Larval connectivity for effective MPAs networks: a multidisciplinary approach

Project Information

MaPACo

Grant agreement ID: 302734

Project closed

Start date 1 September 2012

End date 31 August 2014

Funded under

• Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)

Total cost € 168 896,40

EU contribution € 168 896,40

Coordinated by

UNIVERSIDAD DE MURCIA
Spain

Objective

International engagements call for the designation of representative networks of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) by 2020. Up to now, numerous studies have proved the performance of MPAs for both protecting local biodiversity and supporting fisheries by adults spillover. However, these studies have also pointed out that many important factors are still overlooked. Indeed, MPAs effectiveness is also conditioned by their role as dispersal origin of larvae to replenish nearby depleted fished areas. Thus, understanding the connectivity patterns among them and with unprotected sites is essential to build effective MPAs networks. To do so, the present project will propose an original and complete survey based on combining complementary methodological approaches (ecology, dispersal dynamic model and genetic connectivity), with two critical questions in mind: which Mediterranean areas received the fish larvae issued from a MPA? Where do the fish observed in a MPA come from? We will consider the Cabo de Palos – Islas Hormigas Marine Reserve (CPMR, Spain, SW Mediterranean). This area presents a very dynamic hydrography; the winds and currents directions are therefore likely to strongly influence the larval dispersal pattern around the MPA. We will develop a dynamic model using currents and temperature data to simulate the dispersal of fish larvae during their pelagic stage. Then, the model results will help us to target sites at regional scale (tens of km’s) where larvae issued from CPMR could settle, and areas within this geographical range likely to act as sources of larvae replenishing CPMR. Both adults and larvaes will be collected through field work (diving and fisheries data) in all these areas, and genetic analyses will be performed to identify the parent-offsprings pairs. The results will allow us to better understand the relationships between distinct coastal areas through their fish exchanges and to underline the MPA role as sources of fishes for the marine fisheries.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.

• agricultural sciences › agriculture, forestry, and fisheries › fisheries
• natural sciences › biological sciences › ecology › ecosystems

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Programme(s)

• FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)

Topic(s)

• FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF - Marie-Curie Action: "Intra-European fellowships for career development"

Call for proposal

FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

MC-IEF - Intra-European Fellowships (IEF)

Coordinator

UNIVERSIDAD DE MURCIA

• EU contribution: € 168 896,40
• Address: AVENIDA TENIENTE FLOMESTA S/N - EDIFICIO CONVALECENCIA ; 30003 Murcia ; Spain
• Region: Sur › Región de Murcia › Murcia
• Activity type: Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
• Total cost: No data