Page 29 - climate-change2013

tion numbers) in order to keep track of the condition of Within each category several indicators can be used to
their marine environment. Building on this information, build the required baseline data for assessing the sever-
the monitoring programme should incorporate climate ity of climate change impact on MPAs.
change and its impacts within the standard procedure.
The results of climate change monitoring supplemented The choice of which indicators and parameters to moni-
by observations of coastal and marine condition (i.e. tor to some extent reflects current knowledge and es-
physical and biochemical parameters) can then be timates of climate change impacts, and will need to be
used to determine causes and effects when changes in revised in the future. The selected indicators are there-
marine biodiversity are found. fore not intended to be the only ones that should be
used to monitor the response of marine communities;
Given the great range and diversity of climate change they should in fact form part of a broader MPA monitor-
impacts and the usually limited resources available to ing programme based on multiple management objec-
MPAs, a suite of key indicators is needed that can fa- tives.
cilitate monitoring and lead to an understanding of the
impact of climate change on their biodiversity.

To be effective sentinels of climate change, these indicators will
ideally possess all or at least some of the following attributes:

1. They should be few in number and simple: good indicators should be
easy to survey and monitor, scientifically sound and technically feasible,
inexpensive and reliable.

2. They should assist regional monitoring and modelling efforts and focus on
issues of relevance to Mediterranean MPA managers in order to answer
key questions on biodiversity impacts and/or adaptation planning.

3. They should be measured at multiple sites, to enable site comparisons
among MPAs, within the local region and across the whole MPA network
and Mediterranean basin. Hence, they should also take into account the
range of geographical settings under different models and projections

4. They should take into account the different vulnerabilities of species,
communities and habitats across the MPA network so as to identify
target parameters of these species, communities and habitats on which
monitoring should focus.

5. They should be backed up by time series data that allow for comparisons
and assessments of trends so that observations can be reliably
interpreted.

MEDITERRANEAN MARINE PROTECTED AREAS AND CLIMATE CHANGE: A GUIDE TO REGIONAL MONITORING AND ADAPTATION OPPORTUNITIES 27