Report of the Australia — France/New Caledonia Coral Sea Transboundary Collaboration Workshop

Held on 25 – 26 March 2013 Brisbane, Australia

A workshop on Coral Sea Transboundary Collaboration was jointly hosted by the Australian and France-NewCaledonian governments in Brisbane, Australia from 25-26 March 2013. It was held pursuant to the Declaration of Intentions between France-New Caledonia and Australia on the Sustainable Management of the Coral Sea.

The workshop was attended by 37 participantsfromAustralian, New Caledonian, and French government agencies, research institutions and universities. The full list of participants is atAttachment A.

The workshop focused on identifying and describing trans-boundary interests between Australia and New Caledonian waters in the Coral Sea. This included ecological features that cross the boundary, straddling stocks, and migration routes of key species. This work was undertaken to provide a scientific foundation for working towards the establishment of complementary management arrangements in relation to trans-boundary interests. The workshop agenda is at Attachment B.

The workshop explored four categories of trans-boundary interest:

  1. Ecologically Significant and Migratory Species - Fish, marine mammals, turtles and seabirds and their connectivity and migration pathways (including to and from breeding aggregations), life histories and timing across boundaries;
  2. Deep Water Environments - Biodiversity, habitats, connectivity, and ecological functioning of deep sea environments (seamounts, troughs and rises);
  3. Shallow Water Environments -Reefs, cays, atolls and associated benthic biodiversity, habitats and connectivity, including herbivorous fish and reef fish in ecosystem roles and the role of supporting regional coral reef communities; and
  4. Pressures on the Marine Environment -How a changing climate, increased seafood demand, increased vessel traffic and marine debris are, and will be, affecting the Coral Sea.

At the workshop, presentations were given on each of the above issues (these presentations are available on request, email ). Following the presentations, break out groups were formed – one on each of the first three topics, with the fourth topic addressed as a cross cutting issuethat was considered by all groups. Each break out group was asked to discuss the following questions:

  • What are the key transboundary issues of interest to the collaborative management of the Coral Sea? What are the relative priorities of these issues?
  • What do we know about the issue? What are the key gaps in knowledge? How easy or difficult is it to address these gaps?
  • What are the priorities for future collaborative work and why? How might this be taken forward (including by whom)?

Reports from each of the breakout groups are at Attachment C.

The group on ecologically significant and migratory speciesidentified as a key research priority,an understanding of the spatial and temporal distribution of “hotspots” that support the iconic wildlife populations of the Coral Sea. A number of key gaps in knowledge were identified in this context related to the environmental drivers of the distribution of “hotspots.” Priorities for future work included standardisation of methodologies, collation of key data sets, and clarification of management objectives and priorities to help guide to research efforts.

The deep water environment group identified seamounts as a priority topic for focus, and went on to assess identified deep sea environmental features in the Coral Sea from the perspectives of the state of existing knowledge, whether they are trans-boundary in nature, and the difficulties associated in undertaking work in relation to each feature.In the context of this assessment, the group noted that priority areas for trans-boundary collaboration included the development of a common inventory of data and analysis, and the sharing of technical expertise.Priorities for future research work identified included understanding changes in species composition at different depth ranges, understanding commonalities and connectivity between seamount chains in the Coral Sea, and testing the principles underpinning bio-regionalisation.

The shallow water environmentgroup identified the issue of most importance to trans-boundary management to be the question of whethershallow water environments of the Coral Sea operate as a single entity, and if so, how. This would include consideration of the connectivity of reefs and cays in the region, and whether the resilience of these systems is driven by regional as well as local factors. The group noted that there are reasonably good data on shallow water environments at large- to medium-scale, but that finer-scale data are required, including on ecological connectivity and long-term trends in reef health and resistance. The group proposed the development of predictive models of reef biodiversity, connectivity and resilience as a basis for exploring hypotheses on what drives biodiversity connectivity and resilience, and identifying gaps in knowledge.

Following the break out group discussions, the workshop reconvened as a whole. After reporting back, workshop participants discussed the following questions:

  • What are the most important issues for future focus to support collaborative management of the Coral Sea?

Participants identified the following response to this question:

-Develop a shared understanding of the physical environment and regional distributions of biodiversity and community structure, and the distributions of key species.

