A spatially explicit risk assessment approach: Cetaceans and marine traffic in the Pelagos Sanctuary (Mediterranean Sea).

Spatially explicit risk assessment is an essential component of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP), which provides a comprehensive framework for managing multiple uses of the marine environment, minimizing environmental impacts and conflicts among users. In this study, we assessed the risk of the exposur...

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Main Authors: Maria Grazia Pennino, Antonella Arcangeli, Vinícius Prado Fonseca, Ilaria Campana, Graham J Pierce, Andrea Rotta, Jose Maria Bellido
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2017-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0179686&type=printable
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author Maria Grazia Pennino
Antonella Arcangeli
Vinícius Prado Fonseca
Ilaria Campana
Graham J Pierce
Andrea Rotta
Jose Maria Bellido
author_facet Maria Grazia Pennino
Antonella Arcangeli
Vinícius Prado Fonseca
Ilaria Campana
Graham J Pierce
Andrea Rotta
Jose Maria Bellido
author_sort Maria Grazia Pennino
collection DOAJ
description Spatially explicit risk assessment is an essential component of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP), which provides a comprehensive framework for managing multiple uses of the marine environment, minimizing environmental impacts and conflicts among users. In this study, we assessed the risk of the exposure to high intensity vessel traffic areas for the three most abundant cetacean species (Stenella coeruleoalba, Tursiops truncatus and Balaenoptera physalus) in the southern area of the Pelagos Sanctuary, which is the only pelagic Marine Protected Area (MPA) for marine mammals in the Mediterranean Sea. In particular, we modeled the occurrence of the three cetacean species as a function of habitat variables in June by using hierarchical Bayesian spatial-temporal models. Similarly, we modelled the marine traffic intensity in order to find high risk areas and estimated the potential conflict due to the overlap with the cetacean home ranges. Results identified two main hot-spots of high intensity marine traffic in the area, which partially overlap with the area of presence of the studied species. Our findings emphasize the need for nationally relevant and transboundary planning and management measures for these marine species.
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issn 1932-6203
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spelling doaj-art-3bb45bddb49543f5b622203c89e337ae2025-08-20T02:45:19ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032017-01-01126e017968610.1371/journal.pone.0179686A spatially explicit risk assessment approach: Cetaceans and marine traffic in the Pelagos Sanctuary (Mediterranean Sea).Maria Grazia PenninoAntonella ArcangeliVinícius Prado FonsecaIlaria CampanaGraham J PierceAndrea RottaJose Maria BellidoSpatially explicit risk assessment is an essential component of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP), which provides a comprehensive framework for managing multiple uses of the marine environment, minimizing environmental impacts and conflicts among users. In this study, we assessed the risk of the exposure to high intensity vessel traffic areas for the three most abundant cetacean species (Stenella coeruleoalba, Tursiops truncatus and Balaenoptera physalus) in the southern area of the Pelagos Sanctuary, which is the only pelagic Marine Protected Area (MPA) for marine mammals in the Mediterranean Sea. In particular, we modeled the occurrence of the three cetacean species as a function of habitat variables in June by using hierarchical Bayesian spatial-temporal models. Similarly, we modelled the marine traffic intensity in order to find high risk areas and estimated the potential conflict due to the overlap with the cetacean home ranges. Results identified two main hot-spots of high intensity marine traffic in the area, which partially overlap with the area of presence of the studied species. Our findings emphasize the need for nationally relevant and transboundary planning and management measures for these marine species.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0179686&type=printable
spellingShingle Maria Grazia Pennino
Antonella Arcangeli
Vinícius Prado Fonseca
Ilaria Campana
Graham J Pierce
Andrea Rotta
Jose Maria Bellido
A spatially explicit risk assessment approach: Cetaceans and marine traffic in the Pelagos Sanctuary (Mediterranean Sea).
PLoS ONE
title A spatially explicit risk assessment approach: Cetaceans and marine traffic in the Pelagos Sanctuary (Mediterranean Sea).
title_full A spatially explicit risk assessment approach: Cetaceans and marine traffic in the Pelagos Sanctuary (Mediterranean Sea).
title_fullStr A spatially explicit risk assessment approach: Cetaceans and marine traffic in the Pelagos Sanctuary (Mediterranean Sea).
title_full_unstemmed A spatially explicit risk assessment approach: Cetaceans and marine traffic in the Pelagos Sanctuary (Mediterranean Sea).
title_short A spatially explicit risk assessment approach: Cetaceans and marine traffic in the Pelagos Sanctuary (Mediterranean Sea).
title_sort spatially explicit risk assessment approach cetaceans and marine traffic in the pelagos sanctuary mediterranean sea
url https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0179686&type=printable
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