Conservation Science Group

Department of Zoology

Dr Mark Spalding

mspalding@tnc.org
Tel: +44 (0)1223 760832 or +44 (0)1638 661961

 

Research Interests

I work in The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Global Marine Team (www.nature.org/marine), with a focus on global assessments of biodiversity distribution, human impacts and conservation effort in marine and coastal areas. I have also worked extensively on global protected areas information and assessment. Such global information is increasingly important in driving global-level decisions which are becoming increasingly important in the face of globalised threats such as climate change and overfishing, but it is also important to feed such information back down to regional, national and local scales in order to inform and provide context for conservation action on the ground. It is also essential to ensure that such global assessments are fully informed by, and closely connected to, conservation practice on the ground.

TNC is one of the leading NGOs in marine conservation, with hundreds of field practitioner across the Americas, Pacific and Asia. We work at scales from village-level conservation to sub-national protected areas planning, to working with governments and at regional levels to establish very large-scale conservation gains. My own work feeds into this process – informing conservation management, priority setting and future investment policies. It aims to inform and influence not only the senior leadership within TNC, but also the global community: both through engagement in academic and policy fora, and in the regular and high profile, publication of scientific findings which will inform and direct academic, policy and public awareness.

Current work includes a forthcoming World Mangrove Atlas (Earthscan), a Global Atlas of Conservation ( University of California Press) and Reefs at Risk Revisited – an update of a highly cited study published in 1998. Ongoing and future work is likely to include further analyses of mangroves and other coastal ecosystems from the perspectives of climate change and ecosystem based adaptation.

Publications

  • Burke, L., Reytar, K., Spalding, M., and Perry, A. L., 2011, Reefs at Risk Revisited, Washington, D.C., World Resources Institute, The Nature Conservancy, WorldFish Center, International Coral Reef Action Network, UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre and Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, 114p.
  • Jacquet, J., Boyd, I., Carlton, J. T., Fox, H. E., Johnson, A. E., Mee, L., Roman, J., Spalding, M., and Sutherland, W., 2011, Scanning the Oceans for Solutions: Solutions, v. 2, no. 1, p. 46-55.
  • Sutherland, W., Bardsley, S., Bennun, L., Clout, M., Cote, I., Depledge, M., Dicks, L., Dobson, A., Fellman, L., Fleishman, E., W.Gibbons, D., Impey, A. J., H.Lawton, J., FionaLickorish, B.Lindenmayer, D., Lovejoy, T. E., MacNally, R., Madgwick, J., Peck, L. S., Pretty, J., Prior, S. V., Redford, K. H., Scharlemann, J. P. W., Spalding, M., and Watkinson, A. R., 2011, Horizon scan of global conservation issues for 2011: Trends in Ecology & Evolution, v. 26, no. 1, p. 10-16.

