Ecosystem services in the NDBR

Tara HooperPlymouth Marine Laboratorytarh@pml.ac.uk

Using Ecosystem Services in Management

Understand the level of key services delivered by NDBR habitats

Evaluate how service delivery changes under different management scenarios

Compare outcomes and consider trade-offs

Understanding the delivery of key servicesHabitat Service Benefit

Nursery habitat

Waste processing

Carbon burial

Our approachStep 1 – Literature review

• water depth

What do juvenile fish need?

• sediment type • food sources

Our approachStep 1 – Literature reviewWhat species/processes control regulating services? • bioturbation: how species rework the substrate

Our approachStep 2 – Local survey dataWhat substrates/species are present?• PML (1973)• National Museums & Galleries of Wales (2003) • RWE (2011)• Environment Agency (2008, 2010, 2013)

Step 3 – Link to habitat typesTo allow services to be mapped across the NDBR

FindingsGood links between sites and habitats for remediation

Links between biological traits and habitats not clear

Fisheries species food preferences are too general

but….. only where species information is present

so........ carbon sequestration mapped by just substrate

so........ not included in the assessmentand..... mapped by just substrate/depth

Hoping for validation through input from fishers

Estuary: Waste remediation

Offshore: Waste remediation

To follow…….

Offshore: Carbon sequestration

Estuary: Carbon sequestration

Offshore: Nursery habitats

Bass Sole/Plaice

Cod Skates/rays

Lobster

To follow…..

Estuary: Nursery habitats

Bass Lobster Sole/Plaice

Cod Skates/rays

Aggregation and trade offs

How should we represent the occurrence of multiple services in the same place?

What happens when the effects of management interventions occur in opposite directions for different services?

Aggregation and trade offs

Just an EXAMPLE – based on equal weighting

Weighting ecosystem services

How important are the ecosystem services to you?

Carbon sequestrationRemediation of wasteNursery habitat

TOTAL

Please complete the score card

Ensure your scores add up to 12

……..……..……..12

4

4

4

0

12

0

3

3

6

Weighting ecosystem services

Please also complete the additional questions

How do you rank the fisheries?

Bass

Cod

Lobster

Rank 1 – 5 or use equal scores

……..……..……..Sole/

plaice……..Skates/

rays……..

1

25

3

4

1

13

3

3

1

11

1

1

1 = most important 5 = least important