MainDB: Developing the evidence-base to support climate-smart decision making on MPAs
Title:
Developing the evidence-base to support climate-smart decision making on MPAs
NWPWeblink:
Further information on this work is available on the JNCC website:
Climate Smart MPAs | JNCC - Adviser to Government on Nature Conservation
, with the project report available on the JNCC resource hub:
Developing the evidence-base to support climate-smart decision making on MPAs | JNCC Resource Hub
or through the Defra website:
Developing the evidence-base to support ‘climate smart’ decision-making in the marine environment: a focus on MPAs - MB0149 (defra.gov.uk)
;
A case study summary of the outcomes from this project is available on the International Partnership on MPAs, Biodiversity and Climate Change website
NWPTypeOfOrganization:
Civil society
NWPGeographicRegion:
Europe
Scope of work:
NWPMandatesandFrameworks:
JNCC was commissioned by Defra to develop the evidence base around climate smart decision making in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The first phase of this work was a project analysing the role of MPAs and their protected features in mitigating the impacts of climate change. Working collaboratively with the Marine Biological Association (MBA), the project also assessed the sensitivity of MPA features themselves to the projected impacts associated with a changing climate. The project report is available on the JNCC Resource Hub: Developing the evidence-base to support climate-smart decision making on MPAs | JNCC Resource Hub or through the Defra website: Developing the evidence-base to support ‘climate smart’ decision-making in the marine environment: a focus on MPAs - MB0149 (defra.gov.uk). This work is supported by climate profile report cards for two study MPAs which are available on the JNCC Resource Hub: Climate Profile Report Cards: The Canyons MCZ and Studland Bay MCZ | JNCC Resource Hub.”
NWPModalityApproachandMechanism:
NWPEffortsToAddressSOE:
Finding solutions to tackle climate change is a key priority for the UK and international community. The importance of improving the evidence base to inform climate smart decision-making is well documented in relevant UK and international policy. Therefore, this work focussed on building the evidence-base to support climate smart decision-making.’
NWPRelevantStakeholders:
Marine environmental decision-makers/managers/regulators
NWPFocusonNElossesFlag:
The results of this work found that between 85-95% of the priortised MPA features had some level of risk to climate pressures, with the majority of the receptors correlating to more than one MPA feature type. Addressing this might involve decision making and action through effective management as MPA features may provide nature-based solutions that can help build ecosystem resilience and mitigate associated impacts. A case could therefore be made to consider such factors in the wider context of MPA management.”
NWPImpactAreas:
NWPOutputs:
Good practices and lessons learned:
Although UK MPAs have been designated primarily for the protection of biodiversity and not climate change mitigation and adaptation, understanding the extent to which blue carbon habitats are already protected within the existing UK MPA network has helped understand existing protection and potential gaps.
The climate profiles tested an approach for presenting the developing evidence base on climate pressures, feature sensitivity and climate change mitigation and adaptation services at a MPA site level. This work highlighted the complexity of assimilating and presenting climate pressure and sensitivity information at a site level in a way that is accessible to a wide range of stakeholders.
Although the evidence developed through these projects is mainly focused on UK MPAs, information on ecosystem services related to climate change mitigation and adaptation is transferable to other countries, as is information on habitat sensitivity and sediment carbon stores, where similar habitats occur. Methodologies developed for the assessments are also transferable to other countries.
NWPGapsChallenges:
Date of submission:
Abbreviation:
Climate-smart MPAs
Activities:
Objective 1: Prioritising MPA features at highest risk from climate change and associated biotopes:
· Literature search: to create a prioritised list of MPA features considered most at risk to climate change, JNCC undertook a rapid literature review to identify marine habitats and species likely to be impacted by climate change pressures. Outputs from the literature search were then correlated with the associated MPA features and biotopes.
· Selection of pressures for sensitivity assessment: To streamline the number of sensitivity assessments to be undertaken under Objective 3, the climate change pressures used for the literature search were further prioritised to identify five of the pressures considered most likely to have an effect on habitats within UK waters.
· Identification of MPA features and biotopes at-risk to climate pressures: To finalise a list of MPA features and their associated biotopes at highest risk to climate change pressures, the outputs from the literature search were refined to consider receptors affected by only the five prioritised pressures. Receptors were then correlated to MPA features and biotopes based on whether they were habitats or species.
Objective 2: Identifying MPA features with a role in climate change adaptation/ mitigation:
· Literature search: To identify which MPA features have a role in climate change adaptation or mitigation, JNCC undertook a rapid literature assessment to investigate the provision of climate change related ecosystem services by MPA protected features.
