GULLS
Lead Research Organisation:
National Oceanography Centre
Department Name: Science and Technology
Abstract
Many coastal communities rely on marine resources for livelihoods and food security. As populations increase, so does pressure on coastal resources already under stress from pollution, coastal development, and habitat degradation. Climate change and variability (including extreme events) will also impact coastal systems and the vulnerability of dependent communities, but may also bring opportunities. This project will contribute to improving community adaptation efforts by characterizing, assessing and predicting the future of coastal-marine food resources through the provision and sharing of knowledge across regional "hotspots", defined here as fast-warming marine areas and areas experiencing social tensions as a result of change. Hotspots are likely to include the priority areas for adaptation and also represent laboratories for observing change and developing adaptation options and management strategies. Comparing hotspot regions will extend existing collaborations and connect local adaptation research and outcomes to improve global learning. Focusing on adaptation options and strategies for enhancing coastal resilience at the local level will contribute to capacity building and local empowerment.
Current weaknesses in marine coastal management include limited integration of natural and social studies, poor translation of scientific understanding into adaptive management mechanisms, and few guidelines for policy development. A holistic system approach will be piloted within one hotspot region (western Indian Ocean) through an existing Alliance of experts and researchers, prior to application in other hotspot regions (India, Brazil, South Africa, Australia). Integration of natural, social and economic
studies will identify a range of options for management and policy reform. These alternatives will be delivered as briefing materials to managers and decision-makers in coastal communities and society at large. There are existing strong partnerships within and between the focal regions in this project, and strong scientific and political support for the development of effective science-based governance approaches. This project will deliver a comprehensive set of options to reduce coastal vulnerability and position vulnerable coastal communities for an improved future.
Current weaknesses in marine coastal management include limited integration of natural and social studies, poor translation of scientific understanding into adaptive management mechanisms, and few guidelines for policy development. A holistic system approach will be piloted within one hotspot region (western Indian Ocean) through an existing Alliance of experts and researchers, prior to application in other hotspot regions (India, Brazil, South Africa, Australia). Integration of natural, social and economic
studies will identify a range of options for management and policy reform. These alternatives will be delivered as briefing materials to managers and decision-makers in coastal communities and society at large. There are existing strong partnerships within and between the focal regions in this project, and strong scientific and political support for the development of effective science-based governance approaches. This project will deliver a comprehensive set of options to reduce coastal vulnerability and position vulnerable coastal communities for an improved future.
Planned Impact
This project has a number of impact, engagement and dissemination elements related to the overall project objectives and the general communication of outputs. Our general science communication objective is to ensure the outputs of the project translate into meaningful action at political/management and whole societal levels. In particular the project aims to communicate the impacts of human population growth and ocean change on coastal systems, and promote the uptake of adaptation options
identified in the project. The target audiences include the policy-makers and management agencies for both conservation and fisheries sectors and end users associated with livelihood supporting industries such as tourism; recreational, artisanal, subsistence & commercial fishing in these social and natural climate hotspots.
The specific impact, engagement and dissemination objectives are to:
1. Connect with and inform researchers and end users (including resource users, managers and policy-makers) at local, regional and international scales, about critical aspects of coastal vulnerability with regard to preserving coastal biodiversity and ecosystem services including fisheries productivity, while understanding and accommodating the needs of coastal communities. This is intended to be a two-way dialogue rather than a uni-directional transfer of "knowledge" from the "informed" (e.g. "experts" on the GULLS team) to the "un-informed" (target audiences);
2. For the regional case studies, inform and engage end users to understand and address the likely impacts and adaptation and mitigation options to reduce their vulnerability to external drivers, including environmental variability and climate change;
3. Provide information and guidance for the development of realistic adaptation, mitigation management and policy options to reduce coastal vulnerability with regard to food security and local livelihoods;
4. Compare the project findings with other related initiatives around the world (both with fellow Belmont Forum projects and others).
