PAME's Work on Marine Litter in the Arctic
The Workshop on marine protected area (MPA) networks in a changing Arctic climate was held at the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) on September 21-22, 2017.The workshop was one in a MPA workshop series supporting PAME's work on studying best practices for linking area-based conservation measures to categories of Arctic marine biodiversity in support of the long-term conservation of the Arctic marine environment and associated services and cultural values. Key aspects of this collective work within the Arctic Council include ways to build and strengthen networks of MPAs in the context of climate change and ocean acidification, as well as incorporating traditional and local knowledge (TLK).
Click here to download the workshop report.
Aim
The aim of the workshop was to take stock of the current scientific understanding (including TLK) and identify important new research questions on MPA networks and how such networks, and other area-based measures, may be used to decrease the negative effects ofclimate change and ocean acidification and their interactions with other human induced stressors in the Arctic. The workshop also briefly touched on data availability related to these questions.
Outputs of the workshop will be published as:
- meeting report that aims to contribute to the scientific basis for the potential of MPAs to meet the threats posed to Arctic ecosystems and livelihoods, and
- a concise report card for targeted to decision makers and a wider audience.
| Name of presentation | Presenter | Download |
| SYKE - Finnish Environment Institute: Marine Research Center | Paula Kankaanpää | Download |
| How Arctic Marine Protected Area Networks may reduce negative effects of climate change & ocean acidification | Jessica Nilsson | Download |
| Arctic Climate Change | Michael Tjernström | Download |
| Acidification of the Arctic Ocean, the basis for AMAP Arctic Ocean Acidification case studies | Leif G. Anderson | Download |
| CBMP/ CAFF activities Update on work of relevance for PAME MPA work | Tom Christensen | Download |
| Ten-step recipe for creating and managing effective marine protected areas | Mark Carr | Download |
| Climate Change Report Cards - The Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership Experience and Arctic Possibilities | John Baxter and Dan Laffoley | Download |
| Protecting marine areas beneath Antarctic ice shelves: Special Areas for Scientific Study | Susie Grant | Download |
|  The Journey towards a Weddell Sea Marine Protected Area | Thomas Brey | Download |
| The Ross Sea Region MPA | George M. Watters | Download |
| Networks, platforms and the winds of change: MPA's and climate change in the Baltic Sea (HELCOM) | HELCOM | Download |
| Barents Sea MMBI Research Cruises | Gennady Matishov | Download |
| Radioactive contamination issues in the Arctic | Nadezhda Kasatkina | Download |
PAME's workshop - “Science and Tools for Developing Arctic Marine Protected Area (MPA) Networks: Understanding Connectivity and Identifying Management Models,” took place in Washington, DC from 22-23 September 2016. The workshop is one in a series whose purpose is to support a PAME project studying best practices for linking area-based conservation measures to categories of Arctic marine biodiversity in support of the long-term conservation of the Arctic marine environment and associated services and cultural values.The workshop included:
i) a discussion on species that highlight the importance of ecological connectivity in the Arctic marine environment, as well as possible approaches and methodologies for mapping selected elements of ecological connectivity for some of those species, and
ii) a discussion on a draft list of types of area-based conservation measures that benefit different categories of Arctic biodiversity (i.e. the "toolbox").
Click here to download the workshop report.
Project Description
PAME’s Framework for a Pan-Arctic Marine Protected Areas Network document recognizes that individual Arctic countries pursue MPA development based on their own authorities and priorities, and that MPA networks can be comprised of "both MPAs and other area-based measures that contribute to network objectives”.
PAME’s “toolbox” project aims to develop guidance to assist countries in advancing MPA networks in the Arctic. The project will produce this guidance in the form of a catalogue of examples of diverse existing area-based measures, including different types of marine protected areas and of “other area-based conservation measures” that contribute to the long-term conservation of important categories of Arctic marine biodiversity (e.g. important species and habitats).
