Livingston

Ecosystem Processes: 

Ecosystem Processes OBJECTIVES FOR ECOSYSTEM PROTECTION Maintain Predator/prey relationships Maintain Energy/flow balance Maintain Habitat and Diversity ECOSYSTEM DEFINITION Populations and communities of interacting organisms and physical environment with characteristic trophic structure and material (energy) cycles

Slide2: 

Ecosystem Measures and Influences Gear

Objectives for Ecosystem Protection:: 

Objectives for Ecosystem Protection: Maintain predator-prey relationships pelagic forage availability spatial/temporal conc. of fishery impact on forage fish removals of top predators introduction of non-native species Maintain diversity species diversity functional (trophic, structural habitat) diversity genetic diversity Maintain energy flow and balance human-induced energy redirection system impacts attributable to energy removal

Ecosystem Impacts Assessment Framework: Objectives, sub-objectives, ecosystem indicators: 

Ecosystem Impacts Assessment Framework: Objectives, sub-objectives, ecosystem indicators OBJECTIVE: MAINTAIN PREDATOR/PREY RELATIONSHIPS SUBOBJECTIVE1: Sustain top predator populations THRESHOLD: Catch levels high enough to cause the biomass of one or more top level predator species to fall below minimum biologically acceptable limits INDICATORS: Population status of top predator species Bycatch levels of sensitive top predators that lack population estimates (sharks, birds) Trophic level of the catch

Effects Analysis: 

Effects Analysis

Effects Analysis (cont.): 

Effects Analysis (cont.)

Effects Analysis (cont.): 

Effects Analysis (cont.)

MANAGEMENT INDICATORS: 

MANAGEMENT INDICATORS Time trends in bottom trawl effort Total catch and trophic level of catch Amount and composition of non-target fish species in catch Seabird bycatch and fishing effort

ECOSYSTEM STATUS INDICATORS: 

ECOSYSTEM STATUS INDICATORS Fish community size spectrum Status of structural habitat biota Seabird population trends Environmental fluctuations Population trends of non-target fish species

Objectives for Ecosystem Protection:: 

Objectives for Ecosystem Protection: Maintain predator-prey relationships pelagic forage availability spatial/temporal conc. of fishery impact on forage fish removals of top predators introduction of non-native species Maintain diversity species diversity functional (trophic, structural habitat) diversity genetic diversity Maintain energy flow and balance human-induced energy redirection system impacts attributable to energy removal