· Assigning provision and confidence scores: Based on the literature assessment outputs, each feature was assigned a provision and confidence score of low/moderate/high, alongside an assessment of whether they could provide climate change related services
· Combining with MPA data: The outputs of the literature assessment were used to develop statistics on the climate related ecosystem services. The UK MPA stocktake data for SoS waters was used to determine the
· representation of MPA protected features. This was used to assess whether the MPA provided one of the climate change related services.
· Calculating the statistics: Statistics on the role of the UK MPA network in SoS waters in providing climate related ecosystem services were calculated by totalling the MPAs that protect features known to provide coastal protection or carbon sequestration services.
Objective 3: Devising definitions and benchmarks for climate change pressures and complete sensitivity assessments for priority biotopes:
· Developing pressures and benchmarks: Five pressures were selected to undertake sensitivity assessments against. Through a sub-contract for the project, the Marine Biological Association undertook a review of literature for these pressures, in order to propose a set of benchmarks based on best available evidence. These proposals were sent out for expert consultation to a range of academic and research institutions, and updates were made following this consultation. A multiple benchmark approach was agreed, with each pressure benchmark set at mean projected values for both middle and high greenhouse gas emission scenarios, and an additional extreme scenario for ocean warming and sea level rise.
· Sensitivity assessments: Following the Marine Evidence-based Sensitivity Assessment (MarESA) method, a literature review was undertaken on the resistance (tolerance) and resilience (recovery rates) for the key functional, structural and characterising species of the biotopes. The resulting evidence base was used to assess and score resistance, resilience and hence, sensitivity, of each biotope to the climate change pressures at the different emission scenario benchmarks.
· Sensitivity maps: To display the sensitivity assessment scores in a more visual way, sensitivity maps were created for the two-case study MPAs. Maps were created for each climate change pressure, displaying the HES benchmark sensitivity scores.
Objective 4: MPA climate profiles:
· Creation of climate profiles: Climate profiles were created for the two-case study MPAs; Studland Bay MCZ and The Canyons MCZ, as examples of how information on MPAs and climate change could be communicated at a site level. The climate profiles provided summary information about the MPA, information on its provision of climate change related ecosystem services, the potential response of these features to climate change; and conclusions from this evidence and knowledge gaps to be addressed by further research.
Adaptation element:
Adaptation planning and practices; Climate scenarios; Impact assessment; Science and research; Vulnerability assessment
Adaptation sector/theme:
Ecosystems; Biodiversity; Coastal areas/zones; Ecosystem-based adaptation
Climate hazard:
Extreme heat; Increasing temperatures; Ocean acidification; Sea level rise
Country:
United Kingdom (UK)
NWPDataSource:
Partner
Description:
In the UK a variety of evidence projects have been undertaken to improve our understanding of the role of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) as Nature-based Solutions in the face of a changing climate. This has involved:
(i) Understanding the role of marine biodiversity in supporting climate change adaptation and mitigation ;
(ii) Quantifying the protection of blue carbon habitats within the existing MPA network ;
(iii) Understanding how MPA protected features may be impacted by climate change; and
(iv) Establishing the relative importance of areas of the English seabed for blue carbon .
Understanding the role of marine biodiversity in supporting climate change adaptation and mitigation can help support management decisions. For example, habitats with a role in coastal protection could be managed in a way that ensures they retain those qualities and the condition which allows it to deliver this ecosystem service at optimal levels. Knowledge of where blue carbon habitats are protected within the existing MPA network could help inform place-based management decisions to ensure carbon stays locked up within these habitats and damage and degradation of these habitats no longer contribute to carbon emissions. Understanding how MPA protected features may be impacted by climate change, such as sea-level rise or ocean warming, could help identify where elevated levels of management are needed to ensure there is resilience to these stressors within ecosystems. Finally, establishing the relative importance of areas of the English seabed for blue carbon will help better understand where these carbon stores are located and inform management of MPAs and appropriate implementation of wider management approaches across the wider marine system.
Our work focused on improving the understanding of the role of marine biodiversity in climate change mitigation and adaptation. The first step was to undertake a literature assessment to investigate the provision of two climate-related ecosystem services (carbon sequestration and coastal protection), by MPA protected features and developed statistics on the provision of these services by the MPA network within English inshore and offshore and Northern Irish offshore waters. The next step was to understand the extent to which blue carbon habitats are already protected within the existing UK MPA network.
An essential element in the planning of Climate Smart MPAs is to understand the extent to which MPA protected features may be impacted by the effects of climate change. The JNCC project considered how MPA features may respond to four pressures associated with climate change: ocean acidification, ocean warming, marine heatwaves and sea-level rise.
Expected outcome:
For the climate-smart MPAs project, the expected outcomes were as follows:
· Prioritisation of MPA protected features in Secretary of State waters at highest risk from climate change pressures.
