CCAMLR

This paper provides some of the detail to standardisation examples that are outlined in the more general Working Group paper titled ‘The importance of standardising and validating new methods for CEMP to maintain the robustness of long-term time series’. We recommend reading the general paper first and then reading this paper for any detail.

This paper provides some of the detail to standardisation examples that are outlined in the more general Working Group paper titled ‘The importance of standardising and validating new methods for CEMP to maintain the robustness of long-term time series’. We recommend reading the general paper first and then reading this paper for any detail.

This paper provides some of the detail to standardisation examples that are outlined in the more general Working Group paper titled ‘The importance of standardising and validating new methods for CEMP to maintain the robustness of long-term time series’. We recommend reading the general paper first and then reading this paper for any detail.

This report presents the results of the Second International Workshop for identifying Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Domain 1 of CCAMLR. The workshop was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 25 to 29 May 2015.

During the workshop, discussions were concentrated in reviewing and analyzing new and updated georeferenced data, and in further developing conservation objectives´ argumentation. It was noted that a large amount of new data was provided for objectives that so far had none, few or incomplete information,  such as prey distribution (antarctic and crystal krill, T. macrura, salps), important areas for zooplankton life cycles (krill nurseries), and whales distribution during the non-breeding period. Many objectives were updated, either adding new species (as for Emperor and Macaroni penguins), new benthic types (to protect different benthic communities), or incorporating a different canyons´ classification, and minimum and maximum sea ice extension. Furthermore, predators´ colonies, buffers and tracking data were updated; and important areas for fishes life cycles expanded. 

Discussions were also focused in the analysis of the cost layer, reviewing all available data on human activities and investigating the different parameters involved in its estimation. Regarding to Marxan analysis, the Workshop agreed to test three different conservation scenarios with minimum, medium and maximum protection levels, to better identify the most appropriate reserve systems within Domain 1.  

First descriptions of the two proposed MPAs, Stella Creek and Skua Creek, as well as determined their conservation status in accordance with the “A tool to help selecting the appropriate IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) categories and governance types for protected area”. Bathymetric maps and a 3D-model of the sea-bed of Stella Creek and Skua Creek were given for the first time. The non-destructive method of survey using analysis of underwater photos was applied for scientific support and monitoring in the proposed Stella Creek MPA.

Taking into account the practice and current state of krill fishery in Area 48, Ukraine proposed to revise the Conservation Measure 51-07 (2014) in order to redistribute the trigger level of catch in 620 000 tonnes between Subareas in Area 48 in a new percentage limits. This revision will still enable to follow the precaution conservation principles of the Convention and in the same time will not inflict an economic damage to the krill fishery.

Germany intends to present the Working Group on Ecosystem Monitoring and Management (WG EMM) the background document that provides the scientific basis for the evaluation of a marine protected area (MPA) in the Weddell Sea planning area. The contents and structure of the whole document reflect its main objectives, i.e. to set out the general context of the establishment of MPAs and to provide the background information on the Weddell Sea MPA (WSMPA) planning area (Part A); to inform on the data retrieval process (Part B); to describe the results of the scientific analyses and the MPA scenario development with the directly science-based aspects of the WSMPA proposal, i.e. the objectives and the boundaries and zones of the MPA (Part C).

Here, the authors intend to update WG EMM on the current state of Part B of the scientific background document. Part B informs on the data retrieval process within the WSMPA project. Chapter 1 describes the environmental data sets that were acquired for the evaluation of MPAs in the Weddell Sea planning area. Chapter 2 provides a systematic overview of the current data situation regarding ecological data sets. Most data sets are already presented in our background document SC-CAMLR-XXXIII/BG/02, which the Scientific Committee had welcomed and endorsed as a foundation reference document for the Weddell Sea MPA planning (SC-CAMLR-XXXIII, § 5.21).

Germany intends to present the Working Group on Ecosystem Monitoring and Management (WG EMM) the background document that provides the scientific basis for the evaluation of a marine protected area (MPA) in the Weddell Sea planning area. The contents and structure of the whole document reflect its main objectives, i.e. to set out the general context of the establishment of MPAs and to provide the background information on the Weddell Sea MPA (WSMPA) planning area (Part A); to inform on the data retrieval process (Part B) and to describe the results of the scientific analyses and the MPA scenario development with the directly science-based aspects of the WSMPA proposal, i.e. the objectives and the boundaries and zones of the MPA (Part C).

Here, the authors intend to update WG EMM on the current state of Part A of the document that has been presented at the meeting of the CCAMLR Scientific Committee in 2014. The Scientific Committee had welcomed and endorsed the scientific background document (SC-CAMLR-XXXIII/BG/02) as a foundation reference for the Weddell Sea MPA planning (SC-CAMLR-XXXIII, § 5.21). Part A contains (i) a synopsis in terms of the establishment of MPAs (chapter 1); (ii) a description of the boundaries of the WSMPA planning area (chapter 2); (iii) a comprehensive, yet succinct, general description of the Weddell Sea ecosystem (chapter 3); (iv) and finally a guidance regarding the future work beyond the development of the scientific basis for the evaluation of a WSMPA (chapter 4).

Please note that the current state of Part A of the document presents a comprehensive yet incomplete version concerning chapters that have to be (further) developed or revised.

The trophic study of Arctocephalus gazella is an essential tool for assessing its ecological role as a top predator of the Antarctic marine ecosystem. The aim of this study was to analyse its diet during an annual cycle. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the feeding habits of A. gazella during the winter period in the South Shetlands area. A total of 224 scats were collected in the winter 2004 and summer 2004/05 on the coasts of Stranger Point, Isla 25 de Mayo/King George. For the total study period krill was the main prey taxon, followed by fish, cephalopods and penguins. During summer, myctophids Gymnoscopelus nicholsi and Electrona antarctica and the nototheniid Pleuragramma antarcticum constituted the dominant fish prey species; in winter only P. antarcticum was dominant, while myctophids were absent.  The only squid species present in the diet was Slozarsykowia circumantarctica. It is concluded that fur seals centred their foraging activity on a krill community and fish associated with krill aggregations.