| Abstract: | - 1. Focal species warrant conservation attention because they serve keystone, umbrella, indicator or flagship functions, and/or are sensitive or vulnerable to threats.
- 2. Defining critical habitat requirements for viable populations of focal species could provide important information for marine protected area (MPA) network design, as a complement to other considerations such as habitat representation.
- 3. A generally applicable approach for selecting focal species based on 20 characteristics that identify species as important in the community and/or susceptible to threats is presented with reference to the Scotia–Fundy region of Atlantic Canada.
- 4. Although a rigorous quantitative assessment of all local species against these characteristics is not included, several potential focal species are shown to possess many of the characteristics.
- 5. The North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) demonstrates flagship, umbrella and indicator characteristics, and is locally vulnerable to threats. Seasonally important feeding, nursery and socializing areas could be protected within a network of MPAs in the Scotia–Fundy region, which would concurrently protect sympatric species with smaller area requirements.
- 6. Cold‐water corals (i.e. Primnoa resedaeformis, Paragorgia arborea, Lophelia pertusa) possess keystone, indicator and flagship characteristics and are sensitive and vulnerable to local threats; thus, areas of high coral density and/or diversity could be protected within an MPA network, which would also help protect associated species.
- 7. These examples illustrate how consideration of the characteristics can help identify focal species and how their life requisites may be applied to MPA network design.
- 8. Rigorous quantitative assessment of all local species is required to select a comprehensive suite of focal species, and further research is needed to fill data gaps and confirm underlying hypotheses.
- 9. Nonetheless, focal species considerations show promise as a complement to other approaches to MPA network design and thus warrant further exploration in the Scotia–Fundy region and elsewhere.
Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