Within the GULLS Project, communications objectives will be achieved through regular project updates and electronic updates to connect our dispersed research team. Workshops will provide a focus for the first objective, with engagement materials to raise awareness of the threats that lead to heightened coastal vulnerability. Beyond the immediate team, project members also have experience with preparation of fact sheets and web-based materials for a range of stakeholders (Hobday, Pecl). Our key messages to be delivered in these various forms relative to the first objective are likely to be:
1. Fast warming regions will experience impacts before other regions, and so inhabitants of these regions must be on the front foot with regard to information access and discussion of possible responses;
2. The consequences of expected climate variability and change will exacerbate existing coastal threats;
3. There are likely to be both positive and negative impacts at the coasts, and so this project will identify opportunities for improvement, efficiencies, and adaptations that can improve the livelihoods for coastal populations.
A focus will also be on making information available in accessible formats which will help coastal communities to effectively engage with the issues and make informed decisions and take action in both their personal activities and by effectively engaging local governance structures and other community members in addressing the various challenges facing them.
identified in the project. The target audiences include the policy-makers and management agencies for both conservation and fisheries sectors and end users associated with livelihood supporting industries such as tourism; recreational, artisanal, subsistence & commercial fishing in these social and natural climate hotspots.
The specific impact, engagement and dissemination objectives are to:
1. Connect with and inform researchers and end users (including resource users, managers and policy-makers) at local, regional and international scales, about critical aspects of coastal vulnerability with regard to preserving coastal biodiversity and ecosystem services including fisheries productivity, while understanding and accommodating the needs of coastal communities. This is intended to be a two-way dialogue rather than a uni-directional transfer of "knowledge" from the "informed" (e.g. "experts" on the GULLS team) to the "un-informed" (target audiences);
2. For the regional case studies, inform and engage end users to understand and address the likely impacts and adaptation and mitigation options to reduce their vulnerability to external drivers, including environmental variability and climate change;
3. Provide information and guidance for the development of realistic adaptation, mitigation management and policy options to reduce coastal vulnerability with regard to food security and local livelihoods;
4. Compare the project findings with other related initiatives around the world (both with fellow Belmont Forum projects and others).
Within the GULLS Project, communications objectives will be achieved through regular project updates and electronic updates to connect our dispersed research team. Workshops will provide a focus for the first objective, with engagement materials to raise awareness of the threats that lead to heightened coastal vulnerability. Beyond the immediate team, project members also have experience with preparation of fact sheets and web-based materials for a range of stakeholders (Hobday, Pecl). Our key messages to be delivered in these various forms relative to the first objective are likely to be:
1. Fast warming regions will experience impacts before other regions, and so inhabitants of these regions must be on the front foot with regard to information access and discussion of possible responses;
2. The consequences of expected climate variability and change will exacerbate existing coastal threats;
3. There are likely to be both positive and negative impacts at the coasts, and so this project will identify opportunities for improvement, efficiencies, and adaptations that can improve the livelihoods for coastal populations.
A focus will also be on making information available in accessible formats which will help coastal communities to effectively engage with the issues and make informed decisions and take action in both their personal activities and by effectively engaging local governance structures and other community members in addressing the various challenges facing them.
Organisations
- National Oceanography Centre (Lead Research Organisation)
- Universidade de São Paulo (Collaboration)
- University of Tasmania (Collaboration)
- Coastal Oceans Research and Development in the Indian Ocean (Collaboration)
- Rhodes University (Collaboration)
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (Collaboration)
Publications
Cochrane K
(2019)
Tools to Enrich Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Planning for Coastal Communities in Data-Poor Regions: Application to a Case Study in Madagascar
in Frontiers in Marine Science
Hobday A
(2016)
Planning adaptation to climate change in fast-warming marine regions with seafood-dependent coastal communities
in Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries
Ortega-Cisneros K
(2018)
Evaluating the effects of climate change in the southern Benguela upwelling system using the Atlantis modelling framework
in Fisheries Oceanography
Pecl GT
(2017)
Biodiversity redistribution under climate change: Impacts on ecosystems and human well-being.
in Science (New York, N.Y.)
Popova E
(2014)
Regional variability of acidification in the Arctic: a sea of contrasts
in Biogeosciences
Popova E
(2016)
From global to regional and back again: common climate stressors of marine ecosystems relevant for adaptation across five ocean warming hotspots.
in Global change biology
Srokosz M
(2015)
Could the Madagascar bloom be fertilized by Madagascan iron?
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
Yool A
(2015)
Future change in ocean productivity: Is the Arctic the new Atlantic?
