Marine mammal monitoring Overseas territories REMMOA campaigns : survey of marine mammals and other pelagic megafauna by aerial observation West Indies French Guiana / Indian Ocean / French Polynesia / New Caledonia - Wallis & Futuna Issues French overseas waters France is responsible for the world s second largest Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) with more than 11 million km 2 of surface area. In particular, waters located around the overseas départements and territories account for most of this area and comprise many remarkable tropical habitats and species. The Agence des aires marines protégées is currently carrying out a significant effort in the overseas waters to inventory, monitor and conserve the natural marine environment in the zone. Marine mammals : indicators of ecological status Marine mammals are under increasing pressure. These species breed few juveniles and therefore have limited restoration capabilities. The distribution of marine mammals and seabirds, rays, sharks and turtles is a relevant indicator of the health of the marine ecosystems they live in. The conservation of these top marine predators ensures positive effects for the entire marine biodiversity.
Presentation of the REMMOA campaigns Main objectives These campaigns aim to provide a snapshot of the distribution and abundance of marine mammals, seabirds, turtles, rays, sharks and large fish visible from the surface. They also identify habitats associated with the highest densities or greatest biological diversities. Moreover, the distribution of certain human activities (fishing, maritime traffic, waste) is also collected. These campaigns, aiming to identify priority conservation areas, are the first of this kind to be carried out in these regions. Geographical coverage and schedule The programme is carried out identically in four regional components across all the tropical waters in the French territories in the three oceans (see table below). Area of study Operations completed Operations planned Atlantic ocean : EEZ of the French West Indies and Guiana South-Western Indian Ocean : South-Western Indian Ocean : EEZ of Reunion island, Mayotte, the Scattered Islands and the countries of the Indian Ocean Commission (Comoro Islands, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles) Southern Pacific : EEZ of French Polynesia South-Western Pacific : EZZ of New-Caledonia and Wallis et Futuna Martinique and Guadeloupe: February-March 2008 ; French Guiana : October December 2009 to April 2010 January to April 2011 October to december 2014 French EEZ Internationales EEZ
Maps of areas studied in French Polynesia and distribution of sightings (cetaceans, birds, elasmobranchs and turtles) Method used Species are sighted from a plane, making it possible to cover a wide area in a short amount of time. This is a flexible method, as it may be implemented depending on the wind or the sea state, on which the quality of sightings depends. It allows comparable data sets to be acquired using a standard collection method. Expected results Inventory The main advantage of these campaigns is the ability to acquire new knowledge at sea about ocean habitats and species which are still very little-known. Conservation Using the results obtained, priority habitats can be identified for the establishment and delimitation or management of marine protected areas or sanctuaries for marine mammals. They can also be used to define relevant indicators for monitoring the status of marine ecosystems as part of a surveillance strategy. These campaigns come in addition to the studies already carried out locally.
Research These campaigns will provide data for fundamental research on ecological issues relating to top marine predators. The data collected will be used to model their preferred habitats and to predict the distribution of top predators according to environmental factors such as temperature, primary production or bathymetry. Achievements, cooperation The Agence des aires marines protégées (French Marine Protect Areas Agency) supervises the performance of these campaigns and has appointed the PELAGIS observatory of La Rochelle University, France (UMS 3462) for the implementation and scientific management. The staff at the PELAGIS observatory, taking part in REMMOA campaigns, is also responsible for coordinating surveys of cetaceans in the Atlantic waters around metropolitan France. For the implementation of the REMMOA campaigns, the PELAGIS observatory is supported by networks of local stakeholders comprising NGOs and organisations locally studying the conservation of marine megafauna. Agence des aires marines protégées 16 quai de la douane BP 42932-29229 BREST cedex 2 www.aires-marines.fr Distribution of sightings of large Delphininae (bottlenose dolphins and other species) and modelling of their habitat in the South-West Indian Ocean. MAI 2014 - Photos : PELAGIS-ULR ; Anne Littaye / Agence des aires marines protégées ; William Larue ; Pierre Larue.- Réalisation : Agence des aires marines protégées.
