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Exploiting the gold mine of acoustics for
integrated ecosystem assessments
Mark Dickey-Collas
@DickeyCollas

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Acoustics symposia and ecosystem
Trenkel poster 2015
ecosystem

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Define ”ecosystem approach”!

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Ecosystem approach
FAO continuum of commitments, 2003
EU marine strategy framework directive,
common fisheries policy
USA national ocean policy, MSA
Russia maritime doctrine 2020
CA, NO, AU see Sainsbury et al 2014
http://www.fao.org/fishery/topic/13261/en

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Ecosystem approach principles

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Ecosystem approach principles
Long et al., 2015. Key principle of marine ecosystem-based
management. Marine policy 57: 53-60

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Definitions, definitions, definitions
courtesyJ.Link

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Enter the word ”integrate”
Integrated monitoring and surveys
Integrate science into management advice
Integrate across disciplines
Integrate across sectors

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Operational - ”integrate”
1. Focus on relationships & processes within ecosystem
2. Enhance benefit-sharing
3. Use adaptive management practices
4. Carry out management actions at the scale
appropriate for the issue, with decentralization.
5. Ensure intersectoral cooperation.
https://www.cbd.int/ecosystem/operational.shtml

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Integrated ecosystem assessments (IEA)
In addition to the complexities of the ecosystem

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Integrated ecosystem assessments (ICES)
Provision of joined-up evidence to address society’s
need to manage anthropogenic pressures on the
marine ecosystem.
Exploring the space for decision making.

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Wicked problems
Rittel&Webber1973,Churchman1976

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Provide the evidence for societal..
TRADE OFFS

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Searching for the golden fleece?
Problem is not understood until
after the formulation of solution

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Define the question, set your bounds
Scoping high order and operational objectives
Discuss limits to IEA
Allow progress - integrated not exhaustive
ecosystem assessment (Rochet 2014)

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Example
Partnership: fishing industry, scientists, eNGOs, policy developers
Trenkel et al. 2015

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Co-production of knowledge

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IMARES scientists pretending to look clever

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We use knowledge

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Veracity of evidence
Evidence of differing integrity, sources & certainty.
Learn to integrate the more certain with the less certain,
combine across management objectives and show tradeoffs

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Water quality, untrawlable habitat, seabed integrity

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Foodwebs- space, scale & behaviour

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In EU – Marine strategy framework directive

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Assumes clear pressure-state relationships
APSR- Activity-Pressure-State-Response
e.g. Greenstreet et al., 2009
DPSIR - Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response
e.g. Gimpel et al., 2013

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Solution clear – set a target
Operational indicators
for management

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Pelagic example
AverageF/FMSY
Celtic Seas pelagic stocks North Sea pelagic stocks
mackerel, horse mackerel, blue whiting, herring, sprat, sandeel
Shephard et al. 2014 Assessing the state of pelagic fish communities
within an ecosystem approach & MSFD

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Are all anthropogenic pressures so clear?
• often insufficient evidence to define targets &
support assessment of state
• links to anthropogenic pressures are weak or not
sufficiently well understood to underpin specific
management advice

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What pressures impact?
Can we set targets?

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Surveillance indicators
Not expected to directly track state in response to changes in
pressure,
Provide complementary information (including warning signals)
that informs and supports science, policy and management.

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Risk based approach
Not monitoring for monitoring sake
Carefully targeted surveillance
Need to link to management objectives
Set bounds that trigger action

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Trade off – knowledge and action
Shephard et al. submitted. Surveillance indicators and their use in implementation of the MSFD
take action
check pressures
review knowledge
take action
check pressures
review knowledge

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Visiting a gold mine of data and knowledge
A
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Piles of treasure

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So back to my title:
Tips for acoustic scientists on exploiting the gold
mine: integrated ecosystem assessments.

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IEAs are greedy for knowledge
We help provide the evidence base
to inform management decisions.
Improving and sharpening that evidence is important
but it is not the whole story

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Important transfer of acoustic expertise
Expertise in combining data from different sources
Integrating new technologies
Integrating space and time into analysis
Importance of behaviour and interactions

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From science to IEAs
Learn to talk across disciplines- build common language
Integrate work with partners and stakeholders
Practice creating simple messages
Data aids but is not knowledge
Remember it is WICKED!

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Contribution of acoustics to IEA & management

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Science for sustainable seas