Marine Wilderness Collaborative
Read the “Conserving Marine Wilderness” draft>
Approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by one, globally interconnected body of water we call ocean. Though we tend to geographically define the ocean in 5 main segments, the water and nearly 230,000 species move freely throughout the world’s oceans. Yet, the conservation efforts to protect the ocean lag significantly behind efforts on land – scientific knowledge and best practices for ocean conservation are just developing.
Ocean basins mapped with satellite altimetry, NOAA
The marine environment is in serious jeopardy, and the evidence is clear and compelling. Fish catches across the world have been in decline for over two decades. Exploration for off-shore oil, gas, and other minerals has disrupted the coastal habitat of 80 percent of marine species. Pollution from land-based off-shore activities and global vessel traffic, as well as coastal development is destroying marine life around the globe.
WILD is taking a leading on marine wilderness. At the 6th WWC (Bangalore, India 1998) we hosted sessions introducing the concept of marine wilderness and a formal resolution approved by the delegates at 8WWC (Anchorage, Alaska 2005).
As part of WILD’s ongoing efforts at the cutting-edge of conservation, we launched the Marine Wilderness Collaborative (MWC) in October 2009, with four primary objectives:
- Define wilderness and wilderness management in marine environments through a public consensus-based process;
- Work with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and other government agencies through the Intergovernmental Working Group on Marine Wilderness;
- Gain input through MWC workshops at WILD9 and in other locations;
- Circulate drafts of “Conserving Marine Wilderness,” the definition and management objectives for marine wilderness and reference, to inform a consensus document for policymakers. This document is posted for public review and comment on the WILD Forums, and can also be downloaded here in English and Spanish.
As a result of this initiative, we continue to support work of government agencies in North America as well as non-profit and non-governmental organizations keen on securing refuge for precious marine species in our changing ocean environment, while allowing for enjoyment by people.
Background materials on marine conservation
Publications Referenced in Edward Lohnes’ WILD9 Presentation
“Rebuilding Global Fisheries,” Worm et al, Science, 31 July 2009.
“A Global Map of Human Impact on Marine Ecosystems,” Halpern et al, Science, 15 February 2008.
“Blue Carbon – The Role of Healthy Oceans in Binding Carbon,” Nellemann et al, 14 October 2009. Summary/Press Release
“Dynamic marine protected areas can improve the resilience of coral reef systems,” Game et al, Ecology Letters, 10 January 2009
“In the Zone Comprehensive Ocean Protection” Kappel et al, Science and Technology, 22 March 2009.
References Online
Cetacean Habitat, by the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society
Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative
References Cited in Marine Wilderness Concept Paper
Barr, B. 2008. Oceans as Wilderness: A Global Overview. Pp. 94-104 in Martin and Kormos eds. Wilderness Wildlands and People – A Partnership for the Planet, Fulcrum Press, Golden, CO.
Clifton, J. 2003. Prospects for co-management in Indonesia’s marine protected areas. Marine Policy 27:389-395.
Davis, G. 1999. Why Don’t Parks and Sanctuaries Protect Marine Fish Too? George Wright Forum. 16(2): 88-96.
Eissler, F. 1968. Toward an Underwater Wilderness System. Sierra Club Bulletin, 53:26.
Foster, N. and M.H. Lemay. 1988. Oceanic Wilderness – Myth, Challenge or Opportunity? Pp. 71-74 in Vance Martin, ed., For the Conservation of Earth. Fulcrum Press, Golden, CO. 418 pp.
Halpern, B. et al. 2008. A Global Map of Human Impact on Marine Ecosystems. Science 319: 948-952.
Rufe, R. 2001. The Ocean Wilderness Challenge. International Journal of Wilderness 7(3): 30-33.
Sloan, N.A. 2002. History and Application of the Wilderness Concept in Marine Conservation. Conservation Biology 16(2):294-305.
Smith, H. 1983. Marine Wilderness Areas and Multiple Use Management. Pp. 99-103 in Vance Martin and Mary Inglis, eds., Wilderness: The Way Ahead. Findhorn Press, Forres, Scotland, and Lorian Press, Middleton, WI. 319 pp.
Smith, P.M. and R.A. Watson. 1979. New Wilderness Boundaries. Environmental Ethics 1(1):61-64.
