Determination of Ecoregions of Iran’s Southern Coasts as a Basis to Determine Coastal-Marine Protected Areas Using GIS System
Subject Areas : environmental management
Bahareh
Samadi Kuchaksaraei
1
(Ph.D.,in Marine Ecology, Department of Water Resources, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran)
Seyed Mohammadreza
Fatemi
2
(- Assistant Professor, Department of Water Resources, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran)
Afshin
Danehkar
3
(Full Professor, Department of Environment, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran)
Seyed Ali
Jozi
4
(Full Professor, Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran)
Ehsan
Ramezani Fard
5
(Assistant Professor, Department of Water Resources, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran)
Keywords: Coastal-marine protected areas, Homogenous areas, Biogeography, GIS system, Ecoregion,
Abstract :
Background and Objective: In recent years, there is an increasing attention to homogenous representative areas to develop a network of coastal-marine protected areas. One of the current common systems is an ecoregion approach. The aim of this study was to determine ecoregions of southern coasts of Iran as a basis and prerequisite to develop coastal-marine protected areas according to global new procedures. Materials and methods: A survey to recognize the ecoregions of southern coastlines of Iran in Persian Gulf, strait of Hormoz and Oman Sea was done according to international valid and common criteria. Criteria used in this study were determined in the field of biogeography according to the related literatures in this field, and three criteria of surface sea temperature, depth and surface currents were set as the base criteria. The maps of determined criteria were overlapped with the help of ArcGIS. After that, identified areas were controlled with country divisions, and then final boundaries and limitations of southern coast’s ecoregions were separated. Results: Results showed that, in Iran’s southern coast, five ecoregions can be recognized. Discussion: This classification, which is the first one in Iran, can be a basis and a step to select coastal-marine protected areas and a model for ecological surveys.
1. UNEP-WCMC, 2008. National and Regional Networks of Marine Protected Areas: A Review of Progress, UNEP-WCMC, Cambridge, 156p.
2. Kay, R., Alder. J., 1999. Coastal Planning and Management, Published by E&FN Spon (Routledge). Londres, 375 p.
3. Kelleher, G. K., Kenchington, R. K., 1992. Guidelines for Establishing Marine Protected Areas, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and GBRMPA, Canberra, Australia. 36 p.
4. Blundell, T., 2004. Turning the Tide: Addressing the impact of fisheries on the marine environment, Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, Report 25, London, 497 p.
5. CEAC, 1991. A protected areas vision for Canada. Canadian Environmental Advisory Council. Ottawa. 88 p, Sea information in: https://www.ec.gc.ca/ap-pa/8EF4F871-F880-4A6E-BD75-6585F21913FD
6. ANZECC TFMPA (Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council Task Force on Marine Protected Areas), 1998. Guidelines for Establishing the National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas, Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council, Task Force on Marine Protected Areas. Environment Australia, Canberra. 19 p.
7. Day, J. C., Roff, J. C., 2000. Planning for Representative Marine Protected Areas: A Framework for Canada’s Oceans, Report prepared for World Wildlife Fund Canada, Toronto, 134 p,
8. CBD, 2009. Azores Scientific Criteria and Guidance for identifying ecologically or biologically significant marine areas and designing representative networks of marine protected areas in open ocean waters and deep sea habitats, United Nations Environment Program, IUCN, CBD. Sea information in: http://www.cbd.int/marine/doc/azores-brochure-en.pdf
9. Van der Weide, J., 1993. A Systems View of Integrated Coastal Management, Ocean Coast Manage. Vol. 21, pp. 129–148.
10. UNESCO, 1997. Definition of the Coherent Management Units: Stage 2. In Methodological Guide to Integrated Coastal Zone Management. Manuals & Guides 36, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Comisio´ n, France, pp. 16–19.
11. Baja S., Chapman, D. M., Dragovich, D., 2002. A Conceptual Model for Defining and Assessing Land Management Units Using a Fuzzy Modeling Approach in GIS Environment, Envir, Vol. 29, pp. 647–661.
12. OSPAR, 2006. Guidance on Developing an Ecologically Coherent Network of OSPAR Marine Protected Areas, OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic, OSPAR Commission, Reference Number. 2006-3, 11 p.
13. Harff J., Davis, J. C., 1990. Regionalization in Geology by Multivariate Classification, Math Geol, Vol. 22, pp. 573–588.