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
| Description | Anthropogenic climate change is a global phenomenon. However, its impact on living marine resources and dependent communities is local and often unique. Information from global ocean models is immensely complex and includes a multitude of environmental characteristics. Long term trends of these variables are of limited value for planning local climate change adaptation unless the model output is translated into a form that meets local needs. This can only be achieved using a participatory approach that combines climate science with local data and knowledge to identify impacts on species critical to the livelihoods and wellbeing of the communities involved. This novel approach for climate modelling has been applied in GULLS. The results of the project reinforced the critical importance of considering the cumulative impacts of individual stressors and drivers across the full socio-ecological system, both climate-related and others, when assessing vulnerability of marine-dependent communities. Such assessments and adaptation planning should not only consider the past and present but also be forward-looking and consider likely changes in the future. Participation by local experts and stakeholders is essential, enabling knowledge exchange while also contributing to local capacity-building, generating a sense of ownership, ensuring local knowledge is fully taken into account and that outputs are accepted by stakeholders as being legitimate. At a time when the world is anticipating unprecedented increases in human population growth and demands, the ability of natural ecosystems to deliver ecosystem services is being challenged by the largest climate-driven global redistribution of species since the Last Glacial Maximum. We demonstrate the serious consequences of this species redistribution for economic development, livelihoods, food security, human health, and culture, and we document feedbacks on climate itself. As with other impacts of climate change, species range shifts will leave "winners" and "losers" in their wake, radically reshaping the pattern of human well-being between regions and different sectors and potentially leading to substantial conflict. The pervasive impacts of changes in species distribution transcend single systems or dimensions, with feedbacks and linkages between multiple interacting scales and through whole ecosystems, inclusive of humans. We argue that the negative effects of climate change cannot be adequately anticipated or prepared for unless species responses are explicitly included in decision-making and global strategic frameworks. |
| Exploitation Route | Of direct relevance to climate change adaptation policy |
| Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Communities and Social Services/Policy,Environment |
| Description | The project contributes to capacity development and empowering fishing communities and other fisheries-dependent stakeholders. A standardized vulnerability assessment framework has been developed that will be used to integrate results from natural, social and economic studies in order to identify needs and options for strengthening management and existing policies. Structured comparisons between the hot-spots will assist global efforts for adaptation and strengthening resilience in marine and coastal social-ecological systems. The project contributed to the venerability assessment of the coastal communities in Madagascar to the climate change impacts. The results will be used in the Climate Change Adaptation Plans in Madagascar. A number of high impact papers produced by the project has informed highly influential policy reports by the Food and Agriculture Organization on the fisheries and aquaculture and by The World Meteorological Organization on the impact of the 1.5 degree warming. The findings have also been used by a number of the national government reviews on environment, transport and food security. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is an intergovernmental organization whose mission is to achieve food security, ensuring that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. The World Meteorological Organization is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 193 Member States and Territories. The Organization is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. As a specialized agency of the United Nations, WMO is dedicated to international cooperation and coordination on the state and behaviour of the Earth's atmosphere, its interaction with the land and oceans, the weather and climate it produces, and the resulting distribution of water resources. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2018 |
| Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Environment |
| Impact Types | Societal,Economic,Policy & public services |
| Description | An introduction to achieving policy impact for early career researchers Cited by Analysis & Policy Observatory (APO) on 10 Jul 2018 (Citing Pecl et al., 2017) |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| Impact | Scientists are increasingly required to demonstrate the real world tangible impacts arising from their research. Despite significant advances in scholarship dedicated to understanding and improving the relationships between science, policy and practice, much of the existing literature remains high level, theoretical, and not immediately accessible to early career researchers (ECRs) who work outside of the policy sciences. Our study was used as an example in the paper to provide an accessible resource for ECRs seeking to achieve policy impact in their chosen field. |
| URL | https://apo.org.au/node/189981 |
| Description | CME Pacific Marine Climate Change Report Card 2018 Scientific Review: Fish and Shellfish Cited by UK Government (GOV.UK) on 31 May 2018 (Citing Pecl et al., 2017) |