Thoreau, H. D. 1865. Cape Cod.
Wallis, O.L. 1958. Research and interpretation of marine areas of the U.S. National Park Service. Proceedings of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute 11:134-138.
Gulf of California Case Study – Cited Literature
Aburto-Oropeza, O., and E.F. Balart. 2001. Community structure of reef fish in several habitats of a rocky reef in the Gulf of California. Marine Ecology Pszni 22 (4): 283-305.
Aburto-Oropeza, O., E. Sala, and C. Sánchez-Ortiz. 2000. Feeding behavior, habitat use, and abundance of the angelfish Holacanthus passer (Pomacanthidae) in the southern Sea of Cortes. Environmental Biology of Fishes 57 (4): 435-442.
Aburto-Oropeza O. and P. Hull. 2008. A probable spawning aggregation of the leather bass, Dermatolepis dermatolepis, in Revillagigedo Archipelago. Journal of Fish Biology 73(1): 288-295.
Aburto-Oropeza, O., E. Ezcurra, G. Danemann, V. Valdez, J. Murray, and E. Sala. 2008. Mangroves in the Gulf of California increase fishery yields. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105(30): 10456–10459.
Aburto-Oropeza, O., E. Sala, G. Paredes, A. Mendoza, and E. Ballesteros. 2007. Predictability of reef fish recruitment in a highly variable nursery habitat. Ecology 88(9): 2220-2228
Caso, M., C. González-Abraham, and E. Ezcurra. 2007. Divergent ecological effects of oceanographic anomalies on terrestrial ecosystems of the Mexican Pacific coast. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 104(25): 10530–10535.
Holmgren, M., M. Scheffer, E. Ezcurra, J.R. Gutiérrez and G.M.J. Mohren. 2001. El Niño effects on the dynamics of terrestrial ecosystems. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 16(2):59–112.
Loik, M.E., D.D. Breshears, W.K. Lauenroth, & J. Belnap. 2004. A multi-scale perspective of water pulses in dryland ecosystems: climatology and ecohydrology of the western USA. Oecologia 141: 269–281
Los, S.O., G.J. Collatz, L. Bounoua, P.J. Sellers, & C.J. Tucker. 2001. Global interannual variations in sea surface temperature and land surface vegetation, air temperature and precipitation. Journal of Climate 14(7): 1535–1549
Nelson, E.W. 1921. Lower California and its Natural Resources. Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences Vol. XI, First Memoir, pp. 1–194.
Polis, G.A., S.D. Hurd, C.T. Jackson, and F. Sánchez Piñero. 1997. El Niño effects on the dynamics and control of an island ecosystem in the Gulf of California. Ecology 78: 1884–97
Sala, E., O. Aburto-Oropeza, G. Paredes, I. Parra, J.C. Barrera, and P.K. Dayton. 2002. A general model for designing networks of marine reserves. Science 298: 1991–1993.
Sher, A.A., D.E. Goldberg, & A. Novoplansky. (2004). The effect of mean and variance in resource supply on survival of annuals from Mediterranean and desert environments. Oecologia 141: 353–362
Velarde, E., and E. Ezcurra. 2002. Breeding dynamics of Heermann’s Gulls. In: T. Case, M. Cody, and E. Ezcurra (eds.) A New Island Biogeography of the Sea of Cortés. Oxford University Press, Oxford. pp. 313–325.
Velarde, E., and E. Ezcurra. 2008. Effects of parental age and availability of small pelagic fish on the reproductive success of Heermann’s Gulls (Larus heermanni) in Isla Rasa, Gulf of California, Mexico. Ecology (in press)
Velarde, E., D.W. Anderson, and E. Ezcurra. 2009. Comparative diet analysis of three seabird species in the Midriff Island region of the Gulf of California in relation to commercial small pelagic fisheries. Studies in Avian Biology (in press)
Velarde, E., E. Ezcurra, M.A. Cisneros-Mata, and M.F. Lavín. 2003. Seabird Ecology, El Niño anomalies, and sardine fisheries in the Gulf of California. Ecological Aplications 14(2):607–615
Velarde, E., M.S. Tordesillas, L. Vieyra and R. Esquivel. 1994. Seabirds as indicators of important fish populations in the Gulf of California. California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigation Report 35: 137–143.