Over the course of the 2015-2017 work cycle, project leads are hosting two workshops. While the first workshop focused on toolbox development by identifying and mapping types of connectivity in the Arctic, the second will focus on connectivity and climate change. The toolbox is intended to be a living document that is built on and refined over time.
Workshop objectives:- Develop our understanding of ecological connectivity for different marine taxa.
- Identify priorities for future scientific or other types of collaboration to enhance understanding of ecological connectivity in the Arctic.
- Based on input provided by Arctic States, share examples of different management tools used to manage categories of marine biodiversity (e.g. habitat, marine taxa).
- Identify priorities for expansion/refinement of “MPA Toolbox” to support Arctic states’ MPA network development.
- Identify potential next steps to advance understanding and management of MPA networks among Arctic Council Working Groups and other partners.
| Name of presentation | Presenter | Download |
| Ecological connectivity --- Overview of techniques that have been used to map larval dispersal and its relevance to MPA design: modelling (optimal size and spacing), direct observation of larval dispersal, genetic measures of connectivity/isolation, considerations of climate change | Mark Carr (University of California, Santa Cruz) | Download |
| Physical connectivity – Issues and possible approaches to mapping physical and habitat connectivity in the Arctic. Overview of dynamics of water masses and ice movement | Pat Halpin and Jesse Cleary (Duke University) | Download |
| Case study – Sweden’s experience mapping larval connectivity for MPA networks | Jon Havenhand (University of Gothenburg) | Download |
| Approaches and considerations for understanding connectivity for marine mammals using various techniques | Howard Rosenbaum (Wildlife Conservation Society) | Download |
| Mapping connectivity for cetaceans in the Alaskan Arctic – CetMap | Janet Clarke (Leidos) | Download |
| Local community engagement in mapping and understanding marine mammal connectivity | Willie Goodwin (Alaska Waterways Safety Commission) | Download |
| Overview of techniques: satellite telemetry, habitat modeling, others?, in the context of Important Bird Areas | Grant Gilchrist (Environment Canada) | Download |
| Identifying Important Bird Areas and seabird connectivity in the Alaskan Arctic | Melanie Smith (Alaska Audubon) | Download |
| Case study: Identifying candidate sites for an MPA network in the Russian Arctic: accounting for connectivity | Irina Onufrenya (WWF Russia) | Download |
| The role of protected areas and other area---based conservation measures for marine conservation | Dan Laffoley (IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas --- Marine) | Download |
| Elements of a representative and ecologically connected MPA network | Mark Carr (University of California, Santa Cruz) | Download |
| Understanding categories of Arctic biodiversity to be addressed by the MPA Toolkit (e.g. habitat, species groups) | Martin Sommerkorn (WWF) | Download |
| Canada’s Approach to Marine Conservation Targets | Bethany Schroeder (Fisheries and Oceans Canada) | Download |
| Arctic biodiversity monitoring: linkages to area---based conservation measures | Tom Christensen (Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Programme) | Download |
| Pikialasorsuaq Commission | Carolina Behe (Inuit Circumpolar Council) | Download |
| Examples of Arctic MPAs and “Other area---based conservation measures” in the marine environment (based on submissions by Arctic States to PAME) | Martin Sommerkorn (WWF) | Download |
| Integration of Indigenous Knowledge and Values in the MPA Toolbox | Willie Goodwin (Alaska Waterways Safety Commission) | Download |
| Towards a toolbox: deploying MPAs and other area---based measures to conserve important categories of Arctic marine biodiversity | Martin Sommerkorn (WWF) | Download |
PAME's workshop - "Understanding MPA Networks as Tools for Resilience in a Changing Arctic," took place in Copenhagen, Denmark from 2-3 February 2017. The workshop is one in a series for which the purpose is to support a PAME project studying best practices for linking area-based conservation measures to categories of Arctic marine biodiversity in support of the long-term conservation of the Arctic marine environment and associated services and cultural values.The workshop included:
- a continuation of the discussion from the 1st workshop (held in September 2016) on approaches for understanding and managing spatial variability of ecological connectivity affected by anticipated climate change, as well as how MPA networks can help build resilience to climate change;
- presentations and dialogue on what design elements are important to consider and include when developing MPA networks in a changing climate; and
- the development of additional guidance that will be used to expand and refine the “MPA Toolkit.”