| Geographic Reach | Australia |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| Impact | This report card provides a summary of climate change impacts on coasts and seas in the Pacific island region, and how Pacific islands can respond. For ocean-dependent Pacific islands, the connection between oceans and climate change is likely to be more vital than elsewhere and has a huge influence on people, culture and economies. |
| URL | https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/commonwealth-marine-economies-cme-programme-pacific-marin... |
| Description | Citation in agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| Impact | United Nations member states are negotiating a new International Legally Binding Instrument on the conservation and sustainable management of marine biodiversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ). These waters do not exist in isolation: marine ecosystems are interconnected by ocean currents and the movement of migratory species. What happens in ABNJ can therefore cause impacts in territorial waters. Many Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) depend heavily on marine resources, but the benefits from conservation and management measures in ABNJ will not be evenly distributed. By highlighting which regions of ABNJ are most connected to coastal LDCs and other developing coastal states via ocean currents, the project helped the parties ensure that area-based management regimes in ABNJ protect these countries' interests and rights. We have run a side event at the UNCLOS negotiations in March 2019, based on the project publication (Popova et al., 2019) and the policy briefs (as listed in research fish with the key word ABNJ) The approach brought concrete results: the latest draft of the negotiating text was updated to recognise that the treaty must protect the many millions of people who depend on the high seas. |
| URL | https://www.un.org/bbnj/sites/www.un.org.bbnj/files/draft_text_a.conf_.232.2019.6_advanced_unedited_... |
| Description | Cited by FAO on Adaptive management of fisheries in response to climate change (citing Hobday et al., 2016) |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| Impact | This report aims to accelerate climate change adaptation implementation in fisheries management throughout the world. It showcases how flexibility can be introduced in the fisheries management cycle in order to foster adaptation, strengthen the resilience of fisheries, reduce their vulnerability to climate change, and enable managers to respond in a timely manner to the projected changes in the dynamics of marine resources and ecosystems. The publication includes a set of good practices for climate-adaptive fisheries management that have proven their effectiveness and can be adapted to different contexts, providing a range of options for stakeholders including the fishing industry, fishery managers, policymakers and others involved in decision-making. These good practices were linked to one or more of the three common climate-related impacts on fisheries resources: distributional change; productivity change; and species composition change. Therefore, these three impacts can serve as practical entry points to guide decision-makers in identifying good practice adaptation measures suitable for their local contexts. These good practices are based upon transferable experiences and lessons learned from the thirteen case studies across the globe and hopefully will contribute to greater uptake and implementation of climate-adaptive fisheries management measures on the ground. Bahri, T., Vasconcellos, M., Welch, D.J., Johnson, J., Perry, R.I., Ma, X. & Sharma, R., eds. 2021. Adaptive management of fisheries in response to climate change. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 667. Rome, FAO. |
| URL | http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cb3095en |
| Description | Cited by Flemish Government Policy Documents (citing Pecl et al., 2019) |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| Impact | The work presented in Pecl et al., 2018 on clime-change driven redictribution of species has informed Flemish Nature Report. The biennial Nature Report is a reference work with facts and figures about nature in Flanders, intended for policy purposes. 2020 is an important pivotal year for the global and European Biodiversity Strategy. That is why INBO is publishing a status and trend report on biodiversity. |
| URL | https://www.vlaanderen.be/publicaties/natuurrapport-2020 |
| Description | Cited by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on 01 Dec 2020 (citing Pecl et al., 2017) |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| Impact | The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations is an intergovernmental organization whose mission is to achieve food security, ensuring that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. There is increasing attention to the importance of biodiversity for food security and nutrition, especially above-ground biodiversity such as plants and animals. However, less attention is being paid to the biodiversity beneath our feet, soil biodiversity, which drives many processes that produce food or purify soil and water. This report is the result of an inclusive process involving more than 300 scientists from around the world under the auspices of the FAO's Global Soil Partnership and its Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative, and the European Commission. It presents concisely the state of knowledge on soil biodiversity, the threats to it, and the solutions that soil biodiversity can provide to problems in different fields. It also represents a valuable contribution to raising awareness of the importance of soil biodiversity and highlighting its role in finding solutions to today's global threats. |
| URL | http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cb1928en |
