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2008 AAG ORGANIZED SESSION

Marine Geomorphology as a Determinant for Essential Life Habitat: An Ecosystem Management Approach to Planning for Marine Reserve Networks

Co-sponsored by the Biogeography, Coastal and Marine (CoMa), Geomorphology, GI Systems and Science and Remote Sensing Specialty Groups

Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting, April 15-19,

2008. Boston, MA, USA

ORGANIZERS:

Will Heyman, Texas A&M University, wheyman@geog.tamu.edu

Dawn Wright, Oregon State University, dawn@dusk.geo.orst.edu

DESCRIPTION: Marine resources are in decline throughout most of the

world𠏋 oceans and traditional, species-specific and/or catch based

means to manage these resources are failing and are instead turning

to ecosystem-based approaches. As attractive as it sounds, the

concept has not yet been effectively translated into action. The

reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and

Management as the Sustainable Fisheries Act in 2006 provides renewed

incentive for innovative ways to implement ecosystem-based

management. The goal of these three sessions is to examine

critically the growing body of data suggesting that the underlying

geology and geomorphology of marine environments dictates the

location of critical life habitat for a variety marine species. For

example, it is becoming clearer that spawning aggregations of many

species of commercially important reef fishes commonly occur at the

windward edge of reef promontories that jut into deep water. As

another example, seamounts serve as attractors for pelagic fishes.

The broad implications of these findings suggest that geomorphology

might be used as a proxy for (or at least help to identify) critical

life habitat for marine species, and thus serve to advance the

application of the ecosystem-based management and the design of

marine reserve networks. Our goal is to bring together a group of

experts who are examining this problem specifically, present papers,

and publish them all together with a synthesis and policy statement,

within a special issue of a peer-reviewed journal. In this way, we

hope to advance collaboration between scientists from various

disciplines and marine managers towards more efficient conservation

and management of marine systems.

Papers are welcome in the areas of:

- essential benthic habitat and geomorphology

- marine GIS and/or remote sensing for the purposes of integrating

geomorphology and biology

- applications for marine reserve network design

These will be combined into at least 3 sessions that will include

invited presenters as well.

DEADLINES:

October 31, 2007: Submit a PIN to either Will Heyman or Dawn Wright

The AAG on-line abstract submission system is available at http:// aag.org/annualmeetings/2008/abstract.htm . All participants must

given a participant identification number (PIN). Send this PIN and a

copy of your final abstract to Will or Dawn. They will not edit your

abstract, nor will the AAG, so please make sure it is grammatically

correct and without typos.

November 1, 2007: Sessions submitted to the AAG for approval.

April 15-19, 2008: AAG Meeting in Boston. Exact day and time of

sessions to be announced.