SABioWorkshop

BACKGROUND DOCUMENT FOR A WORKSHOP ON

BIODIVERSITY IN THE OCEANS AROUND SOUTH AMERICA: THE KNOWN AND THE UNKNOWN

ORGANIZED BY

POGO, CoML AND COPAS (UDEC)

CONCEPCION (CHILE), 28-30 OCTOBER, 2002

Updated version: 08/07/02

INTRODUCTION

The idea of a South American Biodiversity Meeting originated this year following a Biology Workshop held by POGO (Dartington Report). The goal of the Workshop was to have a small group of experts advise POGO Directors on what could be done by POGO to enhance biological observations (long-term, large-scale), ensuring that the proposed observations would benefit the goals of long-term monitoring, as well as help address the pressing scientific issues of the day. The recommendations from the workshop were presented at the general meeting, POGO-3, in the end of November 2001. Further, during the previous POGO-2 meeting (Brazil) the need to enhance oceanographic observations in the Southern Hemisphere was also discussed. Putting these two priorities together, it becomes clear that it would be desirable to hold a workshop to explore what could be done to enhance biological oceanographic observations in the Southern Hemisphere. At the General meeting of POGO in November, it was recommended that this idea be carried forward.

It was further observed that the goals of POGO expressed above coincided with the goals of Census of Marine Life (CoML) in promoting studies of marine biodiversity in the Southern Hemisphere and that it would be desirable to prepare a proposal to obtain funds to finance a South American gathering to foster the above mentioned goals. The Sloan Foundation was identified as the addressee of the proposal.

THE SOUTH AMERICAN CONNECTION

Two of the POGO oceanographic institutions, SIO and WHOI, have strong ties with Chile and in particular with the University of Concepción, where recently the first National Center for Oceanography has been funded by the Chilean Government, through the National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research. It was thus felt that an appropriate venue for the proposed workshop was the University of Concepción, which has, furthermore, a long tradition in the area of marine biodiversity and strong ties with other universities, both national and regional.

RATIONALE OF THE WORKSHOP

The applicants discussed these issues during their participation in the Biodiversity Symposium of the IAPSO/IABO 2001: An Ocean Odyssey (Mar del Plata, 26 October 2001). The enormous scientific and societal value of the actions already taken by CoML was noted during these discussions. It was further noted that, whereas most South American countries maintain traditional initiatives in the area of marine biodiversity, very few countries were represented in the Mar del Plata meeting to benefit from the presentations and discussions on modern techniques and approaches to the theme. So far, few scientists in the region are familiar with CoML as an emerging but most emblematic modern international program on biodiversity and related oceanographic processes.

This situation makes it thus highly desirable to hold a regional workshop in order to foster the goals, initiatives, ideas, technologies of both CoML and POGO, and to explore possibilities for local and north-south cooperation in the South American region.

OBJECTIVES OF THE WORKSHOP

From the point of view of interested scientists of the region, one of the main objectives of the South-American Marine Biodiversity Workshop would be to learn both about CoML and POGO, their actions, advances, application of novel techniques, and of the opportunities for international cooperation in new projects relating biodiversity and ocean observations. This will entail the participation of some of the major present actors within CoML and POGO.

Another major objective of the workshop will be to learn about the activities of South American countries in these areas and their national priorities. To accomplish this, a suite of key South American experts will be invited to offer overview presentations. Additionally, non-South American scientists with considerable expertise and experience in the SA marine realm will be eligible for this type of presentation.

The dual strategies of CoML to attain its goals are to develop key projects that explore unique marine habitats in particular regions and to create regional committees to support these projects and encourage CoML approaches to other habitat zones. So far, the only CoML activities in the Southern Hemisphere are in the Western Pacific. This leads us to the final objective: to identify possible new projects addressing problems of either regional (such as the Humboldt biome, and the Sub-Antarctic biome) or global (for example marine mammal migrations and South Pacific jack-mackerel migrations) relevance.