  • Brumbaugh, R. D., Beck, M., Hancock, B., Wrona Meadows, A., Spalding, M., and zu Ermgassen, P., 2010, Changing a management paradigm and rescuing a globally imperiled habitat: National Wetlands Newsletter, v. 32, no. 6, p. 16-20.
  • Graham, N. A. J., Spalding, M., and Sheppard, C., 2010, Reef shark declines in remote atolls highlight the need for multi-faceted conservation action: Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, v. DOI: 10.1002/aqc.1116.
  • Hoekstra, J., Molnar, J., Jennings, M., Revenga, C., Spalding, M., Boucher, T., Robertson, J., Heibel, T. J., and Ellison, K., 2010, The Atlas of Global Conservation: changes, challenges and opportunities to make a difference, Berkeley, CA, University of California Press.
  • Rodríguez, J. P., Rodríguez-Clark, K. M., Baillie, J. E. M., Ash, N., Benson, J., Boucher, T., Brown, C., Burgess, N., Collen, B., Jennings, M., Keith, D. A., Nicholson, E., Revenga, C., Reyers, B., Rouget, M., Smith, T., Spalding, M., Taber, A., Walpole, M., Zager, I., and Zamin, T., 2010, Establishing IUCN Red List Criteria for threatened ecosystems: Conservation Biology, p. DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2010.01598.x.
  • Mangi, S., Hooper, T., Rodwell, L., Simon, D., Snoxell, D., Spalding, M., and Williamson, P., 2010, Establishing a marine protected area in the Chagos Archipelago: socio-economic considerations. Report of workshop held 7 January 2010, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK: Royal Holloway, University of London.
  • Spalding, M., Wood, L., Fitzgerald, C., and Gjerde, K., 2010, The 10% Target: Where Do We stand?, in Toropova, C., Meliane, I., Laffoley, D., Matthews, E., and Spalding, M., eds., Global Ocean Protection: Present Status and Future Possibilities: Gland, Switzerland, Arlington, USA, Cambridge, UK, Nairobi, Kenya, Tokyo, Japan, and Brest, France, IUCN, The Nature Conservancy, UNEP-WCMC, UNEP, UNU-IAS, Agence des aires marines protégées, France, p. 25-40.
  • Spalding, M. D., Kainuma, M., and Collins, L., 2010, World Atlas of Mangroves, London, Earthscan, with International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, The Nature Conservancy, UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organisation, United Nations University.
  • Sutherland, W. J., Clout, M., Côté, I. M., Daszak, P., Depledge, M. H., Fellman, L., Fleishman, E., Garthwaite, R., Gibbons, D. W., De Lurio, J., Impey, A. J., Lickorish, F., Lindenmayer, D., Madgwick, J., Margerison, C., Maynard, T., Peck, L. S., Pretty, J., Prior, S., Redford, K. H., Scharlemann, J. P. W., Spalding, M., and Watkinson, A. R., 2010, A Horizon Scan of Global Conservation Issues for 2010: Trends in Ecology and Evolution, v. 25, no. 1, p. 1-7.
  • Toropova, C., Meliane, I., Laffoley, D., Matthews, E., and Spalding, M., 2010, Global Ocean Protection: Present Status and Future Possibilities: Gland, Switzerland, Arlington, USA, Cambridge, UK, Nairobi, Kenya, Tokyo, Japan, and Brest, France, IUCN, The Nature Conservancy, UNEP-WCMC, UNEP, UNU-IAS, Agence des aires marines protégées, France, p. 96.
  • Zu Ermgassen, P., and Spalding, M., 2010, Shellfish reefs United States oyster restoration case study - enhancing fisheries, in Nellemann, C., and Corcoran, E., eds., Dead Planet, Living Planet. Biodversity and ecosystem restoration for sustainable development: Arendal, Norway, United Nations Environment Programme, GRID-Arendal, p. 56-57.