-Develop a shared understanding of the ecosystem processes, pathways and functional interrelationships to inform ecosystem based management.

-Standardisation of data collection and analysis and monitoring.

  • What work needs to be done to progress these issues?

Participants identified the following response to this question:

-Data collation, synthesis and analysis, gap identification, starting with the output from this workshop.

  • What are the best ways for getting this work done?

Participants identified the following response to this question:

-Collaborative work to develop a regional profile, with a draft discussed at a subsequent workshop.

-Mechanisms for bringing people together, generating relationships, building on existing projects and opportunities.

-Workshop on standardisation of data analysis and monitoring approaches.

-Establish coordination and identify resourcing arrangements.

After the workshop, and in light of the workshop discussions and outputs, the Australian, New Caledonian and French governments met to consider the next steps in their collaboration.The report of this meeting, including agreed next steps,will be shared with workshop participants.

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WORKSHOP ON CORAL SEA TRANSBOUNDARY COLLABORATION

25 - 26 MARCH 2013

PARTICIPANT LIST

Australian Government Department of Sustainability, Environment,
Water, Population and Communities

Travis Bover

Belinda Jago

Martin Russell

Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)

Jamie Oliver

David McKinnon

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)

Jock Young

Alan Williams

Roland Pitcher

Rich Hillary

Ian Cresswell

Nic Bax

James Cook University (JCU)

Brad Congdon

Robin Beaman

Mark Hamann

Alastair Birtles

The New Caledonian Government

Anne-Claire Goarant

Regis Etaix-Bonnin

The French Government

Lionel Gardes

Pierre Labrosse

Emmanuel Tessier

Marie-Hélène Wehr

Institut de Recherche pour le développement (IRD)

Claude Payri

Serge Andrefouet

Laurent Vigliola

Bernard Pelletier

Christophe Menkes

Sophie Cravatte

Institut français de recherché pour l’exploitation de la mer (Ifremer)

Thierry Laugier

Muséum national d’histoire naturelle (MNHN)

Sarah Samadi

Université de la Nouvelle Calédonie (UNC)

Yves Letourneur

Aquarium des lagons

Richard Farman

Conservation International (CI)

Jean-Christophe Lefeuvre

La Société Calédonienne d’Ornithologie (SCO)

Julien Baudat

Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC)

Valerie Allain

Workshop Secretariat

Chavelli Sulikowski

Anne Radimin

Kirsty Hopkins

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Workshop on Coral Sea Transboundary Collaboration, 25 - 26 March 2013

AGENDA

The workshop will focus on identifying and describing trans-boundary interests between Australia and New Caledonian waters in the Coral Sea. This will include ecological features that cross the boundary, straddling stocks, and migration routes of key species etc. This work is being done to provide a scientific foundation for the establishment of complementary management arrangements in relation to identified transboundary interests.

The workshop will explore four categories of transboundary interests:

  • fish, marine mammals, turtles and seabirds and their connectivity and migration pathways (including to and from feeding and breeding aggregations), life histories and timing across boundaries;
  • Biodiversity, habitats, connectivity and ecological functioning of deep sea environments (seamounts, troughs and rises);
  • Reefs, cays, atolls and associated benthic biodiversity, habitats and connectivity, including herbivorous fish and reef fish in ecosystem roles and role of supporting regional coral reef communities; and
  • How a changing climate, increased seafood demand, increased vessel traffic and marine debris are, and will be, affecting the Coral Sea.

Prior to the workshop, research activities will be commissioned to compile data and information relevant to the identification and description of transboundary interests. This data and information will be presented and discussed at the workshop. The scope of the research activities will be jointly determined by the Workshop Steering Committee.

