Terms of Reference
Delineation of Significant Areas of Coldwater Corals and Sponge-Dominated Communities in Canada's Atlantic and Eastern Arctic Marine Waters
National Peer Review - National Capital Region
March 8-10, 2016
Halifax, NS
Chairpersons: Lisa Setterington and Christie Whelan
Context
In 2009, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) published the Policy on Managing the Impacts of Fishing on Sensitive Benthic Areas to provide a more systematic, transparent, and consistent approach to mitigate fishery impacts on benthic habitats, species and communities. Subsequently, DFO produced two guidance documents (i.e., DFO's Ecological Risk Assessment Framework (ERAF) for coldwater corals and sponge dominated communities (DFO 2013), Guidance for Implementation of the Policy for Managing the Impacts of Fishing on Sensitive Benthic Areas) to apply the policy but advice on the delineation of significant areas (concentrations) of corals and sponges is still lacking.
Coral and sponge concentrations in Canadian waters have been identified as ecologically and biologically significant areas (EBSAs) using domestically established criteria. The Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) published a Science Advisory Report (DFO 2010) which provided the foundation for the identification of such concentrations by providing maps of the known locations of corals and sponges. However, clear guidance on how to use these location data to delineate significant areas of these species is still needed.
In order to further advance the implementation of the Policy and ERAF, Ecosystems and Fisheries Management is seeking science advice to refine the delineation of significant areas of corals and sponges and information on the fishing activity in relation to these significant areas. The delineation of significant areas of corals and sponges and the overlay of the fishing footprint of bottom contact fisheries on maps of these significant coral and sponge areas are both needed to apply the Policy.
While the focus will be on the Atlantic and Eastern Arctic, the Pacific Region will also be engaged to ensure a nationally consistent approach, based on current science from all Regions.
Objective
The specific objectives of this National Peer Review are to:
- Review the terms associated with delineating Significant Benthic Areas of coldwater corals and sponge-dominated communities.
- Update the kernel density estimation (Kenchington et al. 2010; Kenchington et al. 2014) used to delineate significant benthic concentrations of coldwater coral and sponge species within the Atlantic and Eastern Arctic waters of the Canadian exclusive economic zone (EEZ). This includes incorporating species distribution models to further delineate these concentrations for corals and sponges with the data currently available for the Atlantic and Eastern Arctic waters.
- Produce maps delineating all the significant concentrations of corals and sponges, and the probability of their occurrence, within the Atlantic and Eastern Arctic waters of the Canadian EEZ.
- Provide recommendations on best approaches and methods to update the delineations of these significant areas as more data become available on coral and sponge distribution.
- Present a preliminary analysis that overlays the fishing effort with the areas of benthic concentrations of corals and sponges and provide recommendations on how this type of analysis may be considered in evaluating coral and sponge distributions.
Expected Publications
- Proceedings
- Research Document
- Science Advisory Report
Participation
- DFO – Ecosystems and Oceans Science sector (regional and NCR)
- DFO – Ecosystems and Fisheries Management sector (regional and NCR)
- Academia or academics
- Fishing Industry
- Other invited experts (i.e. environmental non-governmental organizations)
References
DFO. 2010. Occurrence, susceptibility to fishing, and ecological function of corals, sponges, and hydrothermal vents in Canadian waters. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2010/041.
DFO. 2013. Ecological Risk Assessment Framework (ERAF) for coldwater corals and sponge dominated communities. Sustainable Fisheries Framework (SFF): Policy to manage the impacts of fishing on sensitive benthic areas.
Kenchington, E., Lirette, C., Cogswell, A., Archambault, D., Archambault, P., Benoit, H., Bernier, D., Brodie, B., Fuller, S., Gilkinson, K., Lévesque, M., Power, D., Siferd, T., Treble, M., and Wareham, V. 2010. Delineating coral and sponge concentrations in the biogeographic regions of the east coast of Canada using spatial analyses. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2010/41. v + 204 p.
Kenchington, E., Murillo, F.J., Lirette, C., Sacau, M., Koen-Alonso, M., Kenny, A., Ollerhead, N., Wareham, V., and Beazley L. 2014. Kernel density surface modelling as a means to identify significant concentrations of vulnerable marine ecosystem indicators. PLoS ONE. 9(10):e109365. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0117752
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