Authors:
Eléonore Cambra, Institute of Marine Sciences of the National Research Council – CNR-ISMAR
Alessandra Conversi, Institute of Marine Sciences of the National Research Council – CNR-ISMAR
Elena Gissi, Institute of Marine Sciences of the National Research Council – CNR-ISMAR
Lawrence Whatley, Flanders Marine Institute – VLIZ
Stefano Menegon, Institute of Marine Sciences of the National Research Council – CNR-ISMAR
Natascha Jaspert, sustainable Projects – s.Pro
Climate change is an urgent, global threat that affects all life on Earth, from gene selection to entire socio-ecosystems. From extreme heat waves to rising sea levels, ocean acidification, and more intense storms, its impacts on the biosphere are vast and difficult to predict. The uncertainties in species and ecosystem responses to changing conditions pose new challenges for marine managers, making the task of conservation even more complex. To safeguard the health of our oceans, we need innovative solutions and management transition toward more proactive measures such as climate-smart Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). MSP4BIO developed a novel framework for the integration of climate change in conservation efforts which will be incorporated in the ESE (Ecological-Socio-Economic) framework, a key output of the project to move towards a more holistic and comprehensive approach to conservation efforts.
What are climate-smart MPAs?
Climate-smart MPAs are designed to mitigate climate incidence, help marine ecosystems adapt to the evolving threats posed by climate change and contribute to food security (Hellin et al., 2023). By integrating climate change projections in the design of MPA networks and climate-smart criteria into the management and planning of MPAs, we can maximize the long-term effectiveness of these protected areas in conserving marine life.
The MSP4BIO framework provides an innovative guidance for:
1) Supporting managers to understand and integrate climatic knowledge into their management issues;
2) Guiding them toward the most appropriate methodology according to the management question, for i.e. assessing the vulnerability of marine species and ecosystems to climate stressors;
3) Supporting translation of the analysis outputs into operational management levers.
This helps MPA managers and planners to increase the resilience of their MPAs, enabling them to adapt proactively to a variety of potential climate scenarios.
Tailoring Solutions to Regional Contexts
The effects of climate change can vary significantly from region to region, so one of the first steps in creating climate-smart MPAs is understanding the local context. This means evaluating the specific climate risks in a region and evaluating the current management efforts needed and dedicated for this MPA. What are the main conservation targets for this area, what kind of management approach is promoted and what species and ecosystems need to be considered in this MPA?
Vulnerability Assessment: A Core Element of climate-smart management
A critical part of the MSP4BIO framework is the risk assessment (including Vulnerability Assessment), which helps us understand if and how marine species and ecosystems are affected by climate stressors in a given location. This assessment focuses on three main factors:
Species sensitivity: How vulnerable are individual species to climate impacts?
Resilience: How resilient are species or ecosystems to these changes?
Adaptivity: How capable are they of adapting to new conditions?
By analyzing these aspects, MPA managers and planners can make more informed decisions, better weigh the trade-offs involved in different conservation actions, and identify any additional monitoring needs.
Figure 1: Guidance for including climate change scenarios in protection and prioritization strategies for Marine Protected Areas development. (Adapted from: Cambra et al., 2024)
The Ecological Toolkit
The guidance for building climate change scenarios within protection strategies has been integrated into the Ecological Toolkit (ESE1), the first component of MSP4BIO’s ESE Framework. The ESE1 offers a comprehensive approach to incorporating ecological and climate-related criteria into MPA and MSP planning and management, aiming to ensure an integrative representation of marine areas. Climate Change integration starts by incorporating its aspects in the scoping phase for ESE1, where conservation needs are defined and climatic pressures for an area of interest are assessed. Moving forward climate change scenarios are considered in every step of ESE including data collection & visualization, analysis & diagnosis and prioritization & designation. A key feature during the phase of analysis is the Decision Support Tool (DST) “Tool4MSP”. By using Tool4MSP, MPA and MSP planners can prioritize and designate areas in line with defined conservation goals and ecological significance, applying conservation algorithms for analysis, and engaging stakeholders throughout the process.
| The usage of Decision Support Tools (DSTs) is vital for providing robust ecological and environmental evidence, which is essential for developing adaptive management strategies in marine spatial planning (MSP) and MPA processes. |
Figure 2: Infographic on the Ecological Toolkit (ESE1), Deliverable D3.4, under the WP3 of MSP4BIO project (GA n° 101060707).
A Path Forward
Climate-smart MPAs and MSP offer an innovative, forward-thinking approach to marine conservation. By incorporating MSP4BIO’s “Guidance for building climate change scenarios for protection strategies” into the Ecological Toolkit and upcoming ESE Framework, we can build more resilient MPAs and MSP networks that not only protect marine life today but also ensure their survival in the face of an uncertain climate future. As we continue to face the growing challenges of climate change, adopting these adaptive strategies will be crucial to preserving our oceans for generations to come.
Check out the full deliverable here! Let’s advance conservation efforts together by spreading the work and promoting collaborative, innovative approaches!