Click here to download the workshop report.
Project Description
PAME’s Framework for a Pan-Arctic Marine Protected Areas Network document recognizes that individual Arctic countries pursue MPA development based on their own authorities and priorities, and that MPA networks can be comprised of "both MPAs and other area-based measures that contribute to network objectives”.
PAME’s “toolbox” project aims to develop guidance to assist countries in advancing MPA networks in the Arctic. The project will produce this guidance in the form of a catalogue of examples of diverse existing area-based measures, including different types of marine protected areas and of “other area-based conservation measures” that contribute to the long-term conservation of important categories of Arctic marine biodiversity (e.g. important species and habitats).
Over the course of the 2015-2017 work cycle, project leads hosted two workshops. While the first workshop focused on toolbox development by identifying and mapping types of connectivity in the Arctic, the second focused on connectivity and climate change. The toolbox is intended to be a living document that will be expanded and refined over time.
Workshop Objectives- Develop our understanding of ecological resilience and how MPA networks can help support it.
- Develop our understanding and principles to guide management of MPAs and MPA networks to enhance ecological resilience in a changing environment.
- Develop our understanding of key elements for designing MPA networks that support ecological resilience in a changing environment.
- Identify priorities for future scientific and/or other collaboration to apply knowledge and guidance to MPA network design.
- Identify potential next steps to advance understanding of how MPA network design and management can support ecological resilience to a changing environment.
| Name of presentation | Presenter | Download |
| Resilience – an introduction | Martin Sommerkorn (WWF Arctic Programme) | Download |
| Overview of Impacts of a Physical constrains of productivity in the Arctic Ocean: Changing Environment on the trajectories into the future? Biodiversity | Paul Wassmann (UiT - The Arctic University of Norway) | Download |
| MPAs and Networks as tools for resilience  | Dan Laffoley (IUCN) | Download |
| Ecological Connectivity and Resilience: Implication for Marine Protected Areas | Mark H. Carr (University of California, Santa Cruz) | Download |
| Resilience through an MPA Network: A Hawaii Case Study | Todd Stevenson (Circumpolar Conservation Union) | Download |
| PAME’s MPA network toolbox through a resilience lens | Martin Sommerkorn (WWF Arctic Programme) | Download |
| Valuable and vulnerable areas: the case of the Barents Sea | Cecilie H. von. Quillfeldt (Norwegian Polar Institute) | Download |
| Working Toward Resilient Marine Protected Area Networks In the US Arctic | Lauren Wenzel (National Marine Protected Areas Center) | Download |
| MPAs and MPA Networks for Resilience - Canadian Case Studies and Opportunities | Nadine Templeman (Fisheries and Oceans Canada) | Download |
| Designing network of MPA in the Russian Arctic to support ecosystem resilience. | Irina Onufrenya (WWF Russia) | Download |
| Resilience and Connectivity Values of MPAs: Planning for Top Trophic Marine Animal Conservation in the Barents Region and Beyond | Kit Kovacs (Norway) | Download |
| Guidelines for Designing MPA Networks to Promote Resilience of Arctic Marine Ecosystems in a Changing Climate | Lisa Speer (Natural Resource Defense Council) | Download |
| Building Resilient MPA Networks – Summary of Commission for Environmental Cooperation Reports | Dr. Ellen Kenchington (Canada Bedford Institute of Oceanography Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada) | Download |
| Ecosystem Resilience What is it and how can we measure it? |
Benjamin Planque (Institute of Marine Research - Norway) | Download |
| Modeling Tools for Designing for Resilience – Connectivity Under Changed Conditions | Patrick Halpin (Duke University) | Download |
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