| Description | Cited in Proceedings of FishAdapt: the Global Conference on Climate Change Adaptation for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Bangkok, Thailand, 8-10 August, 2016 (Citing Popova et al., 2016; Hobday et al., 2016)) |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| Impact | This conference, FishAdapt: the global conference on climate change adaptation for fisheries and aquaculture, held in Bangkok from 8 to 10 August, 2016, provided a forum for scientists, development professionals and natural resource managers working in the context of fisheries, aquaculture, rural development and related fields to share practical experiences in understanding the vulnerabilities associated with climate change and ocean acidification and the development of risk management and adaptation strategies. The conference bridged interdisciplinary gaps and provide a wider, shared perspective on the issues and the current state of knowledge. These proceedings share the experiences of the 110 participants from 27 countries and show that much can be done at the household, community and sector levels to support the resilience of the sector and its dependent communities in a changing climate. |
| URL | http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/CA3055EN |
| Description | El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) effects on fisheries and aquaculture Cited by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on 01 Apr 2020 (citing Popova et al., 2016) ) |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| Impact | Our research has been cited in an influential FAO report. This FAO Technical Paper synthesizes current knowledge on the impact of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events on fisheries and aquaculture in the context of a changing climate. It describes the diversity of ENSO events (Chapter 2), ENSO forecasting (Chapter 3) and ENSO in the context of climate change (Chapter 4). It includes a global overview and regional assessment of ENSO impact (Chapters 5 and 6) and a focus on coral bleaching and damage to reefs and related fisheries (Chapter 7). Finally, it synthesizes the lessons learned and the perspectives for ENSO and preparedness in a warmer ocean (Chapter 10). Bertrand, A., Lengaigne, M., Takahashi, K., Avadí, A., Poulain, F. & Harrod, C. 2020. El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) effects on fisheries and aquaculture. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 660. Rome, FAO. |
| URL | http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/ca8348en |
| Description | Global Warming of 1.5°C Cited by World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on 01 Jan 2018 (citing Pecl et al., 2017) |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| Impact | World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ; Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ; United Nations Environment Programme An IPCC special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty. |
| URL | https://library.wmo.int/index.php?id=21536&lvl=notice_display#.YEI_92j7Q2w |
| Description | Impacts of climate change on fisheries and aquaculture Cited by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on 01 Aug 2018 (Citing Pecl et al., 2017) |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in systematic reviews |
| Impact | Impacts of climate change on fisheries and aquaculture: Synthesis of current knowledge, adaptation and mitigation options The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement recognizes the need for effective and progressive responses to the urgent threat of climate change, through mitigation and adaptation measures, while taking into account the particular vulnerabilities of food production systems. The inclusion of adaptation measures in the fisheries and aquaculture sector is currently hampered by a widespread lack of targeted analyses of the sector's vulnerabilities to climate change and associated risks, as well as the opportunities and responses available. This report provides the most up-to-date information on the disaggregated impacts of climate change for marine and inland fisheries, and aquaculture, in the context of poverty alleviation and the differential dependency of countries on fish and fishery resources. The work is based on model projections, data analyses, as well as national, regional and basin-scale expert assessments. |
| URL | http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/I9705EN |
| Description | Impacts of climate change on fisheries and aquaculture Cited by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on 01 Aug 2018. (Citing Barange et al. 2017; Popova et al 2016, Yool et al., 2015) |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| Impact | The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement recognizes the need for effective and progressive responses to the urgent threat of climate change, through mitigation and adaptation measures, while taking into account the particular vulnerabilities of food production systems. The inclusion of adaptation measures in the fisheries and aquaculture sector is currently hampered by a widespread lack of targeted analyses of the sector's vulnerabilities to climate change and associated risks, as well as the opportunities and responses available. This report provides the most up-to-date information on the disaggregated impacts of climate change for marine and inland fisheries, and aquaculture, in the context of poverty alleviation and the differential dependency of countries on fish and fishery resources. The work is based on model projections, data analyses, as well as national, regional and basin-scale expert assessments. The results indicate that climate change will lead to significant changes in the availability and trade of fish products, with potentially important geopolitical and economic consequences, especially for those countries most dependent on the sector. |
| URL | http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/I9705EN |
| Description | Informing climate change adaptation efforts in Madagascar and elsewhere in the Western Indian Ocean and other regions where similar marine-dependent communities are also affected by rapid warming of adjacent seas. |
| Geographic Reach | Africa |
