The Species and Habitats training cyle is currently composed of several training courses:
- Getting started with marine turtle conservation across Mediterranean MPAs
- Marine turtle conservation at sea across Mediterranean MPAs
- Mapping marine habitat, species and pressure in shallow coastal waters
- Conservation and monitoring of cetaceans across Mediterranean MPAs
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Getting started with marine turtle conservation across Mediterranean MPAs
Developed by MedPAN, in conjunction with the National Marine Park of Zakynthos (Greece), and with the support of ALan Rees.
This training is aimed at providing MPA managers and practitioners with basic knowledge of marine turtles and the pressures they face, as well as methodological guidance for planning monitoring and management activities to protect turtles in their marine and terrestrial habitats. Topics covered in the training include “turtle biology”, “threats to turtles”, “needs for MPA management”, “tools and resources to monitor and manage turtles” and “sustainable funding and collaborations”. The training approach builds on the “Marine Turtles in MPAs: a monitoring and management guide” and its Decision Trees to assess and develop actions that protect marine turtles and gather management-relevant data that feed into regional monitoring requirements of the EU’s MSFD and the Barcelona Convention’s IMAP EcAp approach.
This fully online course runs over a 7-day agenda alternating supervised online sessions and self-directed learning (video tutorials and exercises).
This online training course is also a prerequisite for more advanced field training courses provided in the MedPAN training catalogue.
Introduction
Supervised online session with trainer
Biology of marine turtles
Self-learning module
- Assessment 1: Build a turtle
- Assessment 2: Marine turtle life cycle
- Additional resources: Hand-outs and literature
Threats to marine turtles
Self-learning module
- Assessment 3: Threats to marine turtles
- Additional resources: Literature
Needs for MPA management
Self-learning module
- Assessment 4: Needs for MPA management
Recap of the first 3 modules
Supervised online session with trainer
Tools and resources
Supervised online session
- Assessment 5: Action planning
- Additional resources: Literature
Financing, sustainability and collaborations
Supervised online session with trainer
- Additional resources: Hand-outs and Literature
- Help update: Funding Directory
Wrap-up
Supervised online session with trainer
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Marine turtle conservation at sea across Mediterranean MPAs
Developed by MedPAN, in conjunction with the National Marine Park of Zakynthos (Greece), and with the support of ALan Rees.
Training approach
The training takes place over a 3-day programme focusing on fieldwork and hands-on activities.
From collecting, processing, mapping and interpreting data on species, habitats and pressures, to identifying management options, this field training course will guide you through the design and practical implementation of a marine turtle monitoring and management strategy for your MPA. This training is therefore focused on the monitoring and conservation of turtles in the marine environment. It will be supplemented in the future by training on nesting sites.The training approach builds on the Marine Turtles in MPAs: a monitoring and management guide and its Decision Trees to assess and develop actions that protect marine turtles and gather management-relevant data that feed into regional monitoring requirements of the EU’s MSFD and the Barcelona Convention’s IMAP EcAp approach.
The online training course “Getting started with marine turtle conservation” needs to be completed before attending this field training.
Trainees profile
MPA managers and practitioners willing to design and implement a marine turtle in-water monitoring and management strategy adapted to their needs and resources in an integrated conservation approach.
The first session of this training course took place in Zakynthos National Marine Park in Greece from 3 to 5 May 2022.
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Mapping marine habitat, species and pressure in shallow coastal waters.
Developed by MedPAN in partnership with Septentrion Environnement, Port-Cros National Park and Calanques National Park.
Learning objective
- Acquire knowledge about major coastal biocenosis and their ecological function
- Realise a preliminary mapping and diagnostic of the study site
- Define the sampling methodology, strategy and effort for field work
- Prepare field work
- Perform in situ data collection
- Perform data compilation and synthesis
- Carry out a cross-examination of the mosaic of underwater seascapes: identification of habitats with priority issues by cross analysis of ecological function / pressure-threats
Training approach
This highly operational training course includes classroom sessions (theory, data analysis) and field exercises based on snorkel methodologies. It is based on the approach described in the methodological guide Snorkel surveys of the marine environment (Imbert M., Bonhomme P. 2014.), which has also been adapted into a series of video tutorials.
Trainees profile
This training course is intended for MPA field staff in charge of land and/or marine monitoring (field officer, technician or scientific manager).
Sessions
- October 2019 in Port-Cros National Park, France (English session)
- February 2020 in Port-Cros National Park, France (French session)
Resources
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Conservation and monitoring of cetaceans across Mediterranean MPAs
Developed by MedPAN in partnership with Miraceti and Port-Cros National Park in France.
Learning objective
- Provide trainees with basic knowledge of cetaceans ecology allowing them to better understand the issues related to their MPA
- Provide trainees with practical skills to master cost-effective standard protocols
- Provide trainees with skills to identify effective management measures to address the various pressures and threats that cetaceans face in their MPA.
- Provide trainees with financing options to support the implementation of monitoring campaigns and management measures.
Training approach
This highly operational 5-day training course consists of two days of classroom training and three days of practical training in a real situation on board a sailboat (nights also spent on board).
The training is based on an operational approach aimed at providing trainees with sufficient background, expertise and experience to design and implement a cetacean management strategy adapted to their needs and resources in an integrated global context.
Trainees profile
This highly operational training is intended for field staff of MPAs or organisations involved in the management of MPAs (field officer, technician or scientific officer), in charge of monitoring the marine environment with concrete and short-term prospects for the implementation of a cetacean conservation strategy.
Sessions
October 2020 session in Cavalaire, France (Communauté de communes du Golfe de St Tropez)
Resources
- Cetacean manual for MPA managers, ACCOBAMS, SPA/RAC, MedPAN, 2013