14. Maxwell, B. A., Buddemeier., R. W., 2002. Coastal Typology Development with Heterogeneous Data Sets, Regional Envir Change, Vol. 3, pp. 77–87.
15. Finkl, C. W., 2004. Coastal Classification: Systematic Approaches to Consider in the Development of a Comprehensive Scheme, J Coast Res, Vol. 20, pp. 166–213.
16. Spalding, M. D., Fox, H. E. G., Allen, R., Davidson, N., Ferdaña, Z. A., Finlayson, M., Halpern, B. S., Jorge, M. A., Lombana, A., Lourie, S. A., Martin, K. D., Manus, E. M., Molnar, J., Recchia, C. A., Robertson. J., 2007. Marine Ecoregions of the World: A Bioregionalization of Coastal and Shelf Areas, BioScience, Vol. 57, pp. 573-583.
17. Dinerstein, E., Olson, D. M., Graham, D. J., Webster, A. L., Pimm, S. A., Bookbinder, M. A., Ledec, G., 1995. A conservation assessment of the terrestrial ecoregions of latin America and the Caribbean, The world bank, Washington, D. C, 174 p.
18. Olson, D. M., Dinerstein, E., 1998. The Global 200: a representation approach to conserving the earth’s most biologically valuable ecoregions. Conservation Biology, Vol, 12, pp. 502-515.
19. Wikramanayake, E. D., Dinerstein, E., Loucks, C., Olson, D., Morrison, J., Lamoreux, J., Mcknight M., Hedao, P., 2001. Terrestrial ecoregions of the indo-pacific: a conservation assessment, Island press, Washington, D. C., 824 p.
20. EEA, 2008. Biogeographical Region, Europe 2008. Sea information in: http://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/figures/biogeographical-regions-europe-2008
21. Rebelo, L. M., Finlayson, M., Stroud, D. A., 2009. Ramsar site under-representation and the use of biogeographical regionalization schemes to guide the further development of the Ramsar List, Ramsar Technical Report No. [X]. Ramsar Convention Secretariat, Gland, Switzerland, 120 p.
22. Powles, H., Vendette, V., Siron, R., O’Boyle, B. 2004. Proceedings of the Canadian Marine Ecoregions Workshop, Ottawa (Canada): Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
23. Banks, D., Williams, M., Pearce, J., Springer, A., Hagenstein, R., Olson, D., 2000. Ecoregion-based Conservation in the Bering Sea: Identifying Important Areas for Biodiversity Conservation. Washington (DC), World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy of Alaska, 72p.
24. Green, A. L., Mous, P. J., 2008. Delineating the Coral Triangle, its Ecoregions and Functional Seascapes, Version 5.0. TNC Coral Triangle Program Report 1/08, 44 pp.
25. Kramer, P. A., Kramer P. R., 2002. Ecoregional Conservation Planning for the Mesoamerican Caribbean Reef. Washington (DC), World Wildlife Fund, 147 p.
26. Beck, M. W., Odaya, M., Bachant, J. J., Bergan, J., Keller, B., Martin, R., Mathews, R., Porter, C., Ramseur, G., 2000. Identification of Priority Sites for Conservation in the Northern Gulf of Mexico: An Ecoregional Plan, The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA, 49p.
27. Brock, R., 2015. Representativeness of Marine Protected Areas of the United States. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Protected Areas Center, Silver Spring, MD, 31 p.
28. Harper, J. R., Christian, J., Cross, W. E., Frith., R., Searing, G., Thomson, D., 1993. A Classification of the Marine Regions of Canada-Final Report, Coastal and Ocean Resources Inc, 77pp.
29. Walter, H., 1985. Vegetation of the earth and ecological systems of the geo-biosphere, 3rd revised and enlarged ed. [trans. from German by Owen Muise]. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 318 p.
30. Ecoregions Working Group, 1989. Ecoclimatic regions of Canada, first approximation. Ecological Land Classification Series No. 23, Environment Canada, Ottawa, with separate map at 1:7,500,000. 132 p.
31. Schultz, J., 1995. The ecozones of the world: The ecological divisions of the geosphere (trans. from German by I. and D. Jordan), Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Sea information in: http://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783540200147.
