Ecosystem-based Approaches to Management and Linkages to US GLOBEC Synthesis Activities

1. Ecosystem-based Approaches to Management and Linkages to US GLOBEC Synthesis Activities Patricia A. Livingston NOAA-Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center Seattle, WA, USA

2. NOAA’s Mission to Implement EAM • Based on recommendations from US Ocean Commission, Pew Report, NRC reviews, external Ecosystem Task Team review • US Ocean Commission: “US ocean and coastal resources should be managed to reflect the relationships among all ecosystem components, including humans and nonhuman species and the environments in which they live.”

3. Definitions Ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) – an approach that takes major ecosystem components and services into account in managing fisheries. • Its goal is to sustain biological communities and marine ecosystems at high levels of productivity and biological diversity so as not to jeopardize a wide range of goods and services from marine ecosystems while providing food, revenues and recreation for humans. National Research Council. 1998. Sustaining marine fisheries. National Academies Press, Washington, DC.

4. Definitions Ecosystem services – benefits that people receive from ecosystems. • Provisioning Services – products obtained: food, water, fuel, fiber, biochemicals, genetic resources • Regulating Services – benefits from regulation: climate, disease, water purification • Cultural Services – non-material benefits: spiritual, recreational, ecotourism, aesthetic, educational • Supporting Services – necessary for production of all other ecosystem services: primary production, nutrient cycling,ecological value, sustaining conditions for life on earth

5. What characteristics should there be to an ecosystem approach to management? • NOAA defines an ecosystem approach to management as one that is: • Adaptive • Regionally directed • Takes account of ecosystem knowledge • Takes account of uncertainty • Considers multiple external influences • Strives to balance diverse societal objectives

6. Review of Common Objectives from some EAM definitions • WHAT • Protect ecosystem structure and function (including diversity and habitat) • Protect key ecosystem processes • Account for food web interactions • HOW • Manage regionally • Incorporate precaution into decisions • Integrate broad societal goals • Acknowledge multiple, external influences, including climate

7. What are the primary issues addressed under an ecosystem approach? • Bycatch or fishery interactions • Indirect effects of harvesting • Interactions between biological and physical components of ecosystems

8. Ecosystem-based Scientific Advice State-of-the-Art Population Assessments including uncertainty Research on Ecosystem Effects of Fishing Research on Effects of Fishing on Habitat Improve understanding of Climate effects on Ecosystem Production Development and Improvement of Predictive Models

9. Ecosystem-based Management Actions CAP on TOTAL TARGET CATCH Total yield < 2 million tonnes • OY cap on total groundfish yield • No target fisheries on forage • Short-tailed albatross take restrictions, Seabird bycatch mitigation devices • No fishing in Steller sea lion foraging area and minimum biomass threshold for sea lion prey • Trawl closures, bottom trawling restrictions

10. Ecosystem-Knowledge • US GLOBEC addresses the question of how global climate change may affect the abundance and production of animals in the sea.

11. Regionally-Directed

12. Ecosystem-Based Management Measures and Outcomes Example: Alaskan LMRs Gear

13. Human Predators Top-Down Forcing Management Protocols Average Income Number of Vessels Groundfish Landings Small shark & skate Landings Groundfish Sharks/skates Total Weight, All Species Internal Biological Dynamics (e.g. trophic ecology, diversity, etc.) Mean Wt/Fish Pelagics Other Groundfish Richness Continental Shelf Fish Community Evenness Ecological Forecasting Models - Example: New England Shelf Ecosystem Temperature NAO Oceanic Conditions Bottom-Up Forcing

14. Ecological Assessment and Forecasting supporting Fisheries and Protected Species Management Dual missions for ecological assessment & forecasts: • Ecological issues considered in managing individual species • Ecosystem structure, function and productivity resulting from cumulative impacts of human activities

15. Fishery Management Monitoring/Research Accurate estimates of removals and discards of target, nontarget in time/space Conservative single species harvests Gear effects on habitat and nontarget species Gear research to minimize bycatch Adaptive management (experimental approach) Ecosystem Observation and Research Monitoring from physics and up (composition, abundance, biological characteristics) Developing understanding of mechanisms through experimental/process-based research Improve understanding of organism behavior to changing conditions A variety of models from state of the art stock assessments to ecosystem-level to address a variety of questions Important Ingredients for an Ecosystem-based Approach

16. NOAA’s EAM Research Priorities • Integrate Ecosystem Observations (physical, biological, and socioeconomic) • Conduct integrated ecosystem assessments • Develop forecasts at the LME scale

18. Source: NRC 2006 Dynamic Changes in Marine Ecosystems: Fishing, Food Webs, And Future Options

21. Recruits per Spawner (AFSC Stock Assessment Staff) Living Marine ResourcesGROUNDFISH

22. Improve understanding of Climate effects on FISH RECRUITMENT (Wilderbuer et al.)

24. Larval Dispersal Day 0 Day 120 Day 30 Marine Reserve Design Day 90 Day 60

25. Ecosystem Impacts Assessment Framework: PREDICTION • KEY CONSIDERATIONS • MODELS that incorporate processes of interest • MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES to evaluate • Annual quota-setting • Management strategy evaluation of policies • SCENARIOS of future environmental state

26. ENSURING CORE CAPABILITIES (forecasting and risk assessments) • NOAA External Task Team RECOMMENDATION 12: • NOAA should expand capacity in forecasting trajectories of ecosystem components under different hypotheses for environmental and anthropogenic forcing and link these forecasts to potential consequences for resource users, coastal residents, and management options.

27. Table 1: NHC Operational Track Guidance Models Table 2: NHC Operational Intensity Guidance Models

28. Strategic Areas for New Investment • New tools for modeling and forecasting • Social science methods for linking ecosystem science to governance • Identifying how humans respond to changes in ecosystems • Methods for assessing and defining optimal ecosystem structure and function • Ecosystem roles of toxics and contaminants • Biodiversity and taxonomy to support an ecosystem approach • Data archiving and integration • Ecosystem impacts of human activities

29. Possible US GLOBEC Contributions to EAM • Provide key “building blocks” for integrated ecosystem assessments: • Identify important data sets for defined ecosystems: physical oceanography, atmos., biol. • Expand linkage from GLOBEC studied species to others • Provide advice on appropriate time/space scales for sampling • Highlight results of process-oriented research that might be generalised or extended • Develop GLOBEC “tool box” of models or model approaches • Provide conceptual framework for regionally-based ecosystem studies