Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
toolbox for marine and coastal management. Yet, socio-economic and ecological
benefi ts generated by MPAs still remain diffi cult to predict and are debated around
the world (Edgar et al.
2014
).
MPAs streamlining requires a precise diagnosis of its current status, to better
identify outcomes and defi ciencies, allowing for due corrections. Actions should be
continuously followed by long-term assessments programs of both environmental
and social dimensions. For South American MPAs, these evaluations are rare, and
most of the available data includes only traditional taxonomic surveys, which are
insuffi cient even for appropriate biodiversity assessments.
In the following sections we present an overview of the ongoing long-term
research at South American MPAs, with focus on Brazil and Chile. We provide
some successful examples of holistic programs that could lead towards the imple-
mentation of an Earth stewardship.
23.2
Some Ecological Long-Term Studies
at Brazilian and Chilean MPAs
The establishment of continuous long term monitoring ecological sites is essential
to facilitate the early detection of ecological changes, and to apply correct manage-
ment measures. Populations and communities of marine species often respond quite
differently to human pressures within well-designed MPAs (Edgar et al.
2014
;
Fraschetti et al.
2012
). Continuous evaluations in MPAs are especially important in
order to assess the impacts related to GECs (Turra et al.
2013
). However, global
monitoring efforts still are constrained by major geographical gaps. Ecological
studies and environmental observatories have overlooked some regions of the Earth
that have ecological attributes that are essential to the functioning of the biosphere
as a whole (Lawler et al.
2006
; Rozzi et al.
2012
).
Even basic ecological information regarding the marine community structure in
South America countries is extremely scarce, as documented for Brazil (Ghilardi
et al.
2008
) and Chile (Navarrete et al.
2010
). For example, the structure of a vast
ecosystem such as the Rhodolith Beds of the Tropical South-western Atlantic Realm
remain almost unknown (Spalding et al.
2007
). They were described only during the
last decade by a few studies restricted to the Eastern Brazilian Ecoregion (Amado-
Filho et al.
2010
; Pereira-Filho et al.
2011
; Berchez et al.
2009
).
In relation to long-term marine monitoring and research programs, Chile has
relied on the work of a few study sites and research teams. Two paradigmatic sites
in Central Chile (33°S, 71°W) are: (i) the marine protected area of Las Cruces
Biological Station created in 1982 by the Pontifi cal Catholic University of Chile
(Navarrete et al.
2010
), and (ii) the Montemar Institute of Marine Biology built in
1941 as a fi eld station of the University of Chile, to work in partnership with local
fi shermen. When the University of Valparaíso was formed in the 1980s, its Faculty
of Ocean Sciences undertook its administration. With similar goals, in southern
Chile the marine stations of Dichato and Mehuin (39°S, 73°W) were inaugurated by
Search WWH ::
Custom Search