DC Marine Community MeetingJuly 8, 2009

Overview of the Census of Marine Life

Heather Mannix, Program Associate

Scientific Basis for Selecting MPAs in Areas Beyond National

JurisdictionRon O’Dor, Senior Scientist

MissionMissionA global network of 2000 researchers

engaged in an international collaborative initiative to assess and explain the

diversity, distribution, and abundanceof marine life in the oceans – past, present,

and future – and to identify the currentlimits to knowledge (what is

known, unknown and unknowable)

This flame scallop, Lima scabra, from Isla Larga, Venezuela, is an example of the diversity of nearshore species. Photo: Eduardo Klein, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Caracas ©2007.

Exploration and DiscoveryExploration and Discovery

A comb jelly from the high Arctic waters of the Canada Basin. Photo: Kevin Raskoff, Monterey Peninsula College.

A deepwater shrimp species from French Frigate Shoals in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Photo: Susan Middleton © 2006, courtesy U.S. NOAA, PIFSC, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument.

Some new species discoveries…

This species is the first record of a hydrothermal vent zoanthid, an order of invertebrates related to corals. Photo: Charles Fisher, Penn State University.

Grand Challenge Questions

CoML ComponentsCoML Components

Oceans PastWhat did live in the

oceans?

History of Marine Animal

Populations (HMAP)

Oceans PresentWhat does live in the

oceans?

Ocean Realm Field Projects

Oceans FutureWhat will live in the

oceans?

Future of Marine Animal

Populations (FMAP)

Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS)Web-based provider of global geo-referenced information on marine species

Oceans PastOceans PastTo improve our understanding of historical ecosystem

change and the role of man in these changes.

A map of HMAP case studies. Image: The HMAP project.

A couple hundred bluefin tuna for sale at auction, Skagen, Denmark (year < 1946. Photo: Blegvad, H. 1946. Fiskeriet i Danmark. Bind 1. Selskabet til udgivelse af kulturskrifter.

Oceans FutureOceans FutureTo describe & synthesize globally changing patterns of species

abundance, distribution, & diversity across ocean realms, including the modeling of the effects of fishing, climate change

& other key variables on those patterns.

Area of the world’s oceans with taxonomic censusesover 80% complete at various spatial resolutions.Figure: Mora, Tittensor & Myers, Proc. R. Soc. B (2008) 275, 149–155.

Project founder, the late RAM Myers, continues to have papers published posthumously.Dr. Ransom Myers (1952-2007)

Oceans PresentOceans Present

• Nearshore• Reefs• Regional Ecosystems• Continental Shelves• Continental Margins• Abyssal Plains• Mid-Ocean Ridges• Seamounts• Vents and Seeps• Arctic • Antarctic

A cephalopod from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.Photo: David Shale.

• Marine Microbes

• Zooplankton

• Top Predators

Oceans Present: Realm ProjectsOceans Present: Realm Projects

CoML defines its realms & zones in 2003 Baseline Report, The Unknown Ocean

Data Infrastructure & IntegrationData Infrastructure & IntegrationTo become a national, regional and international infrastructure for information and biogeographic data on marine species and

their distribution and abundance.

On June 24, 2009 the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission accepted OBIS as a programme under the

International Oceanographic Data Exchange (IODE).

Global CollaborationGlobal CollaborationStars indicate National or Regional Activity Headquarters

80 countries

Over 2000 scientists

ChinaSong Sun

National / Regional ChairsNational / Regional Chairs

AfricaCharles Griffiths

No Photo: IndonesiaGelwynn Yusuf

EuropeHenn Ojaveer & Isabel Sousa-Pinto

Indian OceanMohideen Wafar

CanadaPaul Snelgrove

CaribbeanPatricia Miloslavich

South AmericaDiego Rodriguez

USAAndy Rosenberg

JapanKats Fujikura

AustraliaNic Bax

South KoreaYoun-Ho Lee

Arabian Sea

Michel Clarebout

Census findings support…Census findings support…

• Sustainable Fisheries

• Identification of Marine Protected Areas (e.g. biodiversity hotspots)

• Management of Habitat Loss and Pollution

• Environmental Assessments

• Identification & tracking of Invasive Species and Endangered Species

• Understanding of Global Climate Change Impacts, including Ocean Acidification

• Preservation of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

Photo: NASA

Policy Related ActivitiesPolicy Related ActivitiesSeries of briefings to policy organizations

2009-2010

• FAO Committee on Fisheries, March 2009• World Ocean Conference, May 2009• UN Assessment of Assessments, June 2009

• GEF International Waters Conference, October 2009

• Convention on Biological Diversity COP10, October 2010

CoML Partnerships*CoML Partnerships*

Support for Policy & Management Recommendations

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

DIVERSITASConvention on Biological Diversity

(as well as above box)

EndorsementsIntergovernmental

Oceanographic Commission (IOC)

Group on Earth Observations (GEO)

Shared MissionsPartnership for

Observation of the Global Oceans (POGO)

Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research

(SCOR)Global Biodiversity

Information Facility (GBIF)

*sample of key partnerships

Joint Science & Products

Encyclopedia of Life (EoL)Consortium for the

Barcode of Life (CBOL)National Geographic

Google

Visibility, Awareness & RecognitionVisibility, Awareness & Recognition

SynthesisSynthesisFirst Census of Marine Life 2000-2010

Report out of the first Census of Marine LifeLondon, England October 4-7 2010

Products to be Released:

Peer reviewed Journal papersBooks

Videos co-produced with National GeographicAnimations

Glossy Report of Scientific HighlightsPlus many others…

Census 2020?