32. Bailey, R. G., 1996. Ecosystem geography, Springer-Verlag, New York.
33. Bailey, R. G., 2005. Identifying Ecoregion Boundaries, Environmental Management, Vol. 34, pp. S14-S26.
34. Troll, C., 1966. Seasonal climates of the earth, The seasonal course of natural phenomena in the different climatic zones of the earth. Pages 19–28 in E. Rodenwaldt, H. J. Jusatz. (eds.). World maps of climatology, 3rd ed. SpringerVerlag, Berlin, with separate map at 1:45,000,000 by C. Troll and K.H. Paffen, pp. 19-28.
35. Isachenko, A. G., 1973. Principles of landscape science and physical-geographical regionalization (trans. from Russian by R. J. Zatorski, edited by J.S. Massey), Melbourne University Press, Carlton, Victoria, Australia, 311p.
36. WWF, 2017. Ecoregions. Sea information in: http://www.worldwildlife.org
37. ICZM, 2009. Integrated Coastal Zone Management of Iran, Ports and Maritime Organization. 245 pages. (In Persian).
38. IUCN/WCPA, 1999. Guidelines for Marine Protected Areas. Edited & Coordinated by Graeme Kelleher, Sea information in: http://www.birdlist.org/downloads/iucn/pag-003-guidelines-marine-pas.pdf
39. Gjerde, K. M., 2001. Protecting Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas from Shipping: A Review of IMO’s New PSSA Guidelines, Proceedings of the 12th Biennial Coastal Zone Conference, Clevelan, OH.
40. Breen, D. A. Avery, R. P., Otway, N. M., 2005. Broadscale Biodiversity Assessment of Marine Protected Areas in the Hawkesbury Shelf Marine Bioregion, Final Report for The NSW Marine Parks Authority, 160 p.
41. IMO/MEPC, 2006. Guidelines for the Identification and Designation of Particularly and Sensitive Sea Areas, International Maritime Organization, Sea information in: http://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Environment/PSSAs/Documents/A24-Res.982.pdf
42. Breen, S. A., 2007. Systematic Conservation Assessment for Marine Protected Areas in New South Wales. Australia, Ph.D Thesis, James Cook University, 97 p.
43. Wilkinson, T., Wilken, E., Bezaury-Creel, J., Hourigan, T., Agardy, T., Herrmann, H., Janishevski, L., Madden, C., Morgan L., Padilla, M., 2009. Marine Ecoregions of North America, Commission for Environmental Cooperation, Montreal, Canada. 200pp.
44. Beaver, D., and Llewellyn, G., 2009. Designing a Comprehensive Adequate and Representative (CAR) Network of Marine Protected Areas for Australia’s Commonwealth Waters, Progress Report, Published by WWF-Australia, 95 p.
45. Brenner, J., Jimenez J., Sadrá, R., 2006. Definition of Homogeneous Environmental Management Units for the Catalan Coast, Environ Manage, Vol. 38, pp. 993-1005.
46. Padash, A., Jozi, S. A., Nabavi, S. M. B., Dehzad. B., 2016. Stepwise Strategic Environmental Management in Marine Protected Area, Global J. Environ. Sci. Manage., Vol. 2, pp. 49-60.
47. Dinerstein, E, Olson, D., Joshi, A., Vynne, C., Burgess, N. D., 2017. An ecoregion-based approach to protecting half of terrestrial realm, Bioscience, Vol, 67, pp. 534-545.
48. Giakoumi, S., Sini, M., Gerovasileiou, V., 2013. Ecoregion-based conservation planning in the Mediterranean: dealing with large-scale heterogeneity. PLoS One, Vol. 8, see information in: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3796553/
49. Blasi, C., Capotorti, G., Smiraglia, D, Guida, D., Zavattero, L., Mollo, B., Frondoni, R., Copiz, R., 2010. The ecoregions of Italy. Ministry of environment, land and sea protection, Nature protection directorate, Rome, Italy, 20 pp.
50. NOAA, 2013. Global sea surface temperature, see information in: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/GIS_DATA
51. Zhao, J., Temimi, M., Ghedira, H., Hu, C., 2014. Exploring the potential of optical remote sensing for oil spill detection in shallow coastal waters-a case study in the Arabian Gulf. OSA Publishing.
52. Agardy, T., 2005. Melding Large Scale Marine Policy with small Scale Conservation Projects through MPA Networks, Abstract 14. International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC), Geelong, Australia.