| Policy Influence Type | Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health |
| URL | http://gullsweb.noc.ac.uk/ |
| Description | Madagascar: Connectivity between Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction and the coastal zones (Country Profile) |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health |
| Impact | UN member states negotiating a legally binding instrument governing ABNJ must include provisions to ensure that all future management regimes are informed by their potential impacts on territorial waters - particularly in Least Developed Countries. Vigorous and seasonally reversing circulation of the WIO make East African coastal countries highly vulnerable to negative impacts of the fishing and extraction activities in the ABNJ The coastline of Madagascar is one of most ABNJ-connected coastlines in the world indicating enhanced socio-economic vulnerability to the activities in the ABNJ. The project provided a detailed policy brief describing vulnerability of the coastal zone of Madagascar to the activities in ABNJ and advocated explicit inclusion of the downstream connectivity to the treaty. The approach brought concrete results: the latest draft of the negotiating text was updated to recognise that the treaty must protect the many millions of people who depend on the high seas. The advice aims to ensure that: The criteria for establishing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and other area-based management tools in ABNJ must include the potential socioeconomic benefits for vulnerable coastal communities, as well as the ecological or biological significance of the area in question. Governments must ensure that management systems in ABNJ are adaptive and dynamic, and share the technology, data capacity and investment needed to rapidly respond to shifts in species distribution or ocean circulation caused by climate change. Uncertainty around future climate change and impacts on connectivity necessitate a precautionary approach to ABNJ governance. |
| URL | https://www.solstice-wio.org/outputs/policy-briefs |
| Description | Mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services (citing Pecl et al., 2017) |
| Geographic Reach | Europe |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| Impact | Europe's ecosystems, on which we depend for food, timber, clean air, clean water, climate regulation and recreation, suffer from unrelenting pressures caused by intensive land or sea use, climate change, pollution, overexploitation and invasive alien species. The Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 includes the development of an integrated framework to monitor whether the actions undertaken are delivering on the ground. This assessment presents the changes in pressures and ecosystem condition in the EU and its marine regions using the year 2010 as a policy baseline. |
| URL | https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/a84a0a68-0f65-11eb-bc07-01aa75ed71a1/langua... |
| Description | Massive Online Open Course "Ocean Science In Action: Addressing Marine Ecosystems and Food Security" |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | In 2020, the SOLSTICE-WIO project launched its first MOOC - Ocean Science in Action: Addressing Marine Ecosystems and Food Security that introduces learners to innovative marine technologies and their applications used to tackle the challenges of the sustainable management of marine ecosystems. This four-week course features over 30 video lectures, including footage of fieldwork, numerical ocean model animations, and visualisations of the Remote Sensing data and unique footage of local coastal communities and fisheries. It covers wider issues such as impact of climate change, SDGs, Oceans Decade 2030. The MOOC was created as a course for continuous professional development to people working within marine-related industries, such as fisheries, and government and management of marine resources in the Western Indian Ocean. The MOOC has attracted more than 2000 participants from 110 countries. Material presented in MOOC includes scientific results from many national and international projects (in addition to SOLSTICE which presented the bulk of the material), including GULLS, SIRENA, UKESM, ACCORD. |
| URL | https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/ocean-science-in-action-addressing-marine-ecosystems-and-food-se... |
| Description | Securing sustainable small-scale fisheries: sharing good practices from around the world Cited by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on 01 Feb 2019 (citing Hobday et al., 2016) |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| Impact | Our study has been used as a case study example in an FAO report Securing sustainable small-scale fisheries: sharing good practices from around the world FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 644. This document includes eight studies showcasing good practices in support of sustainable small-scale fisheries. FAO commissioned these studies aiming to share experiences and promote the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines). The case studies were also intended to promote participatory approaches - in line with the SSF Guidelines principles - and to promote increased interaction between research and fishing communities, including the use of traditional knowledge and participatory research. It is hoped that the case studies will inform policy and policy processes and, in this way, promote sustainable small-scale fisheries according to the SSF Guidelines and the human rights-based approach to development (HRBA). The case studies constitute a rich selection of experiences and are diverse, not only with regard to their geographical setting but also in scope and approach. They span from looking at one specific tool for sharing experiences (the fisheries learning exchanges methodology in Madagascar and Mozambique) or examining the enabling environment in a specific thematic area (disaster risks in Bangladesh), to