AUTHOR=Rodrigues Amanda R. , Floeter Sergio R. , Gomes Vicente , Ferrari Débora S. , Giglio Vinicius J. , Silva Fernanda C. , Liedke Ana M. R. , Ferreira Carlos E. L. , Howell Kerry , Gasalla Maria A. 

TITLE=Integrated ecosystem assessment around islands of the tropical South Mid-Atlantic Ridge

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1001676

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2023.1001676

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=The South Mid Atlantic Ridge comprises three main oceanic islands in the equatorial and tropical portions of the Atlantic Ocean. Although these islands are isolated from each other and equidistant from both the continental margins of South America and Africa, they share common patterns but different types of human use and pressures. Moreover, the areas beyond national jurisdiction between those islands are exploited by distant fishing fleets and include areas of shipping activity for commodities. Here, a pioneering integrated ecosystem assessment process is constructed for the region among Saint Peter and Saint Paul’s Archipelago (Brazil), Saint Helena Island and Ascension Island (UK overseas territories). The approach focused in a significant area of the islands encompassing the open ocean, shallow and deep-sea biomes, analyzing the main sectors and pressures affecting the ecological components. We used a qualitative and semi-quantitative assessment of risks arising from anthropogenic activities representing a novel contribution to the field. The Options for Delivering Ecosystem-Based Marine Management approach was applied to trace sector–pressure–component pathways. A ‘linkage framework’ was outlined including pressures affecting each ecosystem components, and supported a process of knowledge attributions that scored the impact risks. All results were validated with regional stakeholders through workshops, including local and international management bodies, NGOs and scientists. Our results identified 14 sectors and 16 key pressures associated with 23 ecosystem components. Fishing, shipping, wastewater, and tourism/recreation appeared as the top impacting sectors, being fishing and shipping the most interactive with ecosystem components. Litter, species extraction, contaminants, and bycatch were the pressures that had the highest risk of impact values. Lastly, demersal and pelagic fish and pelagic and demersal elasmobranchs were the groups with the highest risk related to impacts overall, which were supported by local and regional evidence from monitoring programs and local studies. Our results demonstrated that these seemingly pristine islands and oceanic waters are already experiencing human impacts that should be addressed by local conservation measures and international agreements. We also highlight the pressures that should be prioritized for better monitoring and policy, and as well as, those research components that that have been less investigated.