53. NRDC/IEEP, 2008. Marine Protected Areas in Europe and United States, A Report from the Transatlantic Platform for Action on the Global Environment, 67 p.
54. Wright, R. G., M. P. Murray, and T. Merrill. 1998. Ecoregions as a level of ecological analysis. Biological Conservation. 86:207–213.
55. OSPAR Commission, 2007. Guidelines for the Identification and Selection of Marine Protected Areas in the OSPAR Maritime Area, Reference number: 2003-17. As Amended by BDC 2007 (BDC 2007 Summary Record (BDC 07/12/1) § 3.43b), Sea information in: www.ospar.org/documents?d=32398
56. Danehkar, A. and Majnoonian, H. 2003. Proposed riteria for Assessing Coastal and Maritime Areas in Order to Determine the Areas under the Iranian Coastal Protection. Case study: Assessment of Protected Areas of the Caspian Sea. Journal of Ecology, 35: 9-32 (In Persian).
_||_
1. UNEP-WCMC, 2008. National and Regional Networks of Marine Protected Areas: A Review of Progress, UNEP-WCMC, Cambridge, 156p.
2. Kay, R., Alder. J., 1999. Coastal Planning and Management, Published by E&FN Spon (Routledge). Londres, 375 p.
3. Kelleher, G. K., Kenchington, R. K., 1992. Guidelines for Establishing Marine Protected Areas, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and GBRMPA, Canberra, Australia. 36 p.
4. Blundell, T., 2004. Turning the Tide: Addressing the impact of fisheries on the marine environment, Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, Report 25, London, 497 p.
5. CEAC, 1991. A protected areas vision for Canada. Canadian Environmental Advisory Council. Ottawa. 88 p, Sea information in: https://www.ec.gc.ca/ap-pa/8EF4F871-F880-4A6E-BD75-6585F21913FD
6. ANZECC TFMPA (Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council Task Force on Marine Protected Areas), 1998. Guidelines for Establishing the National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas, Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council, Task Force on Marine Protected Areas. Environment Australia, Canberra. 19 p.
7. Day, J. C., Roff, J. C., 2000. Planning for Representative Marine Protected Areas: A Framework for Canada’s Oceans, Report prepared for World Wildlife Fund Canada, Toronto, 134 p,
8. CBD, 2009. Azores Scientific Criteria and Guidance for identifying ecologically or biologically significant marine areas and designing representative networks of marine protected areas in open ocean waters and deep sea habitats, United Nations Environment Program, IUCN, CBD. Sea information in: http://www.cbd.int/marine/doc/azores-brochure-en.pdf
9. Van der Weide, J., 1993. A Systems View of Integrated Coastal Management, Ocean Coast Manage. Vol. 21, pp. 129–148.
10. UNESCO, 1997. Definition of the Coherent Management Units: Stage 2. In Methodological Guide to Integrated Coastal Zone Management. Manuals & Guides 36, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Comisio´ n, France, pp. 16–19.
11. Baja S., Chapman, D. M., Dragovich, D., 2002. A Conceptual Model for Defining and Assessing Land Management Units Using a Fuzzy Modeling Approach in GIS Environment, Envir, Vol. 29, pp. 647–661.
12. OSPAR, 2006. Guidance on Developing an Ecologically Coherent Network of OSPAR Marine Protected Areas, OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic, OSPAR Commission, Reference Number. 2006-3, 11 p.
13. Harff J., Davis, J. C., 1990. Regionalization in Geology by Multivariate Classification, Math Geol, Vol. 22, pp. 573–588.
14. Maxwell, B. A., Buddemeier., R. W., 2002. Coastal Typology Development with Heterogeneous Data Sets, Regional Envir Change, Vol. 3, pp. 77–87.
15. Finkl, C. W., 2004. Coastal Classification: Systematic Approaches to Consider in the Development of a Comprehensive Scheme, J Coast Res, Vol. 20, pp. 166–213.
16. Spalding, M. D., Fox, H. E. G., Allen, R., Davidson, N., Ferdaña, Z. A., Finlayson, M., Halpern, B. S., Jorge, M. A., Lombana, A., Lourie, S. A., Martin, K. D., Manus, E. M., Molnar, J., Recchia, C. A., Robertson. J., 2007. Marine Ecoregions of the World: A Bioregionalization of Coastal and Shelf Areas, BioScience, Vol. 57, pp. 573-583.