· Identification of the role of protected features in climate regulation or mitigation of impacts of climate change and identify the MPAs that contribute to these ecosystem services.
· Assessment of the sensitivity of high priority MPA protected features to climate related change and present these on the Marine Life Information Network (MarLIN) website.
· Development of climate profile report cards for two case study MPAs have been prepared to help communicate the impacts and the role of MPAs in mitigating against.
Further information:
Due to their extensive area, seabed sediments represent a large and globally important carbon store and long-term sink. However, the amount of carbon stored in seabed sediments, and therefore the contribution to climate change mitigation, varies depending on habitat type and many other factors. On-going work by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) is assessing the relative important of the seabed in English waters for carbon storage using a range of computational modelling techniques. The initial outputs of this study have been used to inform the process of identifying areas for stricter protection in English waters as part of the Highly Protected Marine Areas Project, which is including carbon storage as one of the selection criteria.
https://jncc.gov.uk/our-work/highly-protected-marine-areas/
NWPGeographicScope:
National
Indicators of achievement:
Producing the materials referred to under expected outcomes.
NWPInformationType:
Case study
NWPJoinDate:
21/05/2024
NWPPartner:
Joint Nature Conservation Committee
Purpose:
The purpose of the project was to build the evidence-base to support climate smart decision-making. The project had four main objectives:
1. Prioritise a set of MPA protected features in Secretary of State waters (English inshore and offshore and Northern Irish offshore waters) at highest risk from climate change pressures and identify their associated biotopes;
2. Create an inventory and high-level statistics on MPA protected features in Secretary of State waters with a role in supporting climate change resilience;
3. Devise pressure definitions and benchmarks for climate change pressures, and complete sensitivity assessments for the biotopes associated with prioritised protected features of MPAs found in Secretary of State waters, under the MarLIN project. This part of the project has been delivered through a sub-contract undertaken by the Marine Biological Association; and
4. Create example MPA climate profiles as a visual communications tool to communicate the impacts of climate change and the role of MPAs in enhancing resilience to climate change.
The purpose of the case study was to provide a high level output that summarises the outcomes from climate-smart MPAs project.
Regional group:
Least Developed Countries; Small Island Developing States
Target group:
Academics and scientists; Policy makers; Practitioners
NWPWorkStream:
NWP
NWPYear:
2,023
NWPOutcome:
The study found that of the MPA features investigated, nine habitat types played a role in carbon sequestration. These habitat types included coastal vegetated habitats, such as saltmarsh and seagrass beds, and sedimentary habitats, such as subtidal mud and deep-sea mud. The project found that 43% of MPAs protect habitats that play a key role in coastal protection, and 29% protect habitats that trap and store carbon long-term.
JNCC developed methodologies to examine existing data for protected features of MPAs across the UK and presented statistics on the area extent of blue carbon habitats protected and not protected within MPAs. The study found that four blue carbon habitats have most of their known extents protected within MPAs (coastal saltmarsh and saline reedbeds, seagrass, kelp beds and littoral mud), but the majority of the known extent of three other important habitats (sublittoral mud, deep-sea mud, and maerl beds) are not protected within existing MPAs.
Evidence developed through this project was used to create climate profiles for two case study MPAs: The Canyons and Studland Bay Marine Conservation Zones. The climate profiles provide summary information about the MPA, information on its provision of climate change related ecosystem services, and information on the potential response of these features to climate change as a result of sensitivity assessments.
Future work priorities include developing the evidence base on the impacts of human activities on blue carbon stores and improving our understanding of the role of deep-sea marine ecosystems in supporting climate change mitigation. Marine monitoring survey programmes are evolving to include the collection of direct evidence on blue carbon stocks and fluxes on the UK seabed, which will be used to improve the accuracy of computer modelling. Moreover, early detection systems around the impact of climate change on marine biodiversity are being trialled.
NWPPartners:
Type of knowledge resource:
Scale of work:
NWPSlowOnsetEvents:
NWPReferences:
Implementing partners:
Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC)
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra)
NWPYearPublication:
2020
NWPUpdate:
SourceItemID:
2511
NWPSecendaryEmail:
NWPPrimaryEmail:
NWPTypeOfKnowledge:
Technical document/report
NWPCountryItem:
NWPRelevantWeblinks:
https://randd.defra.gov.uk/;#Statistics on the extent of blue carbon habitats to support MPA decision-making;#https://jncc.gov.uk/our-work/climate-smart-mpas/;#JNCC's work on Climate Smart MPAs;#https://hub.jncc.gov.uk/assets/55eabab3-72ea-4cec-97c4-5a9573ab9fa7;#Climate Profile Report Cards
Created at 21/05/2024 15:00 by crmmocservices
Last modified at 23/05/2024 15:51 by Mayara De Souza Soares da Silva
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