NZ-UK Link Foundation Visiting Professorship Lectures Programme

THE NZ-UK LINK FOUNDATION VISITING PROFESSORSHIP

LECTURES PROGRAMME 2011-12

The NZ-UK Link Foundation, in conjunction with the School of Advanced Study, University of London, is delighted to announce that its second Visiting Professor, Jonathan Gardner, will deliver the Foundation’s series of Visiting Professorship lectures between October and December 2011.

The Foundation’s purpose is to make a significant contribution to the bilateral NZ-UK relationship in a changing world. For more information, please visit http://www.nzuklinkfoundation.org/

Booking is essential: Please contact Steve Rowland-Jones NZ-UK.Link@hotmail.co.uk

New Zealand is generally regarded as a world leader in marine protection because it has established 33 full ‘no take’ Marine Reserves, with several more planned. The UK currently has three statutory Marine Nature Reserves, in addition to a number of other types of Marine Protected Areas where some fishing is permitted. Professor Gardner is a marine biologist with extensive research expertise in the fields of Marine Protected Areas, biodiversity conservation and population genetics. During his lecture series Professor Gardner will bring together these fields to address the UK’s new Marine Bill, drawing on New Zealand’s own Marine Protected Area Policy and Implementation Plan. The Foundation believes that his work will contribute to a greater understanding of how Marine Protected Areas can most effectively be set up and run to achieve their conservation goals and help protect marine biodiversity.

Professor Jonathan Gardner, who is British born, has been based at Wellington’s Victoria University since April 1994. In December 1994 he became an active member of the South Coast Marine Reserve Coalition, a group set up to promote the establishment of a marine reserve on Wellington’s south coast at Island Bay, in front of the University’s marine laboratory. The Taputeranga Marine Reserve was formally opened in August 2008, almost 20 years after it was first mooted. Professor Gardner is therefore a long time activist for marine protection and has longstanding, first-hand experience of the marine reserve process. He has published more than 50 papers on various aspects of marine protected areas and on aspects of the population genetics of coastal plants and animals.

Mon 17 Oct 2011 6:00pm followed by reception
Venue: The Royal Society, Kohn Centre, London SW1

The importance of Marine Reserves & Marine Protected Areas - the New Zealand experience
In this lecture Professor Gardner will outline the development of Marine Reserves in New Zealand and the strengths and weaknesses of the legislation used to establish reserves. He will describe the different types of Marine Protected Areas in New Zealand and outline the roles played by different sectors in both supporting and opposing the establishment of Marine Reserves. He will assess the limitations and successes of marine protection strategies and will look forward to the new Marine Protected Areas strategy for New Zealand.

Thu 3 Nov 2011 6:00pm followed by reception
Venue: Plymouth University

The design of a Marine Protected Areas network
In this lecture Professor Gardner will discuss what genetics and connectivity tell us about the structuring of populations of New Zealand coastal species. He will outline the essential requirement of science to underpin the establishment of Marine Protected Areas as well as the relevance of genetic connectivity to Marine Protected Area networks. He will describe the New Zealand approach to marine conservation, including a review of New Zealand coastal species, the assessment of population genetic structuring and genetic connectivity, and the contribution of these to New Zealand’s Marine Protected Area network. He will also discuss future directions for science as it can contribute to network design.

Tue 29 Nov 2011 1.15pm
Venue: York University

Do Marine Reserves deliver conservation benefits?
In this lecture Professor Gardner will address the rationale, purpose and establishment of Marine Reserves in New Zealand and describe the expected conservation outcomes. He will explore the processes of monitoring, including the establishment of baselines, ‘before & after’ surveys, internal and external comparisons and habitat mapping. He will ask how Marine Reserve success can best be measured and indicate ways in which reserves can be used as long term conservation tools.

Wed 7 Dec 2011 6:00 pm followed by reception
Venue: Zoological Society of London, Huxley Theatre, Regents Park, London

The future of Marine Protected Areas
This lecture will concern Professor Gardner’s own personal view of Marine Protected Areas. He will review where Marine Protected Areas have been and where they are going in terms of global changes, what Marine Protected Areas can and cannot achieve and what science is needed to support the development of a network of Marine Protected Areas. He will discuss optimum timeframes for the establishment of Marine
Protected Areas as well as for sound conservation outcomes. He will give some examples of successes and failures and the lessons to be learned from these positive and negative experiences.