17. Dinerstein, E., Olson, D. M., Graham, D. J., Webster, A. L., Pimm, S. A., Bookbinder, M. A., Ledec, G., 1995. A conservation assessment of the terrestrial ecoregions of latin America and the Caribbean, The world bank, Washington, D. C, 174 p.
18. Olson, D. M., Dinerstein, E., 1998. The Global 200: a representation approach to conserving the earth’s most biologically valuable ecoregions. Conservation Biology, Vol, 12, pp. 502-515.
19. Wikramanayake, E. D., Dinerstein, E., Loucks, C., Olson, D., Morrison, J., Lamoreux, J., Mcknight M., Hedao, P., 2001. Terrestrial ecoregions of the indo-pacific: a conservation assessment, Island press, Washington, D. C., 824 p.
20. EEA, 2008. Biogeographical Region, Europe 2008. Sea information in: http://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/figures/biogeographical-regions-europe-2008
21. Rebelo, L. M., Finlayson, M., Stroud, D. A., 2009. Ramsar site under-representation and the use of biogeographical regionalization schemes to guide the further development of the Ramsar List, Ramsar Technical Report No. [X]. Ramsar Convention Secretariat, Gland, Switzerland, 120 p.
22. Powles, H., Vendette, V., Siron, R., O’Boyle, B. 2004. Proceedings of the Canadian Marine Ecoregions Workshop, Ottawa (Canada): Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
23. Banks, D., Williams, M., Pearce, J., Springer, A., Hagenstein, R., Olson, D., 2000. Ecoregion-based Conservation in the Bering Sea: Identifying Important Areas for Biodiversity Conservation. Washington (DC), World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy of Alaska, 72p.
24. Green, A. L., Mous, P. J., 2008. Delineating the Coral Triangle, its Ecoregions and Functional Seascapes, Version 5.0. TNC Coral Triangle Program Report 1/08, 44 pp.
25. Kramer, P. A., Kramer P. R., 2002. Ecoregional Conservation Planning for the Mesoamerican Caribbean Reef. Washington (DC), World Wildlife Fund, 147 p.
26. Beck, M. W., Odaya, M., Bachant, J. J., Bergan, J., Keller, B., Martin, R., Mathews, R., Porter, C., Ramseur, G., 2000. Identification of Priority Sites for Conservation in the Northern Gulf of Mexico: An Ecoregional Plan, The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA, 49p.
27. Brock, R., 2015. Representativeness of Marine Protected Areas of the United States. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Protected Areas Center, Silver Spring, MD, 31 p.
28. Harper, J. R., Christian, J., Cross, W. E., Frith., R., Searing, G., Thomson, D., 1993. A Classification of the Marine Regions of Canada-Final Report, Coastal and Ocean Resources Inc, 77pp.
29. Walter, H., 1985. Vegetation of the earth and ecological systems of the geo-biosphere, 3rd revised and enlarged ed. [trans. from German by Owen Muise]. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 318 p.
30. Ecoregions Working Group, 1989. Ecoclimatic regions of Canada, first approximation. Ecological Land Classification Series No. 23, Environment Canada, Ottawa, with separate map at 1:7,500,000. 132 p.
31. Schultz, J., 1995. The ecozones of the world: The ecological divisions of the geosphere (trans. from German by I. and D. Jordan), Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Sea information in: http://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783540200147.
32. Bailey, R. G., 1996. Ecosystem geography, Springer-Verlag, New York.
33. Bailey, R. G., 2005. Identifying Ecoregion Boundaries, Environmental Management, Vol. 34, pp. S14-S26.
34. Troll, C., 1966. Seasonal climates of the earth, The seasonal course of natural phenomena in the different climatic zones of the earth. Pages 19–28 in E. Rodenwaldt, H. J. Jusatz. (eds.). World maps of climatology, 3rd ed. SpringerVerlag, Berlin, with separate map at 1:45,000,000 by C. Troll and K.H. Paffen, pp. 19-28.
35. Isachenko, A. G., 1973. Principles of landscape science and physical-geographical regionalization (trans. from Russian by R. J. Zatorski, edited by J.S. Massey), Melbourne University Press, Carlton, Victoria, Australia, 311p.