THE KNOWN, THE UNKNOWN AND THE UNKNOWABLE OF SOUTH AMERICAN MARINE BIODIVERSITY

Biodiversity is defined as the collection of genomes, species, and ecosystems occurring in a geographically defined region. There is a global agreement today that the diversity of life in the ocean is being altered increasingly by human activities and that the effects are potentially irreversible. The South American region is no exception to this trend. Among others, in this geographical region, the most critical (current or potential) ways in which marine biodiversity is or may be impacted, are: extraction of life from the seas; introduction of exotic species; chemical pollution; localized eutrophication and alteration of coastal habitats; and global climate change, including increased UV radiation and potentially rising temperatures, resulting in possible changes in the secular regional ocean cycles. These stresses may be affecting or may as yet affect life in the oceans from the intertidal zone to the deep sea.

This is a very large marine region, for the most part still unexplored. Therefore, a regional biodiversity effort appears to be most timely, to: (1) gain a precise insight into what is known and what is unknown, what is at present being done, and what is the potential for further activity regionally on the subject of biodiversity; and (2) explore how the present effort could be enhanced through both regional coordination and the participation of scientists from the developed world. New approaches have to be integrated with scientific effort and financial resources already in place.

From the standpoint of South American marine biodiversity, Longhurst's classification of biomes and provinces seems to be useful.1 In this system the South American region encompasses large and important coastal and oceanic biomes each with one or more provinces. (1) Within the Pacific Coastal Biome the Humboldt Current Coastal Province extends along most of the west coast of South America and is in direct contact with the oceanic South Pacific Subtropical Gyre Province; (2) On the east coast of South America the Atlantic Coastal Biome consists of the (a) Guianas Coastal Province, (b) the Brazil Current Coastal Province and (c) the Malvinas Current Coastal Province. The latter are in turn in contact with the oceanic Caribbean, the South Atlantic Gyral, the South Subtropical Convergence, and the Sub-Antarctic Water Ring Provinces, respectively. This diverse ecological geography suggests a most unique opportunity for a concerted study on functional marine biodiversity under very different and contrasting biogeographical, evolutionary, and ecological settings.

At this point it is worth recalling some of the objectives of the US national research agenda on marine biodiversity2 which might be applicable in the South American region:

to understand the patterns, processes, and consequences of changing biodiversity by focusing on critical environmental issues and their threshold effects, and to address these effects at spatial scales from local to regional and at appropriate temporal scales;

to improve linkages between marine ecological and oceanographic sciences by increasing understanding of the connectivity between local, smaller-scale biodiversity patterns and processes and regional, larger-scale oceanographic patterns and processes that may directly impact local phenomena;

to strengthen and expand the field of marine taxonomy through training, the development of new methodologies, and enhanced information dissemination, and to raise the standard of taxonomic competence in all marine ecological research;

to facilitate and encourage the incorporation of (1) new technological advances in sampling and sensing instrumentation, experimental techniques, and molecular genetic methods; (2) predictive models for hypothesis development, testing, and extrapolation; and (3) historical perspectives (geological, paleontological, archaeological, and historical records of early explorations) in investigations of the patterns, processes, and consequences of marine biodiversity; and

to use the new understanding of the patterns, and consequences of marine biodiversity derived from this regional-scale research approach to improve predictions of the impacts of human activities on the marine environment.

WORKSHOP STRUCTURE

The workshop structure is consistent with the above outlined major objectives. Thus, a first element will be a section where POGO- and CoML-associated scientists will present the status of their respective programs. Given the theme of the workshop, the progress, achievements and ideals of CoML will be emphasized. This element will require inviting presentations by leading scientists in charge of major present CoML pilot projects and at least one representative from POGO.

A second element will be a section where senior/leading South American scientists will report on the activities of their countries in the area of marine biodiversity. Traditionally, studies of biodiversity have been one of the strengths of the South American scientific community. However, many of these studies tend to be carried out in relative isolation, and it is at present very difficult to collect information on what is already known about the marine diversity of the region. The planned national and regional presentations will serve the purpose of compiling and disseminating information on what is known about the region. This will also form the basis on which plans for future studies to unveil the unknown can be founded. The known, the unknown and the essentials should emerge mainly from these presentations. This element might also require inviting presentations by non-South American scientists involved in marine biodiversity research in the South American region.