  • Graham, N. A. J., Wilson, S. K., Pratchett, M. S., Polunin, N. V. C. & Spalding, M. D. (2009) Coral mortality versus structural collapse as drivers of corallivorous butterflyfish decline. Biodiversity and Conservation, 18, 3325-3336.
  • Hale, L. Z., Meliane, I., Davidson, S., Sandwith, T., Beck, M., Hoekstra, J., Spalding, M., Murawski, S., Cyr, N., Osgood, K., Hatziolos, M., Eijk, P. V., Davidson, N., Eichbaum, W., Dreus, C., Obura, D., Tamelander, J., Herr, D., McClennen, C. & Paul (2009) Ecosystem-based Adaptation in Marine and Coastal Ecosystems. Renewable Resources Journal, 25.
  • Spalding, M., Agostini, V., Grant, S. & Rice, J. (2009) Pelagic systems. IN UNESCO (Ed.) Global Open Oceans and Deep Seabed (GOODS) – Biogeographic Classification. Paris, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (UNESCO-IOC).
  • Veron, J. E. N., Hoegh-Guldberg, O., Lenton, T. M., Lough, J. M., Obura, D. O., Pearce-Kelly, P., Sheppard, C. R. C., Spalding, M., Stafford-Smith, M. G. & Rogers, A. D. (2009) The coral reef crisis: The critical importance of <350ppm CO2. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 58, 1428-1437.
  • Spalding M.D., Kainuma M. & Collins L. (forthcoming) World Mangrove Atlas. Earthscan, with International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organisation, United Nations University, London.
  • Hoekstra J., Molnar J., Jennings M., Revenga C., Spalding M., Boucher T., Robertson J., Heibel T.J. & Ellison K. (forthcoming) The Atlas of Global Conservation: changes, challenges and opportunities to make a difference. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA.
  • Agostini V., Arico S., Briones E.E., Clark M., Cresswell I., Gjerde K., Niewijk D.J.A., Polacheck A., Raymond B., Rice J., Roff J., Scanlon K.M., Spalding M., Tong E., Vierros M. & Watling L. (2008) Global Open Oceans and Deep Seabed (GOODS) bioregional classification. CoP 9 Information Document 44. In: Ninth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, p. 79. Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Bonn, Germany
  • Chape S., Spalding M. & Jenkins M. (2008) The World's Protected Areas. Status, values, and prospects in the twenty-first century. University of California Press, Berkeley, California.
  • Graham N.A.J., McClanahan T.R., MacNeil M.A., Wilson S.K., Polunin N.V.C., Jennings S., Chabanet P., Clark S., Spalding M.D., Letourneur Y., Bigot L., Galzin R., Ohman M.C., Garpe K.C., Edwards A.J. & Sheppard C.R.C. (2008) Climate warming, marine protected areas and the ocean-scale integrity of coral reef ecosystems. PLoS ONE, 3, 9
  • Halpern B.S., Walbridge S., Selkoe K.A., Kappel C.V., Micheli F., D'Agrosa C., Bruno J.F., Casey K.S., Ebert C., Fox H.E., Fujita R., Heinemann D., Lenihan H.S., Madin E.M.P., Perry M.T., Selig E.R., Spalding M., Steneck R. & Watson R. (2008) A global map of human impact on marine ecosystems. Science, 319, 948-952
  • Molnar J.L., Gamboa R.L., Revenga C. & Spalding M.D. (2008) Assessing the global threat of invasive species to marine biodiversity. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 6, 485-492
  • Spalding M., Fish L. & Wood L. (2008) Towards representative protection of the world’s coasts and oceans – progress, gaps and opportunities. Conservation Letters, 1, 217-226
  • Spalding M.D. (2008) Detecting and monitoring coral bleaching events. In: Coral Bleaching: Patterns, Processes, Causes and Consequences (eds. van Oppen M & Lough JM), pp. 69-82. Springer Verlag
  • Spalding M.D., Fox H.E., Allen G.R., Davidson N., Ferdaña Z.A., Finlayson M., Halpern B.S., Jorge M.A., Lombana A., Lourie S.A., Martin K.D., McManus E., Molnar J., Recchia C.A. & Robertson J. (2007) Marine Ecoregions of the World: a bioregionalization of coast and shelf areas. BioScience, 57, 573-583
  • Spalding M., Fox H., Davidson N., Ferdana Z., Finlayson M., Halpern B., Jorge M., Lombana A., Lourie S., Martin K., McManus E., Molnar J., Newman K., Recchia C. & Robertson J. (2006a) Global Coastal and Marine Biogeographic Regionalization as a Support Tool for Implementation of CBD Programmes of Work. COP8 Information Document 34. In: Eighth Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Information Documents, p. 21. Convention on Biological Diversity, Montreal, Canada
  • Spalding M., Kelleher G., Boucher T. & Fish L. (2006) How protected are coral reefs? Science, 314, 758
  • Spalding M.D. (2006) Illegal sea cucumber fisheries in the Chagos Archipelago. SPC Beche-de-mer Information Bulletin, 23, 32-34
  • Chape S., Harrison J., Spalding M. & Lysenko I. (2005) Measuring the extent and effectiveness of protected areas as an indicator for meeting global biodiversity targets. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B, 360, 443-455
  • Spencer T. & Spalding M.D. (2005) Coral reefs of Southeast Asia: controls, patterns and human impacts. In: Physical Geography of Southeast Asia (ed. Gupta A), pp. 402-427. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK
  • Spalding M. & Kramer P. (2004) The Caribbean. In: Defying Ocean's End: an agenda for action (eds. Glover LK & Earle SA), pp. 7-41. Island Press, Washington DC