regional policy formulation on small-scale fisheries (the SSF Guidelines protocol for Caribbean policies) and reflection on how to use the SSF Guidelines in participatory processes (the Myanmar step-by-step approach to discussions with small-scale fisheries communities). A few of the papers look at co-management, in some cases combining fisheries management and social development (Senegal, Uruguay and Nepal), with one focusing on the role of small-scale fisheries and community organizations (India). Generally, the case studies refer to HRBA but, perhaps because many of the activities have taken place in the past, it seems that HRBA has rarely been consciously and explicitly implemented. Still, the case studies bear witness to a number of experiences and practices that are clearly steps in the right direction. Key good practices emerging from the studies refer to, among other things, holistic approaches to co-management and social responsibility; broad engagement, inclusiveness and partnerships; the power of communication; and gender equality and the role of women. As more experience is gained, our knowledge of how to go about implementing the SSF Guidelines will improve and nurture new and continued initiatives. For the present and the future, efforts should be made to apply HRBA, while continuing to share experiences and good practices showing how to do so when implementing the SSF Guidelines. |
| URL | http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/CA3041EN |
| Description | The RV Dr Fridtjof Nansen in the Western Indian Ocean: Voyages of marine research and capacity development Cited by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on 01 Aug 2017 (Citing Srokosz et al., 2017) |
| Geographic Reach | Africa |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| Impact | Our study has been cited in an influential Nansen report by FAO. The marine research vessel (RV) Dr Fridtjof Nansen is a familiar visitor to the coastal waters of developing countries around the world. Since its first expedition in 1975, to survey fish abundance in an upwelling region of the Western Indian Ocean, the Nansen has returned to this "least known" of the world's oceans numerous times. The Nansen surveys first focussed on finding new fish resources, but expanded later to sample whole ecosystems and complex oceanographic processes. Over time, the charismatic Nansen has become a "flagship" for a multitude of resource and capacity development initiatives, extending far beyond surveys at sea. Along with the Nansen surveys, these initiatives form part of the broader Nansen Programme (after 2006 the EAF-Nansen Project), a cooperative development programme shared by the Norwegian government and the FAO. We showcase the research done to discover new resources, and to decipher the linkages between fish abundance, ocean productivity, and the oceanographic processes that maintain ecosystems. The review shows the enduring impact of the Nansen Programme on fisheries and marine science in the Western Indian Ocean, and highlights crucial gaps in information. Based on past experience, recommendations for future work are made. T |
| URL | http://www.fao.org/3/i7652e/i7652e.pdf |
| Description | Sustainable Oceans, Livelihoods and food Security Through Increased Capacity in Ecosystem research in the Western Indian Ocean (SOLSTICE-WIO) |
| Amount | £6,800,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | NE/P021050/1 |
| Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2017 |
| End | 12/2021 |
| Description | Marine Hotspots |
| Organisation | Coastal Oceans Research and Development in the Indian Ocean |
| Country | Kenya |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | GLORIA consolidated scientific and traditional understanding of change to ecosystems and their services, through the development and sharing of techniques, knowledge and successful approaches between Madagascar and other marine hotspot regions. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The Global Marine Hotspots Network provides a platform where information, lessons and outcomes can be shared from regions that are warming the fastest or regions where change is rapidly occurring. Temperature has a major influence on marine ecosystems, however the Network recognises that temperature is only one driver of change and encourages contributions from other researchers or any institutions where impacts are being studied or adaptation options being developed or implemented. The network promote and facilitate trans-disciplinary approaches that engage all stakeholders and researchers (across disciplines including physical, biological and humanities) to maximise the potential for research to translate into appropriate policy and sustainable and cost-effective on-ground adaptation. |
| Impact | This is a multidisciplinary collaboration involving representatives of academia and marine resource relevant stakeholders in the following areas: oceanography, ecology, modelling, marine biology,management of marine resources, conservation, policy. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Marine Hotspots |
| Organisation | Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation |
| Department | CSIRO Energy |
| Country | Australia |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | GLORIA consolidated scientific and traditional understanding of change to ecosystems and their services, through the development and sharing of techniques, knowledge and successful approaches between Madagascar and other marine hotspot regions. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The Global Marine Hotspots Network provides a platform where information, lessons and outcomes can be shared from regions that are warming the fastest or regions where change is rapidly occurring. Temperature has a major influence on marine ecosystems, however the Network recognises that temperature is only one driver of change and encourages contributions from other researchers or any institutions where impacts are being studied or adaptation options being developed or implemented. The network promote and facilitate trans-disciplinary approaches that engage all stakeholders and researchers (across disciplines including physical, biological and humanities) to maximise the potential for research to translate into appropriate policy and sustainable and cost-effective on-ground adaptation. |
