Science Advisory Report 2019/026

Design Strategies for the Northern Shelf Bioregional Marine Protected Area Network

Summary

• Ecological design strategies for the Northern Shelf Bioregional MPA Network describe how ecological conservation priorities (E-CPs), the ecological features to be prioritized in MPA network development, will be spatially incorporated in the MPA network for the Northern Shelf Bioregion (NSB).
• The design strategies focus on the E-CPs and guide achievement of Goal 1 of 6 from the Canada — British Columbia Marine Protected Area Network Strategy (2014): "to protect and maintain marine biodiversity, ecological representation and special natural features".
• Ecological design strategies include ecological conservation targets that are quantitative estimates for how much of each spatial feature representing an E-CP should be included in the network, as well as key variables (i.e., size, shape, spacing, and protection levels of MPAs, connectivity, and the representation and replication of E-CPs).
• The design strategies provide a method for developing ecological conservation targets for the E-CPs based on recommendations in the literature, past practices, and expert opinion.
• Broad-scale coarse-filter E-CPs (i.e., ecological or habitat classification systems) are included to ensure the diversity of ecosystems and habitats are represented in the MPA network. Fine filter E-CPs include priority species or spatially discrete area-based features.
• Six spatial datasets were identified as coarse-filter features and assigned target ranges up to 10%, 20%, and 30% based on relative patch size and rarity.
• Fine-filter area-based features were scored and assigned to two target ranges based on the median of the frequency distribution of scores: low (10–30%) and high (20–60%).
• Fine-filter species-based features were scored and assigned to three target ranges: low (10–20%), medium (20–40%), and high (40–60%).
• It is recommended that these ecological conservation target ranges be used to develop initial site selection analyses that will identify potential areas that meet the ecological network objectives and 'starting points'/'base case' for possible MPA network configurations in the NSB. The ecological conservation target ranges are not intended as single species management recommendations.
• Areas of importance for each E-CP were identified and reviewed by experts. A decision framework was developed to select which E-CPs are appropriate for use in site selection analyses. The decision framework is based on species mobility, data availability, and data quality. This framework is appropriate to identify the E-CPs that can be used for initial site selection analyses to identify areas and network configurations that can meet the ecological network objectives.
• An approach was proposed for calculating the number of replicate areas needed to represent E-CPs based on patch size or rarity, stratified at the scale of ecosections or subregions in the NSB.
• Recommendations for MPA size and spacing are based on intermediate-sized adult/juvenile home ranges and estimated larval dispersal distance of species E-CPs identified in the literature. A minimum MPA size of 50–150 km2 is recommended for the nearshore and shelf/slope. This minimum size does not preclude large MPAs. MPAs should be spaced between 40–200 km in the nearshore and shelf/slope. Within this range, nearshore MPAs may be smaller, though spaced closer, while shelf/slope MPAs may be larger and further apart.
• A risk-based framework is proposed to assess the effectiveness of existing and proposed MPAs by accounting for the potential impacts of allowable human activities on E-CPs using scaling factors derived from a global meta-analysis of MPAs published in the scientific literature.
• It is recommended to designate at least 20-50% of the NSB MPA network as no-take (generally thought to correspond to International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Ia) or limited-take (generally thought to correspond to IUCN Ib-III) to be consistent with recommendations in the scientific literature that 20%-50% of ocean space be designated as no-take within a planning area.
• To inform delineation of the MPA network, the design scenario phase should include sensitivity analyses to evaluate the impacts of using different parameters.

This Science Advisory Report is from the May 23–25, 2017 regional peer review on the Review of Conservation Targets and Network Design Options for the Northern Shelf Bioregion Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network. Additional publications from this meeting will be posted on the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Science Advisory Schedule as they become available.

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