Terms of Reference

Monitoring protocols and strategies for the Tarium Niryutait Marine Protected Area (MPA) priority indicators

Central and Arctic Regional Science Advisory Meeting

February 9-10, 2012
Winnipeg, MB

Chair: Kevin Hedges

Context

Under the Health of the Oceans Initiative, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Science sector provides advice to support the identification and development of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). This includes the identification of indicators and monitoring protocols and strategies for inclusion in MPA monitoring plans. The identification of indicators, protocols and strategies are to be based on the conservation objectives set out for each MPA and are science-based and defensible on objective grounds. The conservation objective developed for the Tarium Niryutait (TN) MPA is:

“To conserve and protect Beluga whales and other marine species (anadromous fish, waterfowl, and seabirds), their habitats and their supporting ecosystem.”

On March 30-31 and April 13, 2010 regional science advisory meetings were held to identify monitoring indicators for the TN-MPA. Subsequent advice was published on the Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat website Monitoring indicators for the Tarium Niryutait Marine Protected Area (TNMPA). During those meetings, participants developed a new hierarchical framework which contains six categories, each of which has two or more elements. A total of 82 indicators appropriate to monitor the Beluga population and ecosystem health were identified within the elements. DFO Oceans chose five priority indicators and requested Science advice on protocols and strategies for them.

Objectives

The overall objectives of the meeting are to provide advice on protocols and/or strategies for monitoring the five priority indicators.

• Category: Ecosystem structure (1.0)
  Element: Biodiversity (1.1)
  Indicators: Species lists (1.1.1), Surveys (1.1.5)
• Category: Population structure of key species (3.0)
  Element: Beluga distribution (3.1)
  Indicator: Sighting effort (3.1.1)
• Category: Population structure of key species (3.0)
  Element: Beluga abundance (3.2)
  Indicator: Sighting effort (3.2.1)
• Category: Noise & other physical stressors (6.0)
  Element: Noise (6.1)
  Indicator: Anthropogenic Noise (6.1.1)

This advice is to be provided to DFO Oceans Programs Division for the development of the TN-MPA monitoring plan.

Expected Publications

The Regional Advisory meeting will generate a Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) Proceedings Report, which will summarize the discussion at the meeting and a Science Advisory Report (SAR), which will summarize the resulting advice. In addition, one or more working papers will be reviewed at the meeting, to support the advice and will be published as CSAS Research Documents.

Participation

Experts from a variety of organizations will participate in the meeting including DFO Science and other sectors, stakeholder organizations (e.g., Fisheries Joint Management Committee) and academia.