Distinguishing globally-driven changes from regional- and local-scale impacts: The case for long-term and broad-scale studies of recovery from pollution.
Marine ecosystems are subject to anthropogenic change at global, regional and local scales. Global drivers interact with regional- and local-scale impacts of both a chronic and acute nature. Natural fluctuations and those driven by climate change need to be understood to diagnose local- and regional-scale impacts, and to inform assessments of recovery. Three case studies are used to illustrate the need for long-term studies: (i) separation of the influence of fishing pressure from climate change on bottom fish in the English Channel; (ii) recovery of rocky shore assemblages from the Torrey Canyon oil spill in the southwest of England; (iii) interaction of climate change and chronic Tributyltin pollution affecting recovery of rocky shore populations following the Torrey Canyon oil spill. We emphasize that "baselines" or "reference states" are better viewed as envelopes that are dependent on the time window of observation. Recommendations are made for adaptive management in a rapidly changing world.
Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, Southampton SO17 3ZH, UK; The Marine Biological Association of the UK, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK.
S J
SJ
Hawkins
Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, Southampton SO17 3ZH, UK; The Marine Biological Association of the UK, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK. Electronic address: allyevans01@gmail.com.
A J
AJ
Evans
The Marine Biological Association of the UK, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK; School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3GP, UK.
N
N
Mieszkowska
The Marine Biological Association of the UK, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK.
L C
LC
Adams
School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK; AHTI Ltd. Unit 16, Highcroft Industrial Estate, Enterprise Road, Waterlooville, Hampshire PO8 0BT, UK.
S
S
Bray
Department of Ecology, Scottish Association for Marine Science, Scottish Marine Institute, Oban PA37 1QA, UK.
M T
MT
Burrows
School of Biological and Marine Sciences, Plymouth University, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK.
L B
LB
Firth
School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK.
M J
MJ
Genner
School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulan Road, Hong Kong.
K M Y
KMY
Leung
Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3FG, UK.
P J
PJ
Moore
The Marine Biological Association of the UK, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK.
K
K
Pack
Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, Southampton SO17 3ZH, UK.
H
H
Schuster
The Marine Biological Association of the UK, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK.
D W
DW
Sims
International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Ltd., 1 Oliver's Yard, 55 City Road, London EC1Y 1HQ, UK.
M
M
Whittington
The Marine Biological Association of the UK, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK.
E C
EC
Southward
D000818:Animals; D057231:Climate Change; D017753:Ecosystem; D054750:Ecotoxicology / Q000379:methods; D004739:England; D004777:Environment; D005398:Fisheries; D005399:Fishes; D008386:Marine Biology / Q000379:methods; D059392:Petroleum Pollution; D014220:Trialkyltin Compounds / Q000633:toxicity; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity; D014876:Water Pollution
D014220:Trialkyltin Compounds; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C011559:tributyltin
Climate change; Long-term monitoring; Overfishing; Pollution; Torrey Canyon oil spill; Tributyltin (TBT)