36. WWF, 2017. Ecoregions. Sea information in: http://www.worldwildlife.org
37. ICZM, 2009. Integrated Coastal Zone Management of Iran, Ports and Maritime Organization. 245 pages. (In Persian).
38. IUCN/WCPA, 1999. Guidelines for Marine Protected Areas. Edited & Coordinated by Graeme Kelleher, Sea information in: http://www.birdlist.org/downloads/iucn/pag-003-guidelines-marine-pas.pdf
39. Gjerde, K. M., 2001. Protecting Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas from Shipping: A Review of IMO’s New PSSA Guidelines, Proceedings of the 12th Biennial Coastal Zone Conference, Clevelan, OH.
40. Breen, D. A. Avery, R. P., Otway, N. M., 2005. Broadscale Biodiversity Assessment of Marine Protected Areas in the Hawkesbury Shelf Marine Bioregion, Final Report for The NSW Marine Parks Authority, 160 p.
41. IMO/MEPC, 2006. Guidelines for the Identification and Designation of Particularly and Sensitive Sea Areas, International Maritime Organization, Sea information in: http://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Environment/PSSAs/Documents/A24-Res.982.pdf
42. Breen, S. A., 2007. Systematic Conservation Assessment for Marine Protected Areas in New South Wales. Australia, Ph.D Thesis, James Cook University, 97 p.
43. Wilkinson, T., Wilken, E., Bezaury-Creel, J., Hourigan, T., Agardy, T., Herrmann, H., Janishevski, L., Madden, C., Morgan L., Padilla, M., 2009. Marine Ecoregions of North America, Commission for Environmental Cooperation, Montreal, Canada. 200pp.
44. Beaver, D., and Llewellyn, G., 2009. Designing a Comprehensive Adequate and Representative (CAR) Network of Marine Protected Areas for Australia’s Commonwealth Waters, Progress Report, Published by WWF-Australia, 95 p.
45. Brenner, J., Jimenez J., Sadrá, R., 2006. Definition of Homogeneous Environmental Management Units for the Catalan Coast, Environ Manage, Vol. 38, pp. 993-1005.
46. Padash, A., Jozi, S. A., Nabavi, S. M. B., Dehzad. B., 2016. Stepwise Strategic Environmental Management in Marine Protected Area, Global J. Environ. Sci. Manage., Vol. 2, pp. 49-60.
47. Dinerstein, E, Olson, D., Joshi, A., Vynne, C., Burgess, N. D., 2017. An ecoregion-based approach to protecting half of terrestrial realm, Bioscience, Vol, 67, pp. 534-545.
48. Giakoumi, S., Sini, M., Gerovasileiou, V., 2013. Ecoregion-based conservation planning in the Mediterranean: dealing with large-scale heterogeneity. PLoS One, Vol. 8, see information in: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3796553/
49. Blasi, C., Capotorti, G., Smiraglia, D, Guida, D., Zavattero, L., Mollo, B., Frondoni, R., Copiz, R., 2010. The ecoregions of Italy. Ministry of environment, land and sea protection, Nature protection directorate, Rome, Italy, 20 pp.
50. NOAA, 2013. Global sea surface temperature, see information in: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/GIS_DATA
51. Zhao, J., Temimi, M., Ghedira, H., Hu, C., 2014. Exploring the potential of optical remote sensing for oil spill detection in shallow coastal waters-a case study in the Arabian Gulf. OSA Publishing.
52. Agardy, T., 2005. Melding Large Scale Marine Policy with small Scale Conservation Projects through MPA Networks, Abstract 14. International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC), Geelong, Australia.
53. NRDC/IEEP, 2008. Marine Protected Areas in Europe and United States, A Report from the Transatlantic Platform for Action on the Global Environment, 67 p.
54. Wright, R. G., M. P. Murray, and T. Merrill. 1998. Ecoregions as a level of ecological analysis. Biological Conservation. 86:207–213.
55. OSPAR Commission, 2007. Guidelines for the Identification and Selection of Marine Protected Areas in the OSPAR Maritime Area, Reference number: 2003-17. As Amended by BDC 2007 (BDC 2007 Summary Record (BDC 07/12/1) § 3.43b), Sea information in: www.ospar.org/documents?d=32398
56. Danehkar, A. and Majnoonian, H. 2003. Proposed riteria for Assessing Coastal and Maritime Areas in Order to Determine the Areas under the Iranian Coastal Protection. Case study: Assessment of Protected Areas of the Caspian Sea. Journal of Ecology, 35: 9-32 (In Persian).
