MPA-ADAPT

Guiding Mediterranean MPAs through the climate change era: building resilience and adaptation

Project presentation

Although MPAs come in many forms, from wildlife refuges to research facilities, they all restrict human activity for conservation purposes. They play an important role in climate change mitigation and adaption. However, many MPA management plans lack specific measures for addressing climate change. This is further hampered by a lack of information, capacity and funding.

The MPA-ADAPT project tackles these challenges by integrating climate change adaptation action plans into existing management frameworks. Managers at each of these pilot sites are given extensive training and one-on-one consultations on adaptive management standards for addressing climate-related issues. The project organised three workshops covering such topics as adaptive management, identifying vulnerabilities, and implementing protocols for monitoring marine communities. To ensure coastal communities benefit from the project, local administrations, fishermen and other key actors have been invited to take part in the project.

Partnership

  • Lead partner

    Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) (Spain)

  • 8 Partners

  • 5 Associated partner

  • 5 Pilot sites

  • 4 Countries

Key messages

For managers

  • The series of standard protocols developed during the MPA-Adapt project provide a practical guide to track climate related impacts in MPAs and beyond;
  • Collaborative and site-specific adaptation plans for MPAs to enhance resilience to the effects of climate change, have been developed;

  • Local knowledge matters for environmental monitoring and management. It may provide ecological information on a large scale, thus contributing to conservation. Empowering the voices of local communities improves our capacity to understand and cope with the ongoing changes.

For policy

  • The Mediterranean Sea is warming 20% faster than the world’s average. Several Mediterranean MPAs are already facing major biodiversity and functional alterations due to climate change, whereas others will likely face them in the next few decades. There is therefore an urgency to mitigate these risks and to consider adaptation options in partnership with local communities, decision makers, civil society organisations, research bodies, and other socio-economic actors at the local, national and regional level;

  • MPAs are considered key nature-based solutions (NbS) to support global efforts in the face of climate change threats because of their role in contributing to mitigating the impacts and increasing the ecological, social, and economic resilience of coastal communities;

  • Ecosystem services provided by marine ecosystems are rapidly changing under the pressure of climate change. Faced with the large-scale of this phenomenon, we need novel, cost-effective strategies that are able to increase our spatial and temporal resolution monitoring capacities to track the changes and impacts. Five standards protocols were designed by MPA-ADAPT partners to monitor climate related responses in Mediterranean marine protected areas and beyond.

For science

  • T-MedNet is a platform devoted to developing an observation network on climate change effects in marine coastal ecosystems by spreading the acquisition of standard monitoring protocols on seawater temperature and biological indicators over a large-scale and long-term;
  • Local knowledge matters for environmental monitoring and management. It may provide ecological information on a large scale, thus contributing to conservation. Empowering the voices of local communities improves our capacity to understand and cope with the ongoing changes;

  • The implementation of nature-based solutions through the existence of MPAs and the implementation of specific ecosystem improvements reinforces the value of Mediterranean MPAs in addressing adaptation and mitigation measures in the face of climate change impacts.


Library resources

pdf

CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SNAPSHOT: Impact of warming air and sea temperature on MPAs

The following factsheet presents key data for understanding the impact of sea surface and air temperature changes on Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The Mediterranean is in fact one of the world’s most vulnerable regions to climate change. Due to its particular geographic location, lying at the crossroads of arid North – African and temperate Central – European climates, all changes in Mediterranean sweater and air circulation are likely to affect its ecosystems and climate. The current temperatures registered in air and seawater show clear evidence of both local and regional climate changes, which strongly affect MPAs and their biodiversity, as well as local communities and visitors.
Size: 2.50 MB
pdf

APERÇU DU CHANGEMENT CLIMATIQUE EN MÉDITERRANÉE: Impact du réchauffement de l’air et de la température de la mer dans les AMP.

La fiche d’information suivante présente des données essentielles pour comprendre l’impact des changements de température de la surface de la mer et de l’air dans les aires marines protégées en Méditerranée (AMP). La Méditerranée est en effet l’une des régions du monde les plus vulnérables au changement climatique. En raison de sa situation géographique particulière, au carrefour des climats arides nord-africains et tempérés d’Europe centrale, tous les changements relatifs à l’eau de mer et à la circulation de l’air en Méditerranée sont susceptibles d’affecter ses écosystèmes et son climat. Les températures actuelles enregistrées dans l’air et dans l’eau de mer montrent clairement les changements climatiques locaux et régionaux, qui affectent fortement les AMP et leur biodiversité, ainsi que les populations locales et les touristes.
Size: 2.40 MB
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CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SNAPSHOT: Impact of acidification on MPAs.

This factsheet presents the most recent data about acidification, to show what is happening and is likely to happen, and how it can affect Mediterranean MPAs and its ecosystems. It belongs to a series of climate change factsheets specifically developed to keep Mediterranean MPA managers informed.
Size: 3.90 MB
pdf

CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SNAPSHOT: Impact of Sea Level Rise on MPAs.

This factsheet presents the most recent data about sea level rise, to show what is happening and is likely to happen, and how it can affect Mediterranean MPAs and its ecosystems. It belongs to a series of climate change factsheets specifically developed to keep Mediterranean MPA managers informed.
Size: 6.48 MB
pdf

CAMBIO CLIMÁTICO EN EL PANORAMA MEDITERRÁNEO: Impacto del calentamiento del aire y de la temperatura del mar en las Áreas Marinas Protegidas.

En la siguiente ficha se incluyen datos clave para comprender el impacto de los cambios de la temperatura del aire y de las aguas superficiales en las Áreas Marinas Protegidas (AMP) del Mediterráneo. El Mediterráneo es una de las áreas más vulnerables frente al cambio climático en el mundo. Debido a su ubicación geográfica, a medio camino entre el árido clima norteafricano y el templado clima centroeuropeo, todos los cambios que se produzcan en la circulación de las aguas marinas y del aire en la zona mediterránea probablemente afectarán a su clima y sus ecosistemas. Las temperaturas actuales registradas de aire y aguas marinas ponen de manifiesto los cambios del clima a nivel tanto local como regional, los cuales ejercen una gran influencia sobre las AMP y su biodiversidad, así como sobre las comunidades locales y los visitantes.
Size: 6.50 MB
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SPACCATO DEI CAMBIAMENTI CLIMATICI NEL MEDITERRANEO: Impatto dell’aumento delle temperature dell’aria e dell’acqua sulle AMP.

La seguente scheda informativa presenta dati fondamentali per comprendere l’impatto dei cambiamenti di temperatura della superficie marina e dell’aria sulle Aree Marine Protette del Mediterraneo (AMP). Di fatto, il Mediterraneo è una delle regioni più vulnerabili al cambiamento climatico del pianeta. A causa della sua posizione geografica, a metà strada tra il clima arido del Nord Africa e il clima temperato dell’Europa Centrale, ogni cambiamento che interessa l’acqua del mare Mediterraneo e la circolazione dell’Aria potrebbe influire sugli ecosistemi e sul clima di questa zona. Le temperature attualmente registrate nell’acqua e dell’acqua marina mostrano chiari segni di cambiamenti climatici a livello locale e regionale, che hanno un forte impatto sulle AMP, sulla loro biodiversità, sulle comunità locali e sui visitatori.
Size: 6.70 MB