Habitat Working Group

The design of networks of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) for the conservation of biological diversity requires a good understanding of the distribution of that biodiversity. Unfortunately, the knowledge of the finer scale, ecological factors that influence how species and populations are distributed across environmental gradients and within different habitat types is often lacking. Individual MPA site designations are frequently made on the basis of important but relatively ad hoc assessments of habitat quality and social factors. MPA networks should ideally be designed, at least in part, with an objective base of information that allows planners to efficiently ensure that all major pieces of the ecosystem are protected.

Habitats provide useful units for accounting for biological diversity as well as individual species of interest. Because individual species in coral reef ecosystems frequently make use of particular combinations of various shallow, benthic habitats, and because biodiversity becomes associated with habitats, analyses of habitat distribution allow for the systematic assessment of both biodiversity and component species. As a consequence, the BBP’s Habitat Working Group (HWG) is using detailed field-based surveys along with satellite imagery to produce benthic habitat maps that will provide key data for multiple aspects of the project. By linking habitat maps to associations between specific habitat types and species assemblages, we are testing, calibrating, and then extrapolating how different species assemblages can be conserved with different MPA network configurations.

In addition to their use in biodiversity conservation, habitat maps, when supplemented by additional field data and Geographical Information System (GIS) analyses, allow estimates of which areas are particularly important for certain species. For example, since only certain shallow areas may provide critical nursery habitat lobsters and groupers, we are developing new approaches for identifying which estuaries, sounds, and lagoons are likely to be preferred, high quality habitats.