Q 50 - How can deep-water VMEs be effectively identified and conserved with regards to anthropogenic impacts arising from human activities?

Broader “Question”

• Q 7 - How to protect deep Vulnerable marine Ecosystems (VMEs) (strategies, measures, etc.)?

Narrower “Questions”

• Q 51 - How can we minimize the impact of bottom trawling on the growth and survival of gorgonians and other cold water corals located in the NWMED deep-water VMEs?

Related sites

• North-Western Mediterranean (NW-MED)

Answers

Operational approaches

• Climate change impact assessment (Climate change impact assessment)

ESE1 - Ecological toolkit

Practices: Scoping Data collection and presentation Analysis and diagnosis Prioritisation and designation Implementation and management

Spatial scales: Transboundary / sea basin National Regional / local

Protection regimes: Strict protection Non-strict protection

Marine zones: Deep sea

Criteria classes: 1.1 Functional 1.1.1 Vulnerability 1.1.2 Stability 1.1.3 Functional hotspots 1.1.4. Life cycle critical areas 1.1.5 Climate-smart potential 1.3 Genetic 1.4 Ecological status

Criteria

• Category Ecological and genetic criteria

  • Subcategory Functional

    • Macro-criterion Vulnerability

    • Macro-criterion Stability

    • Macro-criterion Functional hotspots

    • Macro-criterion Life cycle critical areas

    • Macro-criterion Climate-smart potential

  • Subcategory Genetic

  • Subcategory Ecological status

Operational approaches: (Method) Climate change impact assessment

Implementation details

To effectively identify VME distribution, the development of an accurate and shared monitoring protocol is fully necessary such as the promotion of open databases. There is no regional official list of species considered as VME indicators but the FAO and Oceana present a full worldwide list of species on their website and a list of criteria used to define a VME. You need to identify the relevant institution for each area responsible of VME management and contact them to make a state of actual knowledge and build your own species list. When data are sufficient, hotspot identification and mapping is a key information to help define which areas are interesting to protect as, in general, closure of an area is the main management lever use to protect VME species. This closure can be achieved through the use of a national management lever in EEZ (e.g., MPA, fishery reserve) or Fishing Restricted Areas beyond the national waters.

The suppression of direct anthropogenic impacts, especially fishing pressure (bottom-trawling), is considered as sufficient by VME experts to promote VME conservation if the duration of the protection is in line with the targeted species biology (reproduction and growth). A period from 8 month for the more resilient species to 10 years of protection is recommended for these areas.

Criteria relating to the connectivity and completion of the life cycle for species in VMEs such as larval source and spawning aggregation areas, and recruitment areas (larval sinks) are highly applicable for the identification and conservation of VMEs as well as functional hotspots with VMEs containing the presence of key functional and habitat forming species such as coral reef species and criterion functionally representative areas - areas with many key functions. Macro-criterion Stability provides some criteria to be considered such as ecosystem integrity and adaptivity (the higher the level of functional diversity, the higher the probability of a system to adapt to new conditions), whilst Vulnerability’s inner criterion sensitivity is also particularly important to consider due to their susceptibility of being affected by anthropogenic impacts. The vulnerability macro-criterion can be used in conservation for example to assess and predict the vulnerability of VME species and communities to anthropogenic impacts such as fishing and CC, to help define the boundaries of conservation, monitor if ABMTs are effective and identify the areas that are most vulnerable but also the areas that can aid in mitigation and adaptation under climate change (see macro-criterion climate-smart potential for more information).

Refer to question 51 for more information of fishing pressure evaluation and areas prioritization for VME conservation.

Notes

Cambra et al (2024). Guidance for including climate change scenarios in protection and prioritization strategies for Marine Protected Areas development. Deliverable D3.3, under the WP3 of MSP4BIO project (GA n°101060707)

Kotta et al. (2024) Ecological toolkit (ESE1) for MPAs prioritization and networking. Deliverable – D3.4., under the WP3 of MSP4BIO project (GA n° 101060707)