Supporting Marine Reserve Design

Building on its pioneering efforts in establishing Land and Sea Parks, in 2000 the Commonwealth of The Bahamas initiated one of the world’s first networks of marine reserves (“no-take” marine protected areas, or MPAs). This designation provided Center for Biodiversity and Conservation (CBC) researchers and collaborators with an unprecedented opportunity to analyze the physical, biological, economic, and cultural processes affecting reef ecosystems across seascapes, and to integrate all of these aspects into recommendations for conservation strategies. The CBC is supporting Bahamian marine conservation through an innovative “Biocomplexity” research initiative and associated education and outreach efforts.

The Bahamas Biocomplexity Project (BBP), led by CBC Senior Conservation Scientist Dr. Dan Brumbaugh, with collaborators from nine different institutions, began with a series of workshops funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) that identified the areas of research needed for an integrated study of the design, implementation, and management of an MPA network. Participants included social, biological, and physical scientists, and representatives from Bahamian governmental and conservation organizations. The workshops led to the formation of an interdisciplinary team also funded primarily by the NSF.

Since spring 2002, various BBP working groups have been synthesizing existing data and developing new layers of information to integrate within the project. The “Habitat Working Group” – having conducted field surveys and remote sensing studies on Bimini, Abaco, Andros, The Exumas, San Salvador, and South Caicos (Turks and Caicos) – is working to understand spatial variation between habitat types and species assemblages across the Bahamian archipelago. This group is also exploring the development of predictive models of the distribution of nursery habitats for economically important fisheries species such as Nassau grouper and spiny lobster. The “Connectivity Working Group,” organized into oceanographic and genetics subgroups, is charged with understanding the levels of populational connectivity between The Bahamas and surrounding parts of the greater Caribbean, as well as within the Bahamian archipelago. Their studies of oceanographic circulation and genetic population structure will help indicate how marine populations across the archipelago may be supported and connected by various potential network configurations. The “Social Working Group” is employing ethnographic and other approaches to assess patterns of resource use and attitudes about resource conservation among stakeholders. Two other working groups, “Modeling” and “Geographical Information System (GIS),” are addressing the spatial integration of these human dimensions with the biophysical patterns and processes being studied by the Habitat and Connectivity groups. The BBP GIS and associated simulation models will be made available online to assist with conservation planning and environmental education.

In addition, CBC staff have been working with Bahamian education and conservation organizations to develop educational approaches and tools for conservation. In partnership with the Bahamas National Trust and the Bahamas Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture, the CBC developed Treasures in the Sea, a resource book that provides teachers with scientific information and engaging, hands-on activities that encourage students to discover, cherish, and protect the sea and all of its treasures. Designed especially for educators in The Bahamas, the book complements curriculum guidelines for grades three to six, though many of the activities may be adapted for younger or older students in formal and informal settings. Treasures in the Sea introduces marine conservation concepts by focusing on some of The Bahamas’ most important marine species, and helps students understand life cycles, critical habitats, cultural and economic connections, and also the urgency of conservation and management. 

The CBC previously teamed with the Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF), the Bahamas National Trust, the Bahamas Ministry of Education, and others to develop a companion guide to a marine reserves exhibition (developed by BREEF, the Nature Conservancy, and the Bahamas Department of Fisheries) that traveled around The Bahamas’ Family Islands. The booklet, Fully-Protected Marine Reserves for the Future of Our Oceans, explores many marine conservation issues, while giving exhibit attendees, students, and teachers a summary to bring home or back to the classroom.