Sylvia Earle’s Wish 2008Sylvia EarleSylvia Earle’’s Wish 2008s Wish 2008

““I wish you would use all means at your disposal I wish you would use all means at your disposal —— films! expeditions! the web! more! films! expeditions! the web! more! ——

to ignite public support for a to ignite public support for a global network of marine protected areas,global network of marine protected areas,hope spots large enough to save and restore the ocean, hope spots large enough to save and restore the ocean,

the blue heart of the planet.the blue heart of the planet.””

US Census Committee Front Ecol Environ 2009

FAO Atrium CoML/NGS Images for COFIFAO Atrium CoML/NGS Images for COFI

High Seas ManagementHigh Seas Management

•• CenSeam is providing policy CenSeam is providing policy input, for exampleinput, for example

•• FAO International Guidelines for FAO International Guidelines for the Management of Deepthe Management of Deep--Sea Sea Fisheries in the High SeasFisheries in the High Seas

•• South Pacific RFMO development South Pacific RFMO development of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem criteria and Benthic Assessment criteria and Benthic Assessment StandardsStandards

Seamount trawl fisheriesSeamount trawl fisheries

From CenSeam 2006, Clark et al, 2007

Deepsea trawl species & catchesDeepsea trawl species & catches

Black oreo – 75,000 t

Orange roughy420,000 t

Roundnose grenadier220,000 t

Patagonian toothfish - longline

Alfonsino – 170,000 t

Pelagic armourhead800,000 t

Cardinalfish – 55,000 t

Smooth oreo- 75,000 t

SeamountsSeamounts

From Pitcher From Pitcher et alet al. (2007). Seamounts: Ecology, Fisheries & Conservation. (2007). Seamounts: Ecology, Fisheries & Conservation

A panel figure which encapsulates the dynamics and A panel figure which encapsulates the dynamics and complexity of seamount ecosystemscomplexity of seamount ecosystems

Protecting marine biodiversity in Protecting marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdictionareas beyond national jurisdiction:

putting science & policy into practiceKristina Maria Gjerde

IUCN High Seas Policy AdvisorWarsaw, Poland

Biodiversity, Ecosystems and FisheriesFAO COFI Side Event Tuesday 3 March 2009

FAO: VME & Sig. Adverse Impact Criteria ...compared to the CBD EBSA criteria

1. Uniqueness / rarity2. Special importance for life history of species (“Functional

Significance”)3. Importance for threatened, endangered or declining

species / habitats4. Vulnerability, fragility, sensitivity, or slow recovery5. Biological productivity6. Biological diversity7. Naturalness • Slow growth, age of maturity, low recruitment, long-lived• Structural complexity

Vulnerability

Subset of CBD…but without

fishing pressure

Outline of CBD Background Doc…

• Criteria Guidance (21 p) broken down one criterion at a time (x7) but noting that a given feature can meet several criteria: – existing description of criterion– clarify definition and subcategories– caveats & scientific considerations:

• Universality: applicability to various biota (mega, macro, meiofauna, microbes) in certain places/habitats

• scale• spatial-temporal variability• uncertainty and risk (links with good practices)• sampling issues/low knowledge situations/variability• metrics

– data & analytical requirements (minimal / enhanced)

Based on scientific

input to date

Outline of Background Doc: items to be filled in at CBD meeting and afterwards

– technical illustrations– initial considerations and rules of thumb (method

matrix?)– national / regional experiences and lessons learned– conclusions about use of each criterion (how can

existing knowledge enable application of criteria, recognising that further data can refine results / revision).

OpenOceansDeepSeas.orgJeff.Ardron@MCBI.org

Side Event

TongaMinister

l

786 786 fishfish

speciesspeciesrecordsrecords

276 276 nonnon--fishfishspeciesspeciesrecordsrecords

TongaTongaMarine LifeMarine Life

Altimetry+ Bathymetry 500m+ Bathymetry 100m

Tonga SeamountsTonga Seamounts

NEAFC NEAFC VMEsVMEs

NAFO NAFO VMEsVMEs

2006 closures

UNGA Regular Marine Assessment 28 Different UN Jurisdictional Maps

UNGA Regular Marine Assessment Regions

Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL) Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL) A Sloan Foundation A Sloan Foundation ‘‘sister projectsister project’’

Works on land species, works at seaWorks on land species, works at sea

Global Paracalanus copepods

“Sushi-gate 2008”

Kate Stoeckle and Louisa Strauss, Pacific Fishing Sept. 2008

Can DNA name fish?

High School students applying DNA barcoding to fish sold in

their NYC neighborhood, discover one-quarter is mislabeled.

The New York Times August 21, 2008, page 1

CoML adding life to OceanObs09CoML adding life to OceanObs09

NOAAUSGS

ASF

DFOOTN

20% deployed April – June 2008

From 60 years of asynchronous sampling to NEPTUNE-lite with fish?O’Dor et al. OceanObs09 Community White Paper

Halifax Line Monitoring

34 Atlantic salmon 2008 Timed crossings Minimum current

Thank you!Thank you!

www.CoML.org

Photos: K. Raskoff, Monterey Peninsula College © 2006.