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    Storm impacts on the seabed in protected and fished areas E.V., Sheehan, Bridger, D., Nancollas, S., Cousens, S., Holmes, L. & Attrill, M.J. Marine Institute, Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre, Plymouth University, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK The recovery of the Lyme Bay reefs (south west UK) have been annually monitored since they were protected from towed demersal fishing in 2008. Marine Protected Areas (MPA) are thought to be more resilient against natural disturbance. NERC, Pig Shed Trust, SWIFA and SWFPO funded a survey to compare protected and non-protected reefs following the storms with data from the previous summer. The benthic community in the MPA was significantly affected by the storms. The number of species and individuals decreased. The population of many indicator taxa decreased such as branching sponges, sea squirts Phallusia mammillata, scallops Pecten maximus. Taxa that were not affected were those best adapted for disturbance such as common starfish Asterias rubens, gobies and hermit crabs Pagurus spp. Clearly some species were more resilient than others. While pink sea fans Eunicella verrucosa were still present, many were fouled and had black bases, but of most concern was that only two of the habitat building Ross corals Pentapora foliacea were observed in approximately 12,000 m of video transects. The opportunity now exists to assess whether recovery from storm disturbance is quicker than from human disturbance to assist with future climate change management and mitigation.

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    Storm impacts on the seabed in protected and fished areas E.V., Sheehan, Bridger, D., Nancollas, S., Cousens, S., Holmes, L. & Attrill, M.J. Marine Institute, Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre, Plymouth University, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK The recovery of the Lyme Bay reefs (south west UK) have been annually monitored since they were protected from towed demersal fishing in 2008. Marine Protected Areas (MPA) are thought to be more resilient against natural disturbance. NERC, Pig Shed Trust, SWIFA and SWFPO funded a survey to compare protected and non-protected reefs following the storms with data from the previous summer. The benthic community in the MPA was significantly affected by the storms. The number of species and individuals decreased. The population of many indicator taxa decreased such as branching sponges, sea squirts Phallusia mammillata, scallops Pecten maximus. Taxa that were not affected were those best adapted for disturbance such as common starfish Asterias rubens, gobies and hermit crabs Pagurus spp. Clearly some species were more resilient than others. While pink sea fans Eunicella verrucosa were still present, many were fouled and had black bases, but of most concern was that only two of the habitat building Ross corals Pentapora foliacea were observed in approximately 12,000 m of video transects. The opportunity now exists to assess whether recovery from storm disturbance is quicker than from human disturbance to assist with future climate change management and mitigation.

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    943 views45 pages

    Emma Sheehan 2015 Storms and The Seabed MPAs

    Uploaded by

    Coastal Futures
    Storm impacts on the seabed in protected and fished areas E.V., Sheehan, Bridger, D., Nancollas, S., Cousens, S., Holmes, L. & Attrill, M.J. Marine Institute, Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre, Plymouth University, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK The recovery of the Lyme Bay reefs (south west UK) have been annually monitored since they were protected from towed demersal fishing in 2008. Marine Protected Areas (MPA) are thought to be more resilient against natural disturbance. NERC, Pig Shed Trust, SWIFA and SWFPO funded a survey to compare protected and non-protected reefs following the storms with data from the previous summer. The benthic community in the MPA was significantly affected by the storms. The number of species and individuals decreased. The population of many indicator taxa decreased such as branching sponges, sea squirts Phallusia mammillata, scallops Pecten maximus. Taxa that were not affected were those best adapted for disturbance such as common starfish Asterias rubens, gobies and hermit crabs Pagurus spp. Clearly some species were more resilient than others. While pink sea fans Eunicella verrucosa were still present, many were fouled and had black bases, but of most concern was that only two of the habitat building Ross corals Pentapora foliacea were observed in approximately 12,000 m of video transects. The opportunity now exists to assess whether recovery from storm disturbance is quicker than from human disturbance to assist with future climate change management and mitigation.

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    of 45

    Storm impacts on the seabed in protected

    and fished areas


    Dr Emma Sheehan, Dani Bridger, Sophie Cousens, Sarah Nancollas, Luke
    Holmes, Prof Martin Attrill

    Richard Austin

    @Dr_Emma_Sheehan
    Pig Shed Trust
    SWIFA & SWFPO

    Impacts to the seabed

    - Port Wrinkle and Wembury banks of kelp


    - Reports from fishermen that pots had been moved
    - Keith Hiscock (2014) after the storms: Collation of
    observations

    2008-2013 Before baseline

    2008

    2009

    2010

    2011

    2012

    - Assess the impact of the storm


    - Test the hypothesis that protected reefs are more
    resilient to disturbance events than areas that are
    open to fishing (see Tett et al 2013)

    201

    Last minute funding


    Natural Environment Research
    Council
    Pig Shed Trust

    SWIFA
    SWFPO

    Talk content

    - Importance of biogenic reef services


    - Storm impact results
    - Relevance for conservation and management

    Importance of temperate
    biogenic reefs

    Nursery/Protection

    Feeding habitat/egg case

    Spat settlement

    Stabilise sediments

    Sheehan et al 2013 Mar. Poll. Bull

    Lyme Bay Statutory Instrument

    Lyme Regis
    Plymouth

    Lyme Bay SI 11th July 2008


    Statutory Instruments 2008 No. 1584
    Sea Fisheries, England. Conservation
    The Lyme Bay Designated Area (Fishing Restrictions)
    Order 2008
    206 km2

