Perspective: Building environmental change into spatial closures to reduce sea turtle bycatch

by John Davis | Jan 2, 2019

By Heather Welch, Elliott Hazen, and Dana Briscoe

In the early 2000s, the dataset from (US) federal fisheries observers for California’s drift gillnet fishery was examined and a concerning pattern emerged. During warm-water years, endangered juvenile loggerhead turtles were coming closer to shore in southern California, which occasionally resulted in bycatch in drift gillnets. These were relatively rare events, which meant there was not enough distribution data to understand the underlying mechanisms, but the relationship between turtles and temperature was strong enough to warrant action. In 2003, NOAA Fisheries (the US federal fisheries agency) established the Loggerhead Conservation Area – a seasonal fisheries closure off southern California that is enacted for months between June and August when El Niño conditions are declared or forecasted to occur, or simply when sea surface temperatures are warmer than normal.

MPA Science Corner: Knowledge transfer among managers – Spatial management of seabirds – Partially protected areas – Mesophotic coral reefs

by John Davis | Jan 2, 2019

MPA Training in a Nutshell: On the importance of reflecting on achievements great and small

by John Davis | Jan 2, 2019

By Anne Nelson, Lauren Wenzel, Gabrielle Johnson, and Gonzalo Cid (IMPACT Team)

The end of a year is a great time for reflection. Often there is a slower pace and some time away from work that allows a few moments to pause and plan. 

You have achievements every day in your MPAs. Yet often the challenges, threats, and constraints make us focus on what is not working instead of what is. 

Notes & News: Blue Charter – Argentina – Green List – Co-management agreement – IMMAs – SE Asia – European MPAs – MPA benefits – MPA Federal Advisory Committee – Tourism – Coral restoration – Paywalled papers – MPA readings – MPA News vault

by John Davis | Jan 2, 2019