The third element of the workshop will be group/collective discussions whereby one or several potential South American initial/field projects could be identified. The emergence of an organization to foster these activities is envisioned. It is also foreseen that simple linkages with the ongoing projects of CoML may be identified and established through this type of activity.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

The following items represent the main expected outcomes from the workshop:

The development of concepts and priorities for new initial/field projects in the South American Region

Formation of a South American Committee for the Census of Marine Life/POGO initiative

Publication of Workshop Proceedings (preferably both in English and Spanish) hopefully as special issue of the Revista Chilena de Historia Natural

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

The initial constitution of the Organizing Committee will be as follows:

Chair:

Dr. Victor Ariel Gallardo

Director, Center for Oceanographic Research in the South-Eastern Pacific (COPAS),

Universidad de Concepción

Casilla 160-C

Concepción

Chile

Phone/Fax: 56 41 204520

e-mail: vagallar@udec.cl

Members:

Dr. Ron O'Dor

Senior Scientist, Census of Marine Life (CoML)
CORE, Suite 800,

1755 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20036-2102

U.S.A.

Phone: 1-202-332-0063 x239

Fax: 1-202-332-9751
e-mail: rodor@coreocean.org

Dr. Shubha Sathyendranath

Executive Director, POGO
Bedford Institute of Oceanography
1 Challenger Drive
Dartmouth

Nova Scotia B2Y 4A2
CANADA
Phone: 1 902-426-8044

Fax: 1 902-426-9388
e-mail: shubha@is.dal.ca
web: www.oceanpartners.org

The organizing committee will work together with the country coordinators to decide on the invited attendees at the meeting, to plan the agenda, and to assign speaking and writing tasks to the participants. The Chair of the Organizing Committee will also be the Chair of the proposed Biodiversity Meeting.

COUNTRY COORDINATORS

ARGENTINA:

Dr. Vivian Lutz

INIDEP (Instituto Nacional de Investigacion y Desarrollo Pesquero)

Paseo Victoria Ocampo 1

7600 Mar del Plata

Phone: +54 (223) 4862586

Fax: +54 (223) 4861830

e-mail: vlutz@inidep.edu.ar

BRASIL:

Dr. Erminda da C. Guerreiro Couto

Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas

Núcleo de Estudos Oceanográficos

Rodovia Ilhéus - Itabuna km 16,

45650-000, Ilhéus

Phones: 73 680-5270 / 680 - 5268

e-mail: minda@uol.com.br

COLOMBIA:

Dr. Juan Manuel Día, Dr.rer.nat.

Head of the Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystems Program

Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras, INVEMAR.

Guest Professor of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Postgraduate Program in Marine Biology

Cerro Punta de Betín, Apartado 1016

Santa Marta

Phone: 57-5-4214413, FAX 57-5-4211377
e-mail: jmdiaz@invemar.org.co

CHILE:

Dr. Rubén Escribano

Associate Researcher, Center for Oceanographic Research in the South-Eastern Pacific

Estación de Biología Marina de Dichato

Universidad de Concepción

Casilla 160-C

Concepción

Phone: 56 41 683033

FAX: 56 41 683902

e-mail: rescriban@uantof.cl

ECUADOR:

Manuel Cruz

Instituto Oceanográfico

Guayaquil

Phones: 59 34 481300, FAX: 59 34 485166

e-mail: manuelcruzp47@hotmail.com

FRENCH GUYANA:

Dr. Felipe Artigas

L.A.B.E.L. / UPRES-A CNRS 8013 ELICO

Université du Littoral Cote d'Opale

Maison de la Recherche en Environnement Naturel

32, avenue Foch

62930 Wimereux

FRANCE

PERU:

Dr. Juan Tarazona B.

