A multidisciplinary approach to detect and improve management of potential Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems in South Africa

South Africa’s marine territory spans the Atlantic, Indian and Southern Ocean, with the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) advancing mapping of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs)... [ view full abstract ]

South Africa’s marine territory spans the Atlantic, Indian and Southern Ocean, with the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) advancing mapping of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs) in the sub-Antarctic territories since 2007. Efforts to designate VMEs in the mainland ocean territory have lagged due to inadequate data, taxonomic expertise and experience. It has been widely recognised that a major limitation to the effective management and protection of these fragile ecosystems to date, is the uncertainty in their distribution. This study followed a multidisciplinary approach to identify potential VMEs in South Africa. We applied the 2009 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) scientific guidelines for identifying VMEs, drawing from available national datasets including bathymetric, geological, sediment, fisheries and biodiversity data. Ten potential VME habitat types were identified within our Exclusive Economic Zone including features likely to host VMEs and potential VMEs identified from indicator taxa. Twenty-four potential indicator taxa were identified. Museum records and 8 years of invertebrate trawl bycatch data were analysed for this latter component. In addition, more than 350 visual surveys from 8 research projects, spanning the 50-600m depth range, along the South African coast were analysed to identify potential VMEs. These approaches show how limited data can readily be applied to advance identification of potential VMEs. This work has been applied in the advancement of South Africa’s National Habitat Map; the identification of EBSAs, Marine Protected Area Planning and other work to support the meeting of fisheries eco-certification conditions.