MPA resilience to climate change Réserve Naturelle de Saint-Martin Saint-Martin - 28 Novembre 2013

A TOTAL SUPERFICIE OF 3054 HA

A terrestrial part of 154 ha classified in natural reserve and transferred at the Conservatoire du

Littoral

A marine part of 2796 ha (territorial sea) classified in natural reserve.

2 ponds (104 ha) classified in natural reserve 14 ponds belonging to the Conservatoire and

managed by the manager of the natural reserve

Chris McCandlish Chris McCandlish

800 sp. Some climate sensitive species

Franck Mazeas

Chris McCandlish

Réserve Naturelle : climate change sentinel to understand the vulnerability of island biodiversity

Implement an early warning system to monitor climate change impacts on biodiversity Water column temperature

Mass coral bleaching

Birds Migratory routes change

THE BLEACHING RESPONSE PLAN OF THE NATURAL RESERVE OF SAINT-MARTIN

Pauline MALTERRE – RNN Saint-Martin – Key Largo, june 2010

©Franck Mazeas, DIREN Guadeloupe ©Pauline Malterre ©RNN Saint-Martin

To improve scientific knowledge Monitor impacts on coral reefs

Field sheets

To improve scientific knowledge Monitor impacts on birds migratory routes

Adaptation strategy

Well managed terrestrial and marine protected areas improve the state of biodiversity and increase its resilience to climate change Our key adaptation strategy is « Do your job and do it well ! » Implement our 5 years management plan – even if climate change is not taken into account as such

To control anthropic pressure on protected areas

Context : 2 million tourists / year

To restore damaged habitats & populations

Adaptation tools to climate change

Artificial reefs and coral reefs restoration

Conservatoire du littoral

Introduction to the structure

• A French public organization in charge of the protection of natural coastal spaces (mainland France and overseas departments & territories) • Means of action : by land trust

• In 2013 : 153 000 ha under protection Overseas : around 39 000 ha •Goal : 1/3 of coastlines under protection by 2050 In 2013 : around 13 %

The Conservatoire du littoral in Saint-Martin

355 ha protected, 84 ha of coastlines, 14 ponds, 7 islets

Conservatoire du littoral and climate change

Assumption : Climate change : an evolution tendency towards : •Sea level rise •Increase in occurrence of extreme meteorological events Coastlines are naturally affected by erosion. Climate change will increase their vulnerability. Conservatoire du littoral estate will be mainly affected by the evolution of coast profile.

1/Knowledge and analysis of the coast profile evolution

National study in 2004 and 2011 : ¼ of coastlines affected by erosion

1% of the estate eroded by 2050

20% of the estate subjected to marine submersion by 2050

Overseas : assessment of the vulnerability of protected estate to erosion

1) Classification in different types : •Beach •Mangrove •Rocky coastline •Sandbank •Estuary •Shingle •Urbanized coastline 2) Combinaison with other factors : swell, tides, slope, extreme episodes, presence of a coral reef or a lagoon…

Results : case of Saint-Martin 1/2 Characterization of coastlines

Results : case of Saint-Martin 2/2 Vulnerability to erosion

2/ Taking into account climate change in our projects

Definition of a national strategy 3 scenarios : • to resist • to endure • to adapt

http://www.conservatoire-du-littoral.fr/38-changement-climatique.htm

Case of Saint-Martin- adaptation of the estate extension strategy

Towards a better protection of the mangrove, a natural coastal protection, by reducting wind and swell waves

Protection of dry coastal forest (carbon sink)

Case of Saint-Martin-Restoration projects

Mangrove plants in 2012

Restoration project in 2014

Case of Saint-Martin-Restoration projects

Erosion control and shore restoration : Case of Pinel island

2009

2013

2010

Food for thought…

•Assessment of estate vulnerability : taking into account not only morphological factors, but also socio-economic ones •Knowledge to be improved and sharpened

•What about the influence of climate change on vegetation cover ? Species ?

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION