9- the caribbean environment programme（9 -加勒比环境规划署）.docVIP

RESEARCH AND MONITORING Overview and Introduction to Research and Monitoring Re-affirmation of the importance of research and monitoring plans. Research and monitoring within marine protected areas is essential for good management and stewardship. Lecture 1 Hour TUTOR’S NOTES Some of the research described in this chapter may be beyond the financial or scientific capabilities of some marine protected areas in the Wider Caribbean Region. Participants should be advised that managers should be realists and understand what types of research and monitoring are feasible given the site-specific conditions. INTRODUCTION Research within a marine protected area (MPA) is essential for good management and stewardship. At the initial stages of MPA designation and the development of the management plan, research can provide environmental managers with a rationale for setting standards and giving quantitative predictive models for the selection of management strategies. After implementation of the management plan, research will assist administrators by monitoring the health of the marine resources, the extent of human uses of the area, and the impacts produced by humans on the resources. This information is essential for regulating and perhaps limiting use. Research programmes may perform some of the following functions: Inventory the marine resources that exist in the MPA; Observe and evaluate impacts (anthropogenic and natural); Determine uses and threats to MPA resources; Obtain fundamental scientific knowledge; Determine changes in the health of the resources, as well as changing uses; Evaluate compliance with regulations; Offer early warning signals of problems; Provide a link to broader research efforts outside the MPA; and Offer solutions to issues and problems in the management of the MPA. The objectives