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Research Document - 2010/075

Environmental Monitoring of the Gully Marine Protected Area: A Recommendation

By T.J. Kenchington

Abstract

Department of Fisheries and Oceans Science Sector’s recommendations for the environmental monitoring of the Gully Marine Protected Area are presented, with particular reference to the remainder of the current funding cycle (fiscal 2010 and 2011) and for the 5 years beyond (fiscal 2012 to 2016). The Gully, a Marine Protected Area since 2004, is a giant submarine canyon at the edge of the Scotian Shelf, which supports a unique ecosystem. Its offshore location and great depth severely constrain the options for effective, affordable monitoring. Most of the work will require large research vessels operated by the Department, though the recommendations presented here also anticipate roles for various partners.

The monitoring recommendations focus on effects monitoring and threat monitoring. Forty-seven monitoring indicators are presented, along with rationales for their selection. It is further recommended that those indicators be monitored through 18 discrete “component programs” – most of which rely on data from a single form of research-platform deployment (e.g. a cetacean survey aboard a sailing vessel). Where possible, each component program is based around an extension of an existing monitoring program. The proposed approach for each component program is described, while workplans for the coming years are offered. Because of current weaknesses in knowledge of the Gully ecosystem, the initial work must strongly emphasize baseline monitoring, including both analysis of existing data and further research-oriented characterization studies, but the recommendations also provide for on-going trend monitoring.

It is recommended that delivery and development of the monitoring program be overseen by a committee comprising the project leaders of the component programs, which committee should hold an annual Gully Monitoring Workshop to examine the data collected and the results of preliminary analyses. Monitoring results should be reported through existing Science Advisory Process procedures, while all data should be made available through a web-based data-management system.

Notice

The monitoring plan presented in this document is a recommendation of how the Gully MPA should be monitored. It is not a commitment of staff, budget, ship time or other resources to that monitoring. The recommendation proposes monitoring roles for parties external to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. No firm commitments to support the monitoring have yet been made by those parties.

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