    2008 -2014

    Sheehan, et al Mar Poll Bull (2013)

    Methods
    Flying Towed Array HD
    (1)

    - Relatively non-destructive
    - Cost and time effective (8x 200 m transects per
    day)
    - Able to Stevens,
    fly over Attrill
    variable
    seabed
    relief
    Sheehan,
    (2010)
    PLOS ONE

    Natural Seaton Festival


    2013

    Natural Seaton Festival


    2013

    Natural Seaton Festival


    2013

    Storms 2013 -2014

    Richard Austin

    Storms 2013 -2014

    Richard Austin

    Storms 2013 -2014

    Richard Austin

    West Bay Wave Buoy


    Channel Coastal Observatory
    8
    Maximum wave height
    Average wave height

    ---------

    Maximum wave height

    Average wave height

    (m)
    height
    WaveWave
    height (m)

    0
    2007

    2008

    2009

    2010

    2011
    Year

    2012

    2013

    2014

    Three components:
    1. Comparison between MPA and
    Open areas
    2. Resilience of benthos in different
    aged MPAs
    3. Storm impacts on sediment veneers

    Three components:
    1. Comparison between MPA and
    Open areas predictive model
    Waiting for wave model data to
    complete the paper. Sorry..!

    Three components:
    1. Comparison between MPA and
    Open areas
    Waiting for wave model data to
    complete the paper. Sorry..!

    Results

    First observations

    First observations

    Diversity (non seasonal)

    Taxon richness (mean m SED)

    35

    30

    25

    20

    15

    10
    MPA
    Control
    5
    2008

    2009

    2010

    2011

    Time

    2012

    2013

    Storm

    Abundance (non seasonal)


    140

    Abundance (mean m SED)

    120

    100

    80

    60

    40

    20
    MPA
    Control
    0
    2008

    2009

    2010

    2011

    Time

    2012

    2013

    Storm

    Branching sponges
    0.7

    Abundance (mean m SED)

    0.6
    0.5
    0.4
    0.3
    0.2
    0.1
    0.0

    MPA
    Control
    2008

    2009

    2010

    2011

    Time

    2012

    2013

    Storm

    Pentapora foliacea
    0.5

    Abundance (mean m SED)

    0.4

    0.3

    0.2

    0.1

    0.0
    MPA
    Control
    2008

    2009

    2010

    2011

    Time

    2012

    2013

    Storm

    Pecten maximus
    1.2

    Abundance (mean m SED)

    1.0

    0.8

    0.6

    0.4

    0.2

    0.0

    MPA
    Control
    2008

    2009

    2010

    2011

    Time

    2012

    2013

    Storm

    Eunicella verrucosa
    1.6

    Abundance (mean m SED)

    1.4
    1.2
    1.0
    0.8
    0.6
    0.4
    0.2
    MPA
    Control

    0.0

    2008

    2009

    2010

    2011

    Time

    2012

    2013

    Storm

    % E. verrucosa necrosis
    100

    % necrosis

    80

    60

    40

    20

    0
    Before

    After

    Time

    % E. verrucosa epiphytes
    100

    % epiphytes

    80

    60

    40

    20

    0
    Before

    After

    Time

    Asterias rubens
    2.5

    Abundance (mean m SED)

    2.0

    1.5

    1.0

    0.5

    0.0
    MPA
    Control
    2008

    2009

    2010

    2011

    Time

    2012

    2013

    Storm

    Gobies
    0.35

    Abundance (mean m SED)

    0.30
    0.25
    0.20
    0.15
    0.10
    0.05
    0.00

    MPA
    Control
    2008

    2009

    2010

    2011

    Time

    2012

    2013

    Storm

    Pagurus spp.
    16

    Abundance (mean m SED)

    14
    12
    10
    8
    6
    4
    2
    MPA
    Control

    2008

    2009

    2010

    2011

    Time

    2012

    2013

    Storm

    Relevance for conservation,


    management and fisheries
    Resilience hypothesis

    Significantly greater changes inside the MPA as the


    species in open controls were better adapted to
    disturbance but they are maintaining an unfavourable
    system for delivering a range of ecosystem services.

    Thoughts
    - Why did the storms cause
    so much damage to the
    seabed?

    - Why did the MPA not


    stand up better to the
    storms
    - Resistance Recovery?

    Conclusions
    - The box had not been
    protected long enough to
    be resilient against storms
    - Open areas were resilient
    against storms but were
    only maintaining an
    undesirable state
    - Important to compare
    recovery from storms with
    recovery from bottom
    towed fishing

    Acknowledgements
    - Funders: NERC, Pig Shed Trust,
    SWIFA, SWFPO, Defra, Natural
    England

    - Thank you to the people who


    helped to protect LB reefs
    - Robert King (Blue Turtle skipper),
    John Walker and Kieran Perree
    (Miss Pattie skippers past and
    present

    -Richard Austin for providing images


    - Statistical support from Marti
    Anderson and Bob Clarke

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