Nils Krueck1
1University of Tasmania, Australia
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are important for biodiversity conservation but cannot fully protect mobile species that move beyond MPA boundaries. However, recent research shows that individual movement variability is high. Here, I present a case study from South Australia that estimated the lifetime survival of 10 ecologically diverse species of reef fishes in MPAs of increasing size. Contrasting survival estimates using individual-based vs species-averaged movements highlights that the conservation impact of MPAs could be 2-32 times higher than commonly assumed. That is, 10-50% more resident individuals could be protected in an MPA when information on individual movements is available and explicitly considered. Study outcomes suggest that MPA sizes between 0.5 and 10 km can effectively contribute to the lifetime survival of mobile species, including some sharks and rays. In my presentation, I will elaborate on these findings and introduce a draft R-shiny application to estimate reef fish protection in MPAs under data-poor conditions.
Biography
Nils is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Tasmania, Australia, studying fish population dynamics, marine protected areas (MPAs) and small-scale fisheries. Nils is involved in a broad range of research projects on the ecology and management of marine species, specifically reef fishes. His research is focused on the impacts of MPAs on both ecosystems and people.