Research Project Summaries 2002-2009 - Marine Parks Authority ...

SummaryBuilding a network of marine protected areas to comprehensively represent marinebiodiversity is a priority of the NSW Government, and to evaluate the effectiveness ofmarine parks through quality science is a high priority (NSW MPA 2004). Knowledge ofspatial distributions and changes in species, habitats, and ecosystem processes iscrucial to effective conservation planning and management. Specific impacts such aspollution, infrastructure development, pests and disease are also an important researchpriority. Information on social, economic and cultural values helps to understand andmanage conflict, improves consultation, education and compliance, and optimisesbenefits of marine parks to the community.Research projects conducted within the Solitary Islands Marine Park and Jervis BayMarine Park over the review period 2002 to 2009 are directly relevant to marine parkplanning and management. These projects were conducted by the Marine ParksAuthority (MPA), supported financially or in-kind by the MPA, or carried out externallyto the MPA, primarily through universities. Research findings summarised in thisdocument came from all these sources.The MPA has conducted core programs to evaluate the effectiveness of the zoning andrelated management in fulfilling the objectives of the Marine Parks Act 1997 anddefined assessment criteria. Firstly, an acoustic seabed habitat mapping programprovided important information on the extent, distribution and structure of thesehabitats. Combining maps of seabed habitats from a number of sources withinformation on species composition has allowed improved assessment of theeffectiveness of zoning arrangements to represent biological diversity. For example, inthe Solitary Islands Marine Park, the current zoning plan uses a classification systembased on habitats, various depths, and elevation of reefs, as a surrogate forbiodiversity. Subsequent research indicated that species assemblages are stronglycorrelated with distance from shore and depth, and the current classification systemacknowledges this.To improve information on spatial patterns of biodiversity available for assessment ofzoning arrangements in the Solitary Islands Marine Park and Jervis Bay Marine Park,targeted surveys over the past seven years have built on surveys conducted beforedevelopment of the current zoning plan. In the Solitary Islands Marine Park, surveyshave focused on shallow and intermediate-depth reef fishes and molluscs primarilyoutside estuaries, macroinvertebrates in estuaries and other groups of fauna includingsome echinoderms and crustaceans at specific locations. Surveys in Jervis Bay MarinePark focused on fish, invertebrates and algae on shallow reefs and faunalassemblages (including polychaetes, molluscs and crustaceans) in estuarine softsedimenthabitats. Many of these projects were conducted over several years toexamine the effect of zoning on species diversity and abundance.Monitoring activities have also investigated specific impacts such as the effect ofmoorings on seagrass beds, introduced species, land use change, and causes andeffects of coral disease. In Jervis Bay Marine Park, research projects have alsoexamined the structure of pelagic fish assemblages and the distribution and behaviourof dolphins. Effects of zoning on recreational activities, including fishing, wereevaluated with long-term monitoring of usage patterns and recreational fishing catchrates. Visitor surveys throughout the Solitary Islands Marine Park also gave anassessment of the patterns of human use and visitor demographics and satisfaction.This diverse range of projects in the Solitary Islands Marine Park and Jervis BayMarine Park aims to help evaluate of the effectiveness of the current zoning andiii