Marine mammal monitoring in New Caledonia and Wallis & Futuna REMMOA campaigns : survey of marine mammals and other pelagic megafauna by aerial observation Background and issues The French EEZ located in the South-Western part of the Pacific Ocean is a vast area spanning approximately two million km 2 and comprising two separate entities of very different sizes : the largest one, located to the West, is the New Caledonia EEZ and forms the South-Eastern quarter of the Coral Sea; the other corresponds to the Wallis & Futuna EEZ, located approximately 2,000 km North-East from the former one. Knowledge of cetaceans in the zone Knowledge of cetacean populations varies across the 22 countries and islands in the South Pacific area. In total, while 33 species have been sighted, there is no available information about their distribution and numbers. Knowledge about cetacean populations in the French waters of this region also varies : many observations have been and are still conducted in the lagoons and coastal waters in New Caledonia, from land, on board light boats or through systematic flights over the lagoon. The number of sightings is high. Beyond the coastal area, observations are still limited, scarce and usually not systematic. There are currently 16 species identified across the waters of New Caledonia. Reported sightings of cetaceans in the Wallis & Futuna area are low ; this is one of the least-known areas of the Pacific in this regard. Political conservation context Eleven countries and territories in the Pacific Ocean (Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji Islands, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa Islands, American Samoa, Tokelau and Vanuatu) have currently granted their waters sanctuary status for whales, or even for all cetaceans. Most of these countries are members of the South Pacific Regional Environmental Programme (SPREP / PROE), concerning both island and ocean systems and featuring a 2013-2017 action plan for dolphins and whales. They have signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the Conservation of Cetaceans and their Habitats in the Pacific Island Region, drafted within the framework of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS Bonn Convention) which also has a multi-year action plan. The REMMOA campaign in New Caledonia and Wallis & Futuna REMMOA will provide a snapshot of the distribution and abundance of marine mammals as well as other marine megafauna species (seabirds, turtles, rays and sharks). These campaigns conducted over a representative part of the New Caledonia and Wallis & Futuna waters will help identify the habitats associated with the highest densities and the greatest diversities ; it will then be possible, by modelling, to predict the distribution of these areas of ecological interest over all of the waters concerned. This aerial observation campaign is the first of its kind to take place in this region.
Period of performance and expected coverage A climate analysis covering over ten years of data has determined the periods most suitable for aerial observation in this South-Western region of the Pacific. The provisional schedule runs from October to December and distributes the observation effort to take advantage of the best meteorological intervals for sightings. The campaign does not therefore target the humpback whales occurring in New Caledonia during southern winter and spring, but covers all other species of cetaceans. The mission should cover 40% of the New Caledonia EEZ and 90% of the Wallis & Futuna EEZ. The sampled areas are distributed over two layers defined according to depth : one of approximately 150,000 km2 with steep sloping areas, usually from the coast down to 2,000 m deep, where there are plans to do 110 hours of effort ; the other is an oceanic layer covering approximately 650,000 km2 with 270 hours of effort. The homogeneous sampling of these layers will be carried out based on predefined paths. Expected results Once analysed, this data will be key to improving knowledge of the species and to managing the marine environment since information on fisheries, waste and maritime traffic, collected simultaneously, will highlight areas where interactions with human activities are significant. Implementation The PELAGIS (ULR-CNRS) Observatory is responsible for the scientific and operational coordination of this mission. Three planes with their respective crews, i.e. approximately 25 people (a crew comprises at least 2 pilots, 1 mechanic and 5 observers) are planned for the flights. The observers are recruited beforehand for their field experience or their experience in aerial sighting for the identification of cetaceans and sea birds. Local recruitment of campaign participants and the organisation of awareness actions targeting local populations will be encouraged as much as possible. MAI 2014 - Crédits photos : PELAGIS-ULR ; Martin Ravanat / Tieti Diving - Réalisation : Agence des aires marines protégées. Agence des aires marines protégées 16 quai de la douane BP 42932-29229 BREST cedex 2 www.aires-marines.fr