Director
Dirección General de Programas

Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONCYTEC)

Calle El Comercio 197, San Borja

Lima

e-mail: jtarazona@concytec.gob.pe

URUGUAY:

Dr. Danilo Calliari

Sección Oceanología

Departamento de Ecología

Facultad de Ciencias

Universidad de la República

Iguá 4225, CP 11400

Casilla Postal 11400

Montevideo

Teléfono +598 2 5258618 (anexo 150)

FAX: +598 2 5258632

e-mail: dcalliar@fcien.edu.uy

VENEZUELA:

Dr. Patricia Miloslavich

Laboratorio de Biología Marina

Departamento de Estudios Ambientales

Universidad Simón Bolivar

Caracas

e-mail: pmilos@usb.ve

INVITEES

The invited participants will be selected primarily from South American countries. Those with broad perspectives of relevant national activities and priorities will be identified and given preference. Some bright and upcoming scientists will also be selected to complement the more senior and experienced scientists in the field. A few participants from other regions may also be invited, to complement the regional representation, and to provide cross-fertilization with activities elsewhere. A preliminary list has been prepared (see below). This list will be enhanced based on discussions with scientists in S. America. The final list of invitees will be prepared from the list below which is being proposed by the Country Coordinators.

ARGENTINA:

Mirtha Lewis

Investigadora Adjunta

Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET)

Centro Nacional Patagónico (CENPAT)

Puerto Madryn

e-mail: lewis@cenpat.edu.ar

Pablo Penchaszadeh

Investigador Principal

Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET)

Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA)

Buenos Aires

e-mail: pablop@mail.retina.ar

BRASIL:

Fábio Lang da Silveira

Taxonomia de Cnidaria / Hydrozoa

Instituto de Biociências

Departamento de Zoologia
Rua do Matão, Travessa 14, no. 101 - CP 11461
Cidade Universitária, 05422-970

Universidad de São Paulo
São Paulo

Phone: 0xx11 3091-7619/ 3091-7575

Fax: 0xx11 3091-7802/ 3091-7513/ 3091-7416

e-mail: fldsilve@usp.br

COLOMBIA:

Arturo Acero, M. Sc.

Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Faculty of Sciences, INVEMAR

Cerro Punta de Betín

Apartado 1016

Santa Marta

e-mail: aacero@invemar.org.co

Phone/FAX: 57-5-4312977

CHILE:

Dra. Miriam Fernández

Center for Advanced Studies in Ecology and Biodiversity

Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Santiago

Phones: Santiago (56-2-686-1626), Las Cruces (56-35-431574)

e-mail: mfernand@genes.bios.puc.cl

ECUADOR:

Nick Gabor, M. Sc.

Sub-Director

Instituto Nacional de Pesca (INP)

Letamendi 102 y La Ría
P.O. Box 09-04-15131
Guayaquil

Phones: (593-4) 2401773
Fax: (593-4) 2402304

e-mail: nickgc_2000@yahoo.com

PERU:

Dimitri Gutiérrez

Instituto del Mar del Perú (IMARPE)

Dirección de Oceanografía

Esquina de Gamarra y General Valle S/N

Chucuito

Apartado postal 22

Callao

Phone: 51-4-202000

e-mail: dgutierrez@imarpe.gob.pe

URUGUAY:

Dr. Omar Defeo

Unidad en Desarrollo de Ciencias del Mar (UNDECIMAR)

Facultad de Ciencias

Universidad de la República

Iguá 4225, CP 11400

Montevideo

e-mail: odefeo@dinara.gub.uy

VENEZUELA:

Eduardo Klein, M. Sc.

Director

Instituto de Tecnología y Ciencias Marinas (INTECMAR)

Departamento de Estudios Ambientales

Universidad Simón Bolivar

e-mail: eklein@usb.ve

Caracas 1062

GERMANY:

Julian Gutt

Foundation Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research

Columbusstrasse
D - 27568 Bremerhaven

Germany

Phone: +49 (0)471 4831 1333

Fax: +49 (0)471 4831 1149

e-mail: jgutt@awi-bremerhaven.de

THE NETHERLANDS:

