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Developing a marine protected area (MPA) network in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence - Validating the methodology for including ecological considerations in the future MPA network

Regional Peer Review – Quebec Region

September 24 and 25, 2013
Mont-Joli, Quebec

Chairperson: Denis Gilbert

Context

The numerous national and international commitments made by the governments of Quebec and Canada relating to the creation of marine protected area (MPA) networks show how important these networks are in conserving marine biodiversity. Both levels of government have decided to combine their efforts under the auspices of the St. Lawrence Action Plan 2011–2026 (SLAP) to plan this network. The main goal of this network will be to provide long-term protection of marine biodiversity, ecosystem functions and natural characteristics of the marine environment.

A technical committee was created to produce the deliverables for this initiative. Its members are currently working on establishing a methodology to include the ecological considerations required to develop scenarios for an MPA network.

The methodology that has been developed must be validated by scientists. The ecological characteristics (data layers) and methods (including parametering) used to conduct the spatial analysis must be evaluated. DFO Oceans Management, which co-chairs the technical committee, would like to have specific answers on these aspects (Appendix 1).

There is also an interest in working in the Gulf of St. Lawrence bioregion. Seeing as this bioregion spans three DFO regions, experts from the Newfoundland and Labrador, Gulf and Quebec regions must participate.

Objectives

The purpose of the meeting is to answer the following questions:

  1. Are the ecological data layers selected sufficient to meet the conservation objectives for the future MPA network?
  2. Are the methods used sufficient to determine conservation targets and to conduct a spatial analysis of the data?

A second peer review meeting to complete this initiative is scheduled for 2014-2015. During this meeting, experts will evaluate the results of the spatial analysis of the data that included the ecological and socio-economic considerations. Scientists will be asked to comment on the results of the analysis from an ecological perspective by answering the following questions:

  1. Are areas of great ecological value missing from the proposed scenarios to plan the MPA network?
  2. Do these scenarios sufficiently meet conservation objectives?

Given that the planning exercise for the MPA network could also be expanded to include the Estuary and the Gulf of St. Lawrence bioregion, this second meeting could be subject to a zonal peer review.

Expected publication

Participation

Reference work

TC-CCMPA. 2013. Planning a network of marine protected areas in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence. Methodology for the analysis of ecological data. Working document. 51 p. + Appendices.

Appendix 1. Specific points to evaluate during the peer review

Question 1. Are the ecological data layers selected sufficient to meet the conservation objectives for the future MPA network?

  1. Data selection criteria
  2. Quality of selected data
  3. Choice of data selected for representativeness
  4. Availability of other data from the Gulf that could meet conservation objectives

Question 2. Are the methods used sufficient to determine conservation targets and to conduct a spatial analysis of the data?

  1. Conservation targets
    • Target scenarios used to conduct the spatial analysis of the data
    • Criteria for determining targets
    • Relevance of using proportional targets for habitats

  2. Spatial analysis
    • Choice of the study grid
    • Adjustments from external cells to minimize bias in the spatial analysis
    • Number of replicates (minimally sufficient?)
    • Criteria for adjusting penalties

Notice

Participation to CSAS peer review meetings is by invitation only.

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