SAERI Activities Report 2017 Contents South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute Activities Report Director’s Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................................................4 SAERI - who we are ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................5 Our vision ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................6 Our scientific mission ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................6 Our approach........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................6 Published 2018 Core staff.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................8 Editors: T. Pelembe, D. Baigorri, P. Brickle, T. Bowers. Our published work...........................................................................................................................................................................................................10 For more information, please contact the South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute (SAERI) Journal of Marine Biological Association Ascension Island Special issue .........................................................................................................10 at [email protected] or visit http://south-atlantic-research.org Peer reviewed papers ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................12 Citation International conference presentations...............................................................................................................................................................................13 Unpublished reports.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................13 T. Pelembe, D. Baigorri, P. Brickle, T. Bowers (2018) South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute Activities Our year at a glance.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................13 Report 2017 Our projects.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................14 Images Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services in Territories of the European Overseas: BEST 2.0....................................................................15 Cover Image South Georgia © Judith Brown BEST 2.0 Medium Grant Project: A baseline ecological assessment of Ascension Page 3 image: Brown Noddy Ascension Island © Anselmo Pelembe Island’s shallow water seamounts as candidate MPAs.................................................................................................................................................16 BEST 2.0 Small Grant Project: Developing a site-based conservation approach for Sei Whales, Page 18 image: Ascension Island Coast © Anselmo Pelembe Balaenoptera borealis, at Berkeley Sound............................................................................................................................................................................20 BEST 2.0 Small Grant Project: Trails and interpretation improvements in the Peaks National Park, St Helena.........................22 Designed by Lupa Design Creative Studio Best 2.0 Small Grant Project: Forest Restoration and Improved Biosecurity on Nightingale Island.................................................23 BEST 2.0 Small Grant Project: Restoration of Peak Dale’s St Helena Gumwood Forest.......................................................................25 Mapping Falklands and South Georgia coastal margins for spatial planning...................................................................................................27 DISCOVERY 100..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................29 Dolphins of the Kelp (DOKE): Data priorities for Falkland’s inshore cetaceans...........................................................................................31 Partner projects: DPLUS052 Mapping St Helena’s Biodiversity and Natural Environment...................................................................35 Information Management Systems (IMS) – GIS data Centre..................................................................................................................................37 Fishery data collection and integration strategy for underpinning sustainable fisheries management in Monserrat..............39 Marine Spatial Planning in the Falkland Islands – the development phase.......................................................................................................41 South Atlantic UK Overseas Territories Natural Capital Assessment Project...............................................................................................42 GAP project.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................44 Territory to Territory: Montserrat data management Project.................................................................................................................................46 PO Box 609, Stanley Cottage Stanley Our PhD Students................................................................................................................................................................................................................48 FIQQ 1ZZ PhD title: Shallow Benthic & Intertidal Ecology of the Falkland Islands.............................................................................................................49 Falkland Islands PhD title Population connectivity of a commercial loliginid squid Doryteuthis gahi...................................................................................50 PhD title: Foraging ecology of gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) at the Falkland Islands51 Tel: +500 27374 PhD title: The reproductive ecology of Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) around the www.south-atlantic-research.org sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia.................................................................................................................................................................................52 PhD title: The Fungal Diversity of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia.....................................................................................................53 Please contact us if you wish to conduct research in the South Atlantic and indeed if you wish to PhD title: Genetic and Environmental Factors in the Conservation of the Falkland Fritillary...............................................................54 collaborate with us. PhD title: Factors contribution to the decline and recovery of one of the South Atlantic’s largest fisheries: southern blue whiting (Micromesistius australis)..............................................................................................................................................................55 Our partners...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................56 Visiting Researchers...........................................................................................................................................................................................................58 Activities Report 2017 | 2 Director’s Introduction Activities Report 2017 I am very pleased to present our activities report for 2017. SAERI has grown from strength to strength since its formation in 2012 and as was hoped, the Institute is growing to fill an important role not only in the Falkland Islands but across the South Atlantic and beyond. Whether undertaking important scientific research in the region, or advising industry and governments on environmental issues, SAERI has found an important niche. With annual turnover in well in excess