Monitoring MPA visitor uses handbook

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...Aerial picture of Porquerolles, taken in August 2011.© Credit : LETG Brest -Géomer UMR 6554Distribution of boats around Porquerolles Islandon Sunday 8 August 2010 between 2pm and 4pm(overflight)23791 17Boat type :Day sailboatCruising sailboatDay motor boat22 113 104132201131Harbour : 252 boats199Cruising motor boatInflatable dinghyDiving boatFigure 10 : Example of a map developed from an overflight.49915412 68Source: Bountîles Porquerolles, LETG Brest-Géomer UMR 6554107235913532002sun18/082pm10872957922003thu 24/071:30pm8895103782005wed 10/081:30pm9192726472006wed 26/074pmin the harbourmooring areas outside harbour10472007sat 21/074pm9503555952008sun 24/084pm14942009wed 12/084pm1N23Cruise linerOtherNon-determined220 1 Km2010sun 01/084pmstrong wind, mistral or rainharbour use not known10461091 10122011sat 13/083pmFigure 11 : Variation in boat numbers in Porquerolles from overflights donebetween 2002 and 2011. Source: Bountîles Porquerolles, LETG Brest-GéomerUMR 65545.4.1 RelevanceEvaluation and monitoring of mooring area use at atime TThis indicator relates both to recreational boaters usingorganised mooring areas and anchorage users who aremore difficult to count. It provides the following information:• an evaluation of the extent of mooring area use (harbours,mooring areas, anchorage sites);• hourly, weekly, seasonal and year-over-year variations(depending on the sampling strategy);• spatial distribution of boats in the MPA;• characteristics of the fleet.5.4.2 Relevant MPA typesMPAContinentor islandMPAContinentor islandMPA5.4.3 Framework protocolsa/ Oblique aerial photographsContinentor islandMPAThis protocol requires an aircraft and is recommendedfor vast MPAs and/or those with no appropriate landbasedviewpoint for effective counting. To apply thismethod, an overflight authorisation must first be obtainedand any potential environmental impact of the operationmust be checked (disturbance of wildlife in particular).It has the advantage of creating a photographicrecord of visitor use.Data collected : Oblique aerial photos of mooring areas.Collection method : Oblique aerial photographs takenfrom an ULM or a high-wing monoplane. Wide-angleviews should be preferred. A digital camera with a minimumresolution of 6 million pixels makes post-processingzooming possible when interpreting the views. Theaircraft will fly at an approximate altitude of 1,000 feet tobe able to count and locate boats in a short amount oftime. If boat sizes and types are to be determined basedon a previously established typology, a second flight maybe done at 500 feet.Prior definition of a flight plan will avoid double countsand reduce the number of photographs needed.In exclusively marine MPAs, with no land mark, hightechnology viewing equipment (onboard camera andgeolocation tools) is necessary to spatialize the boats.Each view must include an easily identifiable portion ofthe coastal fringe in the background.Location : The overflight covers all of the MPA’s mooringareas based on a pre-defined flight plan. TABLE OF CONTENTS 24 COLLECTION VISITOR USE OBSERVATION AND MONITORING IN MEDITERRANEAN MARINE PROTECTED AREAS
Frequency : At least three overflights in summer. Ideally,the flight will be scheduled during the day at a timewhen the boats are fairly immobile (meal times), or inthe evening to assess the number staying overnight. Forreasons of cost and interpretation, but also sound disturbance,multiple overflights should be avoided.Time and cost : An overflight seldom lasts more thanan hour for an average size MPA. The cost of the flightvaries with the type of aircraft used: between €300 and€500 per hour for oblique aerial photographs, and morethan €1,500 per hour for high technology pictures. Thetime required to interpret the photos and record the data(boat location and characteristics) depends on the chosenmedium and level of analysis. In a very busy site(more than 1,000 boats), with a coastline of no morethan 40 kilometres, allow one half-day of work to enterdata in a simple spreadsheet, and a full day to createa layer of geospatial data. In the first case, boats arecounted by mooring or sailing area whereas