| Impact | This is a multidisciplinary collaboration involving representatives of academia and marine resource relevant stakeholders in the following areas: oceanography, ecology, modelling, marine biology,management of marine resources, conservation, policy. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Marine Hotspots |
| Organisation | Rhodes University |
| Country | South Africa |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | GLORIA consolidated scientific and traditional understanding of change to ecosystems and their services, through the development and sharing of techniques, knowledge and successful approaches between Madagascar and other marine hotspot regions. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The Global Marine Hotspots Network provides a platform where information, lessons and outcomes can be shared from regions that are warming the fastest or regions where change is rapidly occurring. Temperature has a major influence on marine ecosystems, however the Network recognises that temperature is only one driver of change and encourages contributions from other researchers or any institutions where impacts are being studied or adaptation options being developed or implemented. The network promote and facilitate trans-disciplinary approaches that engage all stakeholders and researchers (across disciplines including physical, biological and humanities) to maximise the potential for research to translate into appropriate policy and sustainable and cost-effective on-ground adaptation. |
| Impact | This is a multidisciplinary collaboration involving representatives of academia and marine resource relevant stakeholders in the following areas: oceanography, ecology, modelling, marine biology,management of marine resources, conservation, policy. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Marine Hotspots |
| Organisation | Universidade de São Paulo |
| Country | Brazil |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | GLORIA consolidated scientific and traditional understanding of change to ecosystems and their services, through the development and sharing of techniques, knowledge and successful approaches between Madagascar and other marine hotspot regions. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The Global Marine Hotspots Network provides a platform where information, lessons and outcomes can be shared from regions that are warming the fastest or regions where change is rapidly occurring. Temperature has a major influence on marine ecosystems, however the Network recognises that temperature is only one driver of change and encourages contributions from other researchers or any institutions where impacts are being studied or adaptation options being developed or implemented. The network promote and facilitate trans-disciplinary approaches that engage all stakeholders and researchers (across disciplines including physical, biological and humanities) to maximise the potential for research to translate into appropriate policy and sustainable and cost-effective on-ground adaptation. |
| Impact | This is a multidisciplinary collaboration involving representatives of academia and marine resource relevant stakeholders in the following areas: oceanography, ecology, modelling, marine biology,management of marine resources, conservation, policy. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Marine Hotspots |
| Organisation | University of Tasmania |
| Country | Australia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | GLORIA consolidated scientific and traditional understanding of change to ecosystems and their services, through the development and sharing of techniques, knowledge and successful approaches between Madagascar and other marine hotspot regions. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The Global Marine Hotspots Network provides a platform where information, lessons and outcomes can be shared from regions that are warming the fastest or regions where change is rapidly occurring. Temperature has a major influence on marine ecosystems, however the Network recognises that temperature is only one driver of change and encourages contributions from other researchers or any institutions where impacts are being studied or adaptation options being developed or implemented. The network promote and facilitate trans-disciplinary approaches that engage all stakeholders and researchers (across disciplines including physical, biological and humanities) to maximise the potential for research to translate into appropriate policy and sustainable and cost-effective on-ground adaptation. |
| Impact | This is a multidisciplinary collaboration involving representatives of academia and marine resource relevant stakeholders in the following areas: oceanography, ecology, modelling, marine biology,management of marine resources, conservation, policy. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | GLORIA workshop held in Madagascar, 14-16 June 2016 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Central to GLORIA research is a workshop held in Madagascar, 14-16 June 2016, where experts from the marine and climate sciences worked with Malagasy stakeholders to share information, explore adaptive solutions and develop recommendations for future action to minimize climate change impacts on marine-dependent, low-income communities. Results from the workshop informed climate change adaptation efforts in Madagascar and elsewhere in the Western Indian Ocean and other regions where similar marine-dependent communities are also affected by rapid warming of adjacent seas. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://gullsweb.noc.ac.uk/ |