Terms of Reference

Review of Musquash Monitoring Plan and Assessment Framework

Regional Advisory Meeting – Maritimes Region

May 11-12, 2021

Virtual Meeting

Chairperson: T. Worcester

Context

The Musquash Estuary MPA Ecosystem Monitoring Plan (2014-2019) was developed to guide monitoring of biodiversity, productivity and habitats, as well as human activities and pressures that may impact the conservation objectives established for the MPA (OCMD 2015). The Monitoring Plan outlines indicators and associated data streams that are available to inform managers and stakeholders about the performance and effectiveness of the MPA in meeting its conservation objectives.

After five years of implementation, there is an opportunity to review the Monitoring Plan, revisit the ecosystem and anthropogenic indicators it identifies, examine the utility of available datasets, and interpret any trends revealed by recent survey and sampling programs. Central to this review is an evaluation of the efficacy and feasibility of existing data streams to inform the selected indicators. The review is also intended to capture and document progress towards a comprehensive baseline by which change can be assessed. As one of the first MPAs in Canada, a peer review of the monitoring and assessment underway at Musquash is expected to provide lessons and important perspectives for the development of monitoring programs at other coastal MPAs, and ultimately, for Canada’s bioregional MPA networks.

Objectives

The primary objective of this meeting is to review progress and provide advice on how to move forward efficiently with monitoring for the Musquash MPA. To accomplish this:

• indicators will be compared against data with respect to availability, sampling frequency, and spatial coverage;
• datasets for each indicator will be evaluated to access whether they are sufficient to establish a baseline for monitoring change;
• based on observed variability, revisions to the spatial and temporal coverage of monitoring will be reviewed to provide guidance for improving sampling efficacy and efficiency;
• data sets, indicators, and monitoring activities that are best positioned to inform management MPA effectiveness will be identified;
• additional information required to evaluate how well the MPA is meeting its conservation objectives will be outlined and prioritized.

Expected Publications

• Proceedings
• Research Document
• Science Advisory Report

Expected Participation

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)
• Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS)
• Province of New Brunswick
• Conservation Council of New Brunswick
• Eastern Charlotte Waterways
• Universities
• First Nations and Aboriginal organizations
• Fishing industry
• Other invited experts
• Musquash MPA Advisory Committee

References

• DFO. 2011a. Musquash Estuary: A proposed monitoring framework for the Marine Protected Area and intertidal area administered by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2011/040.
• DFO. 2011b. Proceedings of a Maritimes Science Advisory Process to Develop a Framework for Monitoring the Musquash Estuary Marine Protected Area (MPA) and Administered Intertidal Area (AIA); 9-10 December 2010. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Proceed. Ser. 2011/030: vi + 19 p.
• DFO. 2013a. Review and assessment of the baseline data for the Musquash Estuary Marine Protected Area Monitoring Indicators. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2013/073.
• DFO. 2013b.Proceedings of the Regional Peer Review of the Musquash Estuary Marine Protected Area (MPA) Monitoring Data: Part 1 – Data Review; January 29, 2013. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Proceed. Ser. 2013/018.
• DFO. 2013c. Proceedings of the Regional Peer Review of the Musquash Estuary Marine Protected Area (MPA) Monitoring Data: Part 2 - Assessment; June 25-27 and September 19, 2013. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Proceed. Ser. 2013/046.
• Oceans and Coastal Management Division (OCMD). 2015. Musquash Estuary Marine Protected Area Ecosystem Monitoring Plan (2014-2019). Can. Manuscr. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 3077: v + 17 p.