Terms of Reference

Identification of Monitoring Indicators, Protocols, and Strategies for Five Marine Refuges in the Newfoundland and Labrador Region

Regional Peer Review - Newfoundland and Labrador Region

November 26-28, 2024

St. John's, NL

Chairpersons: Christina Pretty and Nadine Wells

Context

National guidance for Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECM), which includes Marine Refuges (MRs), states that monitoring plans must address OECM conservations objectives (COs), including particular species, habitats, or other ecosystem components to be protected by the OECM. Science advice has been requested to identify monitoring indicators, protocols, and strategies for five MRs in the Newfoundland and Labrador Region. These five MRs and their associated key species or habitats are:

• Division 3O Coral Closure (Corals and Sponges)
• Funk Island Deep Closure (Benthic Habitat and Atlantic Cod)
• Hawke Channel Closure (Benthic Habitat and Atlantic Cod)
• Hopedale Saddle Closure (Corals, Sponges, and Biodiversity)
• Northeast Newfoundland Slope Closure (Corals, Sponges, and Biodiversity)

Assessing changes inside the MR boundaries may allow for the identification of benefits or other biodiversity outcomes and/or key species/ecosystem components of interest based on the protection measures of each area.

Objectives

The objectives of the peer review process are to:

1. Use the scientific monitoring approach described in DFO (2024) to identify indicators, protocols, and strategies that can be used to monitor the status and trends of key species, habitats and/or biodiversity in each of the five Marine Refuges. Other necessary monitoring data that can inform on the overall health of the ecosystem and aid in the interpretation of indicators for the key species and habitats could also be proposed.
2. Undertake power analyses to investigate the ability to assess change in scientific monitoring indicators using existing Multispecies trawl and seafloor imagery survey data.

Expected Publications

• Science Advisory Report
• Research Document

Expected Participation

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) (Ecosystems and Oceans Science, Aquatic Ecosystems, and Fisheries Management sectors)
• Other Federal Government Departments/Agencies
• Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
• Academia
• Indigenous Groups
• Fishing Industry
• Non-government organizations

References

• DFO. 2024. Identification of Reference Sites and a Scientific Monitoring Approach for the Laurentian Channel Marine Protected Area. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2024/053.