Terms of Reference

A national monitoring framework for coral and sponge areas identified as Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures

National Peer Review - National Capital Region

December 1-3, 2020
Virtual Meeting

Co-Chairs: Robyn Jamieson and Lisa Setterington

Context

Canada, through its commitments to national and international marine conservation targets, has protected 13.81% of its marine and coastal areas through the establishment of marine protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs). Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has also taken steps to conserve benthic ecosystems through its “Policy to manage the impacts of fishing on sensitive benthic areas” (DFO 2009). Canada currently has 59 OECMs, 38 of which are established to protect cold-water corals and/or sponge benthic ecosystems.

Marine OECMs can include fisheries area closures established for the long-term to contribute towards the conservation of biodiversity, referred to as Marine Refuges. Marine refuges that conserve coral and/ or sponge aggregations, prohibit bottom-contact fishing activities in order to protect these fragile, often slow-growing species. Marine OECMs, including Marine Refuges, provide biodiversity conservation benefits (BCBs), which are benefits for a habitat, species or other component of the ecosystem resulting from the implementation of an OECM. It results in a net positive change in, or prevents the loss of, biodiversity in the OECM. BCBs include the focus of the conservation area, a direct BCB, and indirect BCBs or “co-benefits” which can occur incidentally as a result of conservation measures implemented in the area. For coral and sponge OECMs, the direct BCBs are for the coral and sponge species and their habitats. Indirect BCBs for corals and sponges vary by region and type of coral and/ or sponge and will be explored further in this CSAS process. Regional variations of coral and/ or sponge species assemblages and their aggregative propensities influence the types of BCBs and the monitoring techniques that can be used.

Given that monitoring is essential in order to determine if OECMs are effective, the Marine Planning and Conservation and Fisheries Resource Management programs requested national guidance on how to monitor coral and/ or sponge OECMs to demonstrate that they achieve direct and indirect BCBs. This will include advice on the categorization of corals and/ or sponges found within Canadian OECMs (for example, functional groups based on their role in the ecosystem, or habitat groups based on their location), the indirect BCBs that might be inferred from the ecological components being monitored, and indicators, and techniques for monitoring that can be used in these systems.

Objectives

The goal of this science peer review meeting is to develop a national monitoring framework for coral and sponge areas identified as OECMs. More specifically, the objectives are to:

1. Characterize the corals and/or sponges in Canadian OECMs (for example, by functional group or habitat type), and detail the available baseline information and knowledge gaps; 
2. Provide a review of the known and expected indirect BCBs of coral and/or sponge habitats, and where possible, link these to the groups of corals and/or sponges described in Objective 1;
3. Identify appropriate ecological indicators to monitor coral and/or sponge areas for direct and indirect BCBs along with the strengths and limitations of each indicator; and
4. Identify potential tools, techniques and/ or methodologies for monitoring the direct and indirect BCBs of coral and/or sponge areas, and provide advice on their strengths and limitations.

Expected Publications

• Science Advisory Report
• Proceedings
• Research Document

Expected Participation

• DFO Science
• DFO Marine Planning and Conservation
• DFO Fisheries Resource Management
• Academia
• Environmental non-government organizations
• Other invited experts, as appropriate

References

DFO. 2016. Guidance on Identifying “Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures” in Canadian Coastal and Marine Waters. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep.2016/002.

DFO. 2009. Policy for Managing the Impacts of Fishing on Sensitive Benthic Areas. https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/reports-rapports/regs/sff-cpd/benthi-eng.htm