DAY ONE

8.00 - 8.30Arrival and registration/collection of name tags

8.30 - 8.45Welcome and opening addresses from co-chairs

8.45 - 9.00Outline and purpose of the workshop (Australian co-chair)

9:00 – 10:00Overview of Coral Sea

  • Policy and management frameworks (Belinda Jago, Regis Etaix-Bonnin)
  • Scientific overview (Nic Bax, Sophie Cravatte)

10:00 – 10:15Comments and Questions on the overview

10:15 – 10:30Outline and purpose of the day (Nic Bax)

10:30 – 11:00MORNING TEA

11:00 – 12:00 Trans-boundary topic 1: Ecologically Significant and Migratory Species

  • Introduction of session (Australia)
  • Presentations on current knowledge and key gaps (Jock Young, Australia; Richard Farman, New Caledonia)
  • Questions and comments

12:00 – 1:00Trans-boundary topic 2: Deep water environments

  • Introduction of session (New Caledonia – Sarah Samadi)
  • Presentations on current knowledge and key gaps (Alan Williams, Australia; Sarah Samadi, New Caledonia)
  • Questions and comments

1.00 – 2:00pm LUNCH

2:00 – 3:00Trans-boundary topic 3: Shallow water environments

  • Introduction of session (New Caledonia - Serge Andrefouet)
  • Presentations on current knowledge and key gaps (David McKinnon, Australia; Laurent Vigliola, New Caledonia)
  • Questions and comments

3:00 – 5:00Break-out groups on topics 1-3

  • Groups will be asked to discuss and record existing knowledge of trans-boundary features, gaps in knowledge and priorities for future research

DAY TWO

9:00 – 9:15Outline and purpose of the day (Claude Payri, New Caledonia)

9:15 – 10:30 Report back from the break out groups (break out group facilitators)

10:30 – 11:00MORNING TEA

11:00 – 12:30 Trans-boundary Topic 4: Pressures on the marine environment

  • Introduction of session (Australia)
  • Presentations on current knowledge and key gaps (Belinda Jago, Australia; Thierry Laugier, New Caledonia)
  • Plenary discussion and identification of existing knowledge of trans-boundary issues, gaps in knowledge and priorities for future research

12.30 - 1.30pmLUNCH

1.30 - 2.00pmPresentation and discussion of existing CSIRO & AIMS Coral Sea collaboration (Jock Young and David McKinnon)

2:00 – 3:30Where to next?

  • Summary of key findings from the workshop
  • Discussion of priorities for research to support policy and management by the Australian and New Caledonian governments
  • Discussion of research priorities for the longer term
  • Discussion of opportunities for scientific collaboration

3:30 - 4:00Wrap up and Closing remarks (co-chairs)

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ATTACHMENT C

Coral Sea Transboundary Collaboration Workshop
25 – 26 March 2013 Brisbane, Australia

Breakout Group Report:Ecologically Significant and Migratory Species

1.What are the key transboundary issues of interest to collaborative management?

Desired future outcome - A shared conceptual framework of the Coral Sea for ecosystem based management.

Key research need - Improve understanding of the spatial and temporal distribution of hotspots that support the (iconic) wildlife populations of the Coral Sea.

2.What do we know? What are the key gaps?

Birds / Turtles / Tuna / Sharks / Mammals
Species use of hotspots (identify for each species)
Foraging / O
Migratory routes / O / O / O / O
Vertical integration / N/A
Interaction with coastal species / X
Terrestrial use / ⎷some / ⎷
Temporal/spatial variation / X / O
Oceanography / OX
Functional connectivity / X some
Life history stages / X / O / X
Genetic stock / X / OX / O / O / OX
Trophic linkages / OX / X / OX / OX / O
Species specific info

Key: O = priorities; X = gaps

Key gaps in knowledge

What are the key environmental drivers?

•Species use – overlap in species hotspots, species specific information

•Vertical structure

•Interaction with coastal species

•Genetic stock structure

•Life history stages

•Migratory routes

•Foraging opportunities/food webs

•Trophic linkages

•Oceanographic drivers

•Temporal and spatial drivers (location of hotspots)

•Functional connectivity

3.What are the priorities for future collaborative work?

Priority needs for addressing knowledge gaps:

•Determine the key conservation objectives including management issues at transboundary scale

•Standardise methodologies for research programs across regions (isotopes, tagging)

•List and collate existing metadata sets across jurisdictions

­start with species level data (determine overlap in species hotspots)

­oceanography (already shared)

­biogeochemical data

­productivity data (satellite data available)

•Ensure continuous, long term data sets with no gaps

•Focus on conservation species

•Isotopes, tagging, mapping, tracking, echo sounders on commercial vessels

•Full regional approach (include PNG and Solomon, Vanuatu)