in the lattercase, they can be identified by area or point by point(one point/one boat). This degree of detail is not alwaysnecessary and takes a lot of time when boat numbersare high.Archiving : Data can be archived in an Excel©-typespreadsheet, or it may be necessary to create a GeographicInformation System of boats for a deeper spatialanalysis.b/ Boat counts by observation from land or atseaThis type of count is easier to implement, less costly andtherefore more reproducible than overflights. However, itis only possible in small MPAs or those with land-basedpanoramic viewpoints overlooking the mooring sites.Data collected : Number and type of boats per mooringarea.Collection method : Boat counts by direct observationwith data recorded by counting area and by type on astructured field report form. A prior study is necessary todelimit the counting sectors, based on geographic anduse criteria, and to define a typology of boats.Defining a typology of boatsThe typology must be simple, reflect the boating practicesspecific to each MPA, and take management issues intoaccount. It will depend on the resolution of photos whencounts are done by overflight, and must not complicateobservation for counts done from land or at sea.Even if the characterization criteria are basic, the dataarchived should at least distinguish pleasure boats fromprofessional craft. Within the category of pleasure boats,sailing boats and motor boats can be distinguished, aswell as personal watercraft and other water vehicles(windsurfs, canoes, kite surfs).It is often interesting to include the length of boats, due tothe impact of large craft anchoring on the sea beds andthe lack of sanitary equipment on the smallest boats.Location : The count must be done at all of the MPA'smooring sites (whether organised or not). It can be donefrom one or more land-based viewpoints or from a boat,in which case the trip must be entirely dedicated to thecount. It will be done by a spotter pilot and a secondperson to report the observations on the form during thetrip.Frequency : At least five counts per summer in comparableconditions, either early afternoon, when boats arerelatively immobile, or in the evening to assess overnightstays. Unlike the overflight method, the counts may bedone in moderate or poor weather conditions and theinfluence of these factors on boat numbers can be measured.Time and cost : The cost depends on the working timespent by staff involved in the operation. The duration ofthe count will depend on the MPA's configuration, thesize of mooring sites and the number of boats. It shouldnot take longer than 90 minutes and be done whenboats are fairly immobile, i.e. early morning, late eveningor early afternoon. To reduce the time spent, it may benecessary to do the count with several boats or fromseveral viewpoints at the same time. Field data captureon a computer storage medium takes less than an hour.Archiving : a simple Excel©-type spreadsheet is recommended. TABLE OF CONTENTS 25 COLLECTION VISITOR USE OBSERVATION AND MONITORING IN MEDITERRANEAN MARINE PROTECTED AREAS
Page 1: Visitor Use Observationand Monitori
Page 5 and 6: AuthorsLETG Brest Géomer - UBOThe
Page 7 and 8: List of figures & tablesFigure 1: M
Page 9 and 10: 1. Purpose and target audienceof th
Page 11 and 12: 1.2.4 Aims of the guideThis guide a
Page 13: 2.2.1 Level 1: a basic analysis to
Page 16 and 17: 4.1.4 Safety indicatorSafety is oft
Page 18: 5. IndicatorsBased on the requireme
Page 22 and 23: Time and cost : This depends on the
Page 26 and 27: ObservationBoatsMooringDate Time ar
Page 28 and 29: 5.5.4 AdviceCatches in the MPA are
Page 30 and 31: Gaining knowledge to improve manage
Page 32 and 33: Ex. 1 Annual monitoringfor each use
Page 34 and 35: pondents are comfortable and availa
Page 36 and 37: 5.10.3 Framework protocolData colle
Page 38 and 39: 5.12.2 Relevant MPA typesMPAContine
Page 40 and 41: 5.15.2 Relevance of the Economicben
Page 42 and 43: 7. Archiving and processing dataSto
Page 44: 8. Reporting and sharing resultsRep
Page 48 and 49: charters for a professional, recrea
Page 50 and 51: Technical datasheet - Overflight fo
Page 52: The MedPAN collectionThe MedPAN col

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