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Article
National-scale marine bioregions for the Southwest Pacific
Marine Pollution Bulletin
  • Maria Beger, University of Leeds; University of Queensland
  • Hans Wendt, IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
  • Jonah Sullivan, IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature); Geoscience Australia
  • Claire Mason, University of Queensland; University of Tasmania
  • Jimaima LeGrand, IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature); Department of Transport and Main Roads, Queensland
  • Kate Davey, IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
  • Stacy Jupiter, Wildlife Conservation Society, Melanesia Program
  • Daniela M. Ceccarelli, Marine Ecology Consultant
  • Alex Dempsey, Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation
  • Graham Edgar, University of Tasmania
  • David A. Feary, MRAG ltd., London
  • Douglas Fenner
  • Marian Gauna, IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
  • Hannah Grice, University of Leeds
  • Sahar Noor Kirmani, IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
  • Sangeeta Mangubhai, Wildlife Conservation Society
  • Sam Purkis, Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation; Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
  • Zoe T. Richards, Curtin University; Western Australian Museum
  • Randi Rotjan, Boston University
  • Rick Stuart-Smith, University of Tasmania
  • Helen Sykes, Marine Ecology Consulting
  • Naushad Yakub, IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
  • Andrew G Bauman, National University of Singapore
  • Alec Hughes, Wildlife Conservation Society, Solomon Islands
  • Jason Raubani, The Pacific Community
  • Adam Lewis, Geoscience Australia
  • Leanne Fernandes, IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
ORCID
0000-0001-9260-2153
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2020
Keywords
  • Bioregionalisation,
  • Conservation planning data,
  • Species distribution modelling,
  • Hierarchical cluster analysis,
  • Pelagic environment,
  • Coral reef biodiversity
Abstract

Existing marine bioregions covering the Pacific Ocean are conceptualised at spatial scales that are too broad for national marine spatial planning. Here, we developed the first combined oceanic and coastal marine bioregionalisation at national scales, delineating 262 deep-water and 103 reef-associated bioregions across the southwest Pacific. The deep-water bioregions were informed by thirty biophysical environmental variables. For reef-associated environments, records for 806 taxa at 7369 sites were used to predict the probability of observing taxa based on environmental variables. Both deep-water and reef-associated bioregions were defined with cluster analysis applied to the environmental variables and predicted species observation probabilities, respectively to classify areas with high taxonomic similarity. Local experts further refined the delineation of the bioregions at national scales for four countries. This work provides marine bioregions that enable the design of ecologically representative national systems of marine protected areas within offshore and inshore environments in the Pacific.

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DOI
10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110710
Additional Comments
This study was supported by the country representatives of the Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Managementin Pacific Island Countries (MACBIO) project. We particularly thank in-country experts who helped refine and finalise the marine bioregions for use in their respective countries. MACBIO was funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety's (BMUB's) International Climate Initiative (IKI). It was implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) with the countries of Fiji, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu. It had technical support from the Oceania Regional Office of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and worked in close collaboration with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP). Significant assistance with data provision was provided by the following people and institutions: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Reef Life Survey; Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC); Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP); The Nature Conservancy (TNC); UNEP-WCMC; WorldFish Centre; World Resources Institute (WRI), Gerry Allen, Simon Donner (UBC), Maël Imirizaldu (Marine Conservation Consulting), Stuart Sandin (Scripps Institution of Oceanography), Karen Stone (Vava'u Environmental Protection Association), Paul Muir (Museum of Tropical Queensland), Yashika Nand and Waisea Naisilisili (Wildlife Conservation Society Fiji), Peter Houk (University of Guam) and the Micronesia Coral Reef Monitoring program, Emre Turak, and Kate Fraser, Badi R Samaniego, Janet Eyre working with the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation. We are further grateful to the University of Queensland and the University of Leeds for assistance with administration, and to Geoscience Australia for releasing Mr Sullivan for this project. The report benefitted from comments by Mark Spalding and Piers Dunstan, and the help of Roopinder Nagra.
Citation Information
Maria Beger, Hans Wendt, Jonah Sullivan, Claire Mason, et al.. "National-scale marine bioregions for the Southwest Pacific" Marine Pollution Bulletin Vol. 150 (2020) p. 110710 ISSN: 1879-3363
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/andrew-bauman/38/