03 University of Plymouth Research Projects and PortfoliosA showcase of research projects across the University of Plymouthhttps://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/handle/10026.1/109122024-03-29T15:49:56Z2024-03-29T15:49:56ZmNCEA policy brief - PELCAP: Natural Capital in Plankton & Pelagic HabitatsTett, PaulBresnan, EileenFaith, MatthewHolland, MatthewBest, Mikehttps://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/handle/10026.1/221542024-03-28T10:44:32Z2024-03-07T00:00:00ZmNCEA policy brief - PELCAP: Natural Capital in Plankton & Pelagic Habitats
Tett, Paul; Bresnan, Eileen; Faith, Matthew; Holland, Matthew; Best, Mike
This policy brief fact sheet descries ecosystem services provided by pelagic habitats and a natural capital accounting of the the economic contribution pelagic habitats provide to the UK, as estimated by the Office of National Statistics.
Plankton is vital for the functioning of marine ecosystems but is hard to value monetarily. According to the Office of National Statistics, plankton in UK waters provides services valued at up to 3.4 £ billion per year. PHEG members think that this is an underestimate.
This project was funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as part of the marine arm of the Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA) programme. The marine NCEA programme is leading the way in supporting Government ambition to integrate natural capital approaches into decision making for the marine environment. Find out more at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/natural-capital-and-ecosystem-assessment-programme
2024-03-07T00:00:00ZmNCEA policy brief - Plenty more fish in the sea? Counting the cost of climate change on marine Natural CapitalAtkinson, Ahttps://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/handle/10026.1/221532024-03-26T15:36:43Z2024-03-07T00:00:00ZmNCEA policy brief - Plenty more fish in the sea? Counting the cost of climate change on marine Natural Capital
Atkinson, A
This policy brief describes how predicted changes in productivity across the Atlantic will impact the amount of fish that the marine environment can support. This is bound to have important implications for marine food webs and our continued sustainable use of marine resources.
Plankton form the foundation of commercially-valuable food chains to fish
• Warming, stratification and reduced nutrient supply has already reduced plankton stocks
• Reduced phytoplankton also means less efficient food chains
• Even a modest (16-26%) continued decline in phytoplankton will magnify into a 38-55%
decline in harvestable fish across the north Atlantic
• Hotspots of this future decline in fish are in present-day fishing grounds
• This risk-mapping approach provides a forward look for spatial protection and management
This project was funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as part of the marine arm of the Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA) programme. The marine NCEA programme is leading the way in supporting Government ambition to integrate natural capital approaches into decision making for the marine environment. Find out more at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/natural-capital-and-ecosystem-assessment-programme
2024-03-07T00:00:00ZmNCEA policy brief - Mind the Gap – The need to continue long-term plankton monitoringHolland, MatthewAtkinson, AngusBest, MikeBresnan, EileenDevlin, MichelleJohns, DavidMachairopoulou, MargaritaPitois, SophieScott, JamesStern, RowenaWhyte, CallumWiddicombe, ClaireMcQuatters-Gollop, Abigailhttps://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/handle/10026.1/221512024-03-29T02:06:07Z2024-03-07T00:00:00ZmNCEA policy brief - Mind the Gap – The need to continue long-term plankton monitoring
Holland, Matthew; Atkinson, Angus; Best, Mike; Bresnan, Eileen; Devlin, Michelle; Johns, David; Machairopoulou, Margarita; Pitois, Sophie; Scott, James; Stern, Rowena; Whyte, Callum; Widdicombe, Claire; McQuatters-Gollop, Abigail
This policy brief argues that while it is beneficial to explore novel plankton survey technology, it is essential that we also continue to maintain traditional long-term monitoring programmes to generate the necessary information to inform policy.
Changes in plankton have important implications for the continued provision of ecosystem services, including supporting commercial fish stocks, carbon sequestration, and oxygen production. Such changes can only be detected by studying long-term, consistent plankton datasets which are needed to understand the pressures driving these changes and how we can manage them. Traditional long-term plankton monitoring relies on light microscopy to identify and count plankton taxa, with methods fully supported by national / international QA/QC standards and providing high quality trusted data. Novel technologies, including imaging and molecular methods, offer more efficient means of collecting some types of plankton data, filling targeted knowledge gaps left by traditional monitoring. However, these data are often semi-quantitative, lacking in QA/QC standards, and/or in taxonomic resolution. While these technologies are developed it remains critical to maintain the continuity of traditional plankton monitoring to inform policy assessments of important changes in biodiversity. Losing these time-series, many of which span multiple decades, would impair our ability to detect important change in pelagic habitats, as most changes cannot be detected from short-term data. This would also accelerate the loss of taxonomic expertise, already under threat globally, diminishing our UK skill-base. Novel technologies should be explored in parallel to traditional monitoring, as they can provide complementary data to support policy assessments and research, however, it is important that we do not attempt to replace traditional monitoring with new technology before it has been thoroughly integrated into long-term monitoring programmes.
This project was funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as part of the marine arm of the Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA) programme. The marine NCEA programme is leading the way in supporting Government ambition to integrate natural capital approaches into decision making for the marine environment. Find out more at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/natural-capital-and-ecosystem-assessment-programme.
2024-03-07T00:00:00ZmNCEA policy brief - The many scales of pelagic habitatsHolland, MatthewAtkinson, AngusMcQuatters-Gollop, Abigailhttps://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/handle/10026.1/221502024-03-28T13:01:07Z2024-03-07T00:00:00ZmNCEA policy brief - The many scales of pelagic habitats
Holland, Matthew; Atkinson, Angus; McQuatters-Gollop, Abigail
This fact sheet is intended to help explain the extreme variation in both abundance and body size exhibited by marine plankton and why those characteristics make them challenging to understand.
Plankton in pelagic (open ocean) habitats vary greatly in abundance and body size, presenting significant challenges for assessing the state of pelagic habitats.
There are also vast differences in the spatial and temporal scale of events and pressures impacting pelagic habitats, adding complexity and making pelagic habitats challenging to understand.
This project was funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as part of the marine arm of the Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA) programme. The marine NCEA programme is leading the way in supporting Government ambition to integrate natural capital approaches into decision making for the marine environment. Find out more at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/natural-capital-and-ecosystem-assessment-programme.
2024-03-07T00:00:00Z