Dr. Annelies C. Pierrot-Bults

Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics

Zoological Museum

University of Amsterdam

P.O. Box 94766

1090 GT Amsterdam

Phone: +31.20.525 7194

Fax: +31.20.525 5402

e-mail: pierrot@science.uva.nl

THE WORKSHOP REPORT

It is planned to publish the proceedings of the workshop as a special issue of a Chilean Journal devoted to natural marine sciences. The contents will include the background paper as the editorial, the invited presentations that outline what is known about marine biodiversity in S. American waters, what is important to know, and what the national priorities are in this area. It will also include recommendations that emerge from the workshop. The chapters will be in either English or Spanish. The report will therefore target the wider scientific community of S. America interested in marine biodiversity and biological oceanography. The Chair of the organizing committee (Victor A. Gallardo) will act as the Chief Editor for the Proceedings. He will be assisted in his task by a sub-editor, who will be hired for a period of six months (two months leading up to the meeting, and four afterwards).

TIME LINE

March - April 2002

Dr. Gallardo visits other S. American countries. One visit to N. America is also envisaged
The Organizing Committee Prepares the Background Paper
Formal invitations are sent to the invited participants, along with the background paper

May - June 2002

Invited participants collect information for their papers
The organizing committee works on details of local organization

July - August 2002

Participants prepare their written contributions and submit the first draft to the Chair of the Organizing Committee

September - October 2002

The submitted contributions are reviewed by the Editor and sub-editor
The organizing committee finalizes the Agenda for the meeting
Copies of handouts to participants are prepared
Meeting is held end of October

November 2002 - January 2003

The articles in the workshop report are revised by the authors, based on feedback from the Editor, and from the meeting

Final versions of the articles are submitted to the Editorial Office

February 2003

The Report goes to the printers.

STRAW MAN AGENDA

Day 1 (Monday 28 Oct. 2002)

08:45 - 09:00 Overview and Update of CoML: Ron O'Dor

09:00 - 09:15 Links between Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functions: Shubha Sathyendranath, POGO

09:15 - 09:30 The South American Context: Victor Ariel Gallardo

09:30 - 10:00 A Demonstration of EASy Access to OBIS: Dale Kiefer, CoML

10:00 - 10:30 Coffee Break

10:30 - 11:00 Building the ChEss Data Matrix in the South Atlantic: Eva Ramírez-Llodra, CoML

11:00 - 11:30 Extending TOPP Technology to the Galapagos-Cocos Island Conservation Corridor: Barbara Block (or alternate), CoML

11:30 - 12:00 Extending NaGISA to South America: Brenda Konar (??), CoML

12:00 - 12:30 Discussion/Comments

12:30 - 14:30 Lunch

14:30 - 15:00 Colombia

15:00 - 15:30 Venezuela

15:30 - 16:00 French Guyana

16:00 - 16:30 Coffee Break

16:30 - 17:00 Brasil

17:00 - 17:30 Uruguay

17:30 - 18:00 Argentina

18:00 - 18:30 Germany

Day 2 (Tuesday, 29 Oct. 2002)

09:00 - 09:30 Chile

09:30 - 10:00 Perú

10:00 - 10:30 Ecuador

10:30 - 11:00 Coffee Break

11:00 - 11:30 The Netherlands

11:30 - 13:00 Presentation and discussion of particular South American biomes as potential target regions for biodiversity study

13:00 - 15:00 Lunch

15:00 - 16:00 Identification of Working Groups to discuss follow-up Actions

16:30 - 17:00 Coffee Break

17:00 - 19:00 Working Group Discussions

Day 3 (Wednesday, 30 Oct. 2002)

09:00 - 10:30: Presentation of recommendations from the Working Groups; Writing Assignments

10:30 - 11:00 Coffee Break

11:00 - 12:30 Writing of Recommendations

12:30 - 14:30 Lunch

14:30 - 16:30 Writing of Recommendations

16:30 - 17:00 Coffee

17:00 - 18:30 Compile the recommendations. Outline the next course of action; closing.

NOTES

1. Alan Longhurst, 1998. Ecological Geography of the Sea. Academic Press. back

2. Understanding Marine Biodiversity: A Research Agenda for the Nation. Comm. Biol. Div. Mar. Syst., OSB, Comm. Geosci. Envir. & Res., Bd. Biol., Comm. Life Sci., Nat. Res. Council. Nat. Acad. Press, Wash., D. C., 1995. back