Priority research topics

•Functional connectivity

•Determine critical areas to support stable breeding colonies of seabirds

•Oceanography impacts on hotspots to predict viability into the future

•Foraging habitat mapping for species, e.g. seabirds, large pelagics

•Migration routes of tuna

•Collaborative project to understand if impacts, for example oceanography on turtle species, are also occurring in other jurisdictions

•Knowledge gaps in leatherback turtle breeding – jurisdictions sit under different MOUs - coordinate efforts to gather information

•Collaborative tagging of dwarf minke whales to determine where they go, do they use seamount areas/productivity hotspots etc. – outcomes will underpin tourism industry into the future and provide unique insight into the almost unknown tropical ecology of oceanic rorqual whales

•Terns – common monitoring program based on Australia’s long-term data collection - gene flow? Liaise with the Queensland government about priorities as this is currently under discussion

•Genetic links for bottlenose and spinner dolphins

Priority areas for sharing data

•Acoustic data from shark research (Aus)

•Breeding activities of turtles

Coral Sea Transboundary Collaboration Workshop
25 – 26 March 2013 Brisbane, Australia

Breakout Group Report
Deep Water Environments

1.What are the key transboundary issues of interest to collaborative management?

•Species change at depth ranges

•Between areas/features at the same depth, are species the same/common?

­Across three seamount chains (Tasmantid, Lord Howe, Norfolk seamounts)

­Connectivity between seamount chains

•Opportunity to test/confirm the principles underpinning bio-regionalisation

Key deep sea features / Extent of existing knowledge / Transboundary / Difficulty
Tasmantid seamounts / Biological and geological / Yes / Relatively easy
Mellish Plateau / Geological / Yes / Very difficult
Kenn Plateau / Geological / Yes / Relatively easy
Chesterfield Bank / seamounts / Very limited geological, some biological (100- 1000m) / Yes / Relatively easy
Louisiade Cluster / Very limited / No / Very difficult
South Rennell Trough / Very limited / No / Difficult
Lord Howe / Biological and geological / Yes / Medium
Lord Howe seamounts / Biological and geological / Yes / Relatively easy
Deep Basins / Very limited / No / Very difficult
Cato Trough / Geological / No / Very difficult
Middleton Basin / Geological / No / Difficult

2.What do we know? What are the key gaps?

3.What are the priorities for future collaborative work?

•Regional synthesis of existing data (provides gap analysis):

­Common inventory of what is known to both Australia and New Caledonia - need a common platform to work from. Ensures common understanding of what each jurisdiction has.

­Gaps in biological understanding - sampling and availability of existing data

•Understanding processes of exploration - anticipating the impacts of exploration on ecosystems (strengthen management in this area)

•Improved understanding of oceanography/productivity

•Sharing of technical expertise/equipment – science, sampling, spatial planning, management

•Cost benefit of investing in these management/conservation priorities - social and economical benefits (resources - potential pressures)

Coral Sea Transboundary Collaboration Workshop
25 – 26 March 2013 Brisbane, Australia

Breakout Group Report
Shallow Water Environments

1.What are the key transboundary issues of interest to collaborative management?

•Are there specific connections between the two jurisdictions?

•Does the system function as a single entity requiring joint management (and if so, how)? This would include consideration of:

­Biodiversity at species and functional level, and habitat distributions

­Ecological and functional connectivity between reef systems in the area

­Is resilience determined locally or regionally?

2.What do we know? What are the key gaps?

•We have reasonably good data on physical environment at large- to medium-scale

•More information is needed on fine-scale biodiversity patterns and ecological connectivity

•More information is needed on major threats to reef status and resilience

•More information is needed on longer-term trends in status for most reefs

•Work is needed to assemble and synthesise data into biodiversity maps

•Work is needed to develop hypotheses on what drives biodiversity patterns, functional connectivity and resilience

3.What are the priorities for future collaborative work?

•Develop predictive models of reef biodiversity, connectivity and resilience

­Use models to identify major gaps in knowledge

­Collaborative workshop to prioritise gap filling for more complete biodiversity mapping and hypothesis testing activities

­Develop oceanographic model scenarios to address specific connectivity hypotheses for key species, functions and habitats

­Agree on a program of collaborative field data acquisition and identify funding options

­Potential areas for collaborative work might be Chesterfields/Bellona reefs and Kenn/Wreck/Cato reefs

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