Research Article

Key biodiversity areas as globally significant target sites for the conservation of marine biological diversity

  1. Graham J. Edgar1,2,3,*,
  2. Penny F. Langhammer1,
  3. Gerry Allen4,
  4. Thomas M. Brooks1,5,
  5. Juliet Brodie6,
  6. William Crosse1,
  7. Naamal De Silva1,
  8. Lincoln D. C. Fishpool7,
  9. Matthew N. Foster1,
  10. David H. Knox8,
  11. John E. Mccosker9,
  12. Roger Mcmanus1,
  13. Alan J. K. Millar10,
  14. Robinson Mugo11,12

Article first published online: 23 APR 2008

DOI: 10.1002/aqc.902

Issue

Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems

Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems

Volume 18, Issue 6, pages 969–983, September/October 2008

Additional Information

How to Cite

Edgar, G. J., Langhammer, P. F., Allen, G., Brooks, T. M., Brodie, J., Crosse, W., De Silva, N., Fishpool, L. D. C., Foster, M. N., Knox, D. H., Mccosker, J. E., Mcmanus, R., Millar, A. J. K. and Mugo, R. (2008), Key biodiversity areas as globally significant target sites for the conservation of marine biological diversity. Aquatic Conserv: Mar. Freshw. Ecosyst., 18: 969–983. doi: 10.1002/aqc.902

Author Information

  1. 1

    Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Ste 500, Arlington, Virginia 22202, USA

  2. 2

    Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute, University of Tasmania, GPO Box 252-49 Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia

  3. 3

    Charles Darwin Foundation, Puerto Ayora, Galapagos, Ecuador

  4. 4

    Department of Aquatic Zoology, Western Australian Museum, Locked Bag 49, Welshpool DC, Perth, Western Australia 6986, Australia

  5. 5

    School of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Tasmania, GPO Box 252-78, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia

  6. 6

    Department of Botany, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK

  7. 7

    BirdLife International, Wellbrook Court, Girton Road, Cambridge CB3 0NA, UK

  8. 8

    Conservation International, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Private Bag x7, Claremont 7735, South Africa

  9. 9

    California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California 94118, USA

  10. 10

    Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, Mrs Macquaries Road, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia

  11. 11

    Kenya Marine & Fisheries Research Institute, English Point, Silos Road, Mkomani, P.O. Box 81651-80100 Mombasa, Kenya

  12. 12

    Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences, Hakkaido University, 3-1-1 Minato-cho, Hakodate 041-8611, Japan

*Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute, University of Tasmania, GPO Box 252-49 Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 27 AUG 2008
  2. Article first published online: 23 APR 2008

Funded by

  • Walton Family Foundation
  • Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
  • Global Marine Division of Conservation International
  • Australian Research Council

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

Get PDF (321K)

Keywords:

  • endemism;
  • marine protected area;
  • MPA;
  • IUCN Red List;
  • systematic conservation planning;
  • threatened species

Abstract

  • 1.
    Recent approaches to the planning of marine protected area (MPA) networks for biodiversity conservation often stress the need for a representative coverage of habitat types while aiming to minimize impacts on resource users. As typified by planning for the Australian South-east Marine Region, this strategy can be manipulated by political processes, with consequent biased siting of MPAs. Networks thus created frequently possess relatively low value for biodiversity conservation, despite significant costs in establishment and maintenance.
  • 2.
    Such biases can be minimized through application of the data-driven and species-based concept of key biodiversity areas (KBAs).
  • 3.
    By mapping locations of threatened species and populations that are highly aggregated in time or space, the KBA process allows marine sites of global biodiversity significance to be systematically identified as priority conservation targets. Here, the value of KBAs for marine conservation planning is outlined, and guidelines and provisional criteria for their application provided.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Get PDF (321K)