Landscape mapping at sub-Antarctic South Georgia provides a protocol for underpinning large-scale marine protected areas.
Global biodiversity is in decline, with the marine environment experiencing significant and increasing anthropogenic pressures. In response marine protected areas (MPAs) have increasingly been adopted as the flagship approach to marine conservation, many covering enormous areas. At present, however, the lack of biological sampling makes prioritising which regions of the ocean to protect, especially over large spatial scales, particularly problematic. Here we present an interdisciplinary approach to marine landscape mapping at the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia as an effective protocol for underpinning large-scale (105-106km2) MPA designations. We have developed a new high-resolution (100 m) digital elevation model (DEM) of the region and integrated this DEM with bathymetry-derived parameters, modelled oceanographic data, and satellite primary productivity data. These interdisciplinary datasets were used to apply an objective statistical approach to hierarchically partition and map the benthic environment into physical habitats types. We assess the potential application of physical habitat classifications as proxies for biological structuring and the application of the landscape mapping for informing on marine spatial planning.
British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 OET, U.K.|National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, Southampton, U.K.|University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, U.K.
Oliver T
OT
Hogg
National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, Southampton, U.K.
Veerle A I
VA
Huvenne
British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 OET, U.K.
Huw J
HJ
Griffiths
Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Mitte, Am Alten Hafen 26, 27568 Bremerhaven, Germany.
Boris
B
Dorschel
British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 OET, U.K.
Katrin
K
Linse
Nature. 2012 Jun 06;486(7401):59-67
22678280
Science. 2008 Feb 15;319(5865):948-52
18276889
Science. 2006 Nov 3;314(5800):787-90
17082450
Adv Mar Biol. 2014;69:15-78
25358297
Curr Biol. 2014 Feb 17;24(4):R137-9
24696884
PLoS One. 2011;6(5):e19795
21647236
Science. 2010 May 28;328(5982):1164-8
20430971
Proc Biol Sci. 2010 Sep 22;277(1695):2783-92
20444722
Nature. 2012 May 02;486(7401):105-8
22678289
Nature. 2014 Mar 27;507(7493):492-5
24509712
Mar Environ Res. 2008 Dec;66 Suppl:S80-6
18954900
Aquat Conserv. 2012 Mar;22(2):232-261
25505830
Glob Chang Biol. 2016 Mar;22(3):1110-20
26682944
Sci Adv. 2015 Jun 19;1(5):e1400253
26601195