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Identifying indicators and essential variables for marine ecosystems
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-18, 10:35 authored by Hayes, KR, Dambacher, JM, Hosack, GR, Bax, NJ, Dunstan, PK, Elizabeth FultonElizabeth Fulton, Thompson, PA, Hartog, JR, Hobday, AJ, Bradford, R, Foster, SD, Paul HedgePaul Hedge, Smith, DC, Marshall, CJIdentifying essential biological variables in marine ecosystems is harder than essential ocean variables because choices about the latter are guided by the needs of global oceanic models, and the number of candidate variables to choose from is much smaller. We present a process designed to assist managers identify biological indicators and essential variables for marine ecosystems, and demonstrate its application to Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone. The process begins with a spatially explicit description of key ecological systems and predicts how these systems are impacted by anthropogenic pressures. The process does not require experts to agree on the system’s structure or the activities that threaten the ecosystem. Rather it defines a suite of pressure scenarios that accommodate uncertainty in these aspects,and seeks to identify indicators that are predicted to respond in a consistent fashion across these scenarios. When the process is applied at national or regional scales, essential biological variables emerge as the set of consistent indicators that are common to similar but spatially distinct systems.
Funding
Department of Environment and Energy (Cwth)
History
Publication title
Ecological IndicatorsVolume
57Pagination
409-419ISSN
1470-160XDepartment/School
Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesPublisher
Elsevier BVPlace of publication
NetherlandsRights statement
Copyright 2015 Elsevier LtdRepository Status
- Restricted