation, threatened fauna, connectivity and climate change. We expose trade-offs between areas that contribute substantially to several objectives and those meeting one or two objectives extremely well. Hence there are two strategies to guide countries choosing to implement regional goals nationally: multi-objective hotspots and complementary sets of single-objective priorities. This novel framework is applicable to any multilateral or global initiative seeking to apply quantitative information in decision making.
Improving policy efficiency and effectiveness to save more species: A case study of the megadiverse country Australia
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2015
A guide to modelling priorities for managing land-based impacts on coastal ecosystems
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-2019
Conservation Planning when Costs Are Uncertain
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-11-2010
DOI: 10.1111/J.1523-1739.2010.01535.X
Abstract: Spatially explicit information on the financial costs of conservation actions can improve the ability of conservation planning to achieve ecological and economic objectives, but the magnitude of this improvement may depend on the accuracy of the cost estimates. Data on costs of conservation actions are inherently uncertain. For ex le, the cost of purchasing a property for addition to a protected-area network depends on the in idual landholder's preferences, values, and aspirations, all of which vary in space and time, and the effect of this uncertainty on the conservation priority of a site is relatively untested. We investigated the sensitivity of the conservation priority of sites to uncertainty in cost estimates. We explored scenarios for expanding (four-fold) the protected-area network in Queensland, Australia to represent a range of vegetation types, species, and abiotic environments, while minimizing the cost of purchasing new properties. We estimated property costs for 17, 790 10 × 10 km sites with data on unimproved land values. We systematically changed property costs and noted how these changes affected conservation priority of a site. The sensitivity of the priority of a site to changes in cost data was largely dependent on a site's importance for meeting conservation targets. Sites that were essential or unimportant for meeting targets maintained high or low priorities, respectively, regardless of cost estimates. Sites of intermediate conservation priority were sensitive to property costs and represented the best option for efficiency gains, especially if they could be purchased at a lower price than anticipated. Thus, uncertainty in cost estimates did not impede the use of cost data in conservation planning, and information on the sensitivity of the conservation priority of a site to estimates of the price of land can be used to inform strategic conservation planning before the actual price of the land is known.
Opportunities and constraints for implementing integrated land-sea management on Islands
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 13-03-2017
DOI: 10.1017/S0376892917000091
Abstract: Despite a growing body of literature on integrated land–sea management (ILSM), very little critical assessment has been conducted in order to evaluate ILSM in practice on island systems. Here we develop indicators for assessing 10 integrated island management principles and evaluate the performance of planning and implementation in four island ILSM projects from the tropical Pacific across different governance structures. We find that where customary governance is still strongly respected and enabled through national legislation, ILSM in practice can be very effective at restricting access and use according to fluctuations in resource availability. However, decision-making under customary governance systems may be vulnerable to mismanagement. Government-led ILSM processes have the potential to design management actions that address the spatial scale of ecosystem processes and threats within the context of national policy and legislation, but may not fully capture broad stakeholder interests, and implementation may be poorly coordinated across highly dispersed island archipelagos. Private sector partnerships offer unique opportunities for resourcing island ILSM, although these are highly likely to be geared towards private sector interests that may change in the future and no longer align with community and/or national objectives. We identify consistent challenges that arise during island ILSM planning and implementation and offer recommendations for improvement.
Systematic Conservation Planning with Marxan
Publisher: Springer New York
Date: 2017
Incorporating ecological and evolutionary processes into continental-scale conservation planning
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2009
DOI: 10.1890/07-1684.1
Abstract: Systematic conservation planning research has focused on designing systems of conservation areas that efficiently protect a comprehensive and representative set of species and habitats. Recently, there has been an emphasis on improving the adequacy of conservation area design to promote the persistence and future generation of bio ersity. Few studies have explored incorporating ecological and evolutionary processes into conservation planning assessments. Bio ersity in Australia is maintained and generated by numerous ecological and evolutionary processes at various spatial and temporal scales. We accommodated ecological and evolutionary processes in four ways: (1) using sub-catchments as planning units to facilitate the protection of the integrity and function of ecosystem processes occurring on a sub-catchment scale (2) targeting one type of ecological refugia, drought refugia, which are critical for the persistence of many species during widespread drought (3) targeting one type of evolutionary refugia which are important for maintaining and generating unique biota during long-term climatic changes and (4) preferentially grouping priority areas along vegetated waterways to account for the importance of connected waterways and associated riparian areas in maintaining processes. We identified drought refugia, areas of relatively high and regular herbage production in arid and semiarid Australia, from estimates of gross primary productivity derived from satellite data. In this paper, we combined the novel incorporation of these processes with a more traditional framework of efficiently representing a comprehensive s le of bio ersity to identify spatial priorities across Australia. We explored the trade-offs between economic costs, representation targets, and connectivity. Priority areas that considered ecological and evolutionary processes were more connected along vegetated waterways and were identified for a small increase in economic cost. Priority areas for conservation investment are more likely to have long-term benefits to bio ersity if ecological and evolutionary processes are considered in their identification.
Incorporating climate change into spatial conservation prioritisation: A review
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2016
Social equity and the probability of success of biodiversity conservation
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2015
The global rarity of intact coastal regions
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 12-05-2021
DOI: 10.1101/2021.05.10.443490
Abstract: Management of the land-sea interface is considered essential for global conservation and sustainability objectives, as coastal regions maintain natural processes that support bio ersity and the livelihood of billions of people. However, assessments of coastal regions have focused on either strictly the terrestrial or marine realm, and as a consequence, we still have a poor understanding of the overall state of Earth’s coastal regions. Here, by integrating the terrestrial human footprint and marine cumulative human impact maps, we provide a global assessment of the anthropogenic pressures affecting coastal areas. Just 15.5% of coastal areas globally can be considered having low anthropogenic pressure, mostly found in Canada, Russia, and Greenland. Conversely, 47.9% of coastal regions are heavily impacted by humanity with most countries (84.1%) having % of their coastal regions degraded. Nearly half (43.3%) of protected areas across coastal regions are exposed to high human pressures. In order to meet global sustainability objectives, we identify those nations that must undertake greater actions to preserve and restore coastal regions so as to ensure global sustainable development objectives can be met.
Erratum: The Location and Protection Status of Earth's Diminishing Marine Wilderness (Current Biology (2018) 28(15) (2506–2512.e3), (S0960982218307723) (10.1016/j.cub.2018.06.010))
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2018
Trade-offs in triple-bottom-line outcomes when recovering fisheries
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-08-2018
DOI: 10.1111/FAF.12240
Related Organisations
Related Funding Activities
ARC Future Fellowships - Grant ID: FT200100314
Start Date: 2021
End Date: 02-2027
Amount: $945,462.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityDiscovery Projects - Grant ID: DP140100733
Start Date: 2014
End Date: 12-2019
Amount: $110,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityDiscovery Projects - Grant ID: DP110102153
Start Date: 2011
End Date: 12-2014
Amount: $325,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Projects - Grant ID: LP150100934
Start Date: 01-2016
End Date: 12-2019
Amount: $146,341.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded Activity