  • Spalding M.D. (2004a) A Guide to the Coral Reefs of the Caribbean. University of California Press, Berkeley, USA.
  • Spalding M.D. (2004b) Mangroves. In: Encyclopedia of Forest Sciences (eds. Burley J, Evans J & Youngquist J), pp. 1704-1712. Academic Press, California
  • Spalding M.D. (2004c) Partial recovery of sharks in the Chagos Archipelago. Shark News, newsletter of the IUCN Shark Specialist Group, 15, 12-3
  • Chape S., Blyth S., Fish L., Fox P. & Spalding M. (2003) 2003 United Nations List of Protected Areas. IUCN - World Conservation Union and UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge UK.
  • Sheppard C.R.C. & Spalding M.D. (2003) Chagos Conservation Management Plan. p. 53. British Indian Ocean Territory Administration, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, London
  • Spalding M.D. (2003) Mangroves. In: Encyclopedia of World Environmental History (eds. Krech Iii S, McNeill JR & Merchant C). Routledge, New York
  • Spalding M.D., Taylor M.L., Ravilious C., Short F.T. & Green E.P. (2003) Global overview: the distribution and status of seagrasses. In: World Atlas of Seagrasses (eds. Green EP & Short FT), pp. 5-26, 262-286. University of California Press, Berkeley, USA
  • Burke L., Selig L. & Spalding M. (2002) Reefs at Risk in Southeast Asia. World Resources Institute, Washington, DC.
  • Roberts C.M., McLean C.J., Allen G.R., Hawkins J.P., McAllister D.E., Mittermeier C., Schueler F., Spalding M., Veron J.E.N., Wells F., Vynne C. & Werner T. (2002) Marine biodiversity hotspots and conservation priorities for tropical reefs. Science, 295, 1280-4
  • Sheppard C.R.C., Spalding M., Bradshaw C. & Wilson S. (2002) Erosion vs. recovery of coral reefs after El Niño: Chagos reefs, Indian Ocean. Ambio, 31, 40-8
  • Spalding M. (2002) The World Heritage List - the best of all worlds? Parks, 12, 50-7
  • Spalding M.D. (2002) Spatial variation in coral reef fish biodiversity at intermediate scales around oceanic islands. Proceedings of the Ninth International Coral Reef Symposium, Bali, 1, 81-7
  • Spalding M.D. & Jarvis G.E. (2002) The impact of the 1998 coral mortality on reef fish communuities in the Seychelles. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 44, 309-21
  • Burke L., Kura Y., Kassem K., Revenga C., Spalding M. & McAllister D. (2001) Pilot Analysis of Global Ecosystems: Coastal ecosystems. World Resources Institute, Washington, D.C.
  • Green R., Harley M., Spalding M. & Zockler C. (2001) The Impacts of Climate Change on Wildlife. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Sandy, UK.
  • Spalding M.D. (2001) Changes in marine and coastal areas. In: The Impacts of Climate Change on Wildlife (eds. Green R, Spalding MD, Z”ckler C & Harley M), pp. 32-33. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Sandy, UK
  • Spalding M.D. (2001) Mangroves. In: Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences (eds. Steele JH, Turekian KK & Thorpe SA), pp. 1533-1542. Academic Press, California
  • Spalding M.D. & Kemp J.M. (2001) Patterns of biodiversity in coral reefs at intermediate scales: implications for conservation. In:
  • Spalding M.D., Ravilious C. & Green E.P. (2001) World Atlas of Coral Reefs. University of California Press, Berkeley, California.
  • Spalding M.D., Teleki K.A. & Spencer T. (2001) Climate change and coral bleaching. In: The Impacts of Climate Change on Wildlife (eds. Green R, Spalding MD, Zockler C & Harley M), pp. 40-41. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Sandy, UK
  • Spalding M.D. (2000) Making large marine environmental datasets available in a useful format for decision-makers. In: Proceedings of the UNEP/AIMS meeting in Townsville Dec 1999 (ed. Done T)
  • Spalding M.D. (2000) Overview of biogeographical, ecosystem, and other regional classification schemes for the marine biome. In: Ecoregional Approaches to Conservation in the Marine Biome. Report of a WWF workshop on marine ecoregion-based conservation (ERBC) (eds. Newman K & Jones T). Unpublished draft
  • Spalding M.D. (2000) The state of coral reefs, and especially coral reef fisheries, in developing countries. In:
  • Spalding M.D. (2000d The Status of Commercially Important Reef Fishes of the Chagos Archipelago: a report for the British Indian Ocean Territories Administration, Foreign and Commonwealth Office. 42p
  • Spencer T., Teleki K.A., Bradshaw C. & Spalding M.D. (2000) Coral bleaching in the Southern Seychelles during the 1997-1998 Indian Ocean warm event. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 40, 569-86
  • Spalding M.D. (1999) Biodiversity patterns in Chagos reef fishes. In: Ecology of the Chagos Archipelago (eds. Sheppard CRC & Seaward MRD), pp. 119-136. Published for the Linnean Society of London, by Westbury Publishing, London
  • Spalding M.D. & Phillips P. (1999) Mangroves and Seagrasses of the Indian Ocean. CD-ROM identification guide
  • Anderson R.C., Sheppard C.R.C., Spalding M.D. & Crosby R. (1998) Shortage of Sharks at Chagos. Shark News, newsletter of the IUCN Shark Specialist Group, 10, 1-3
  • Bryant D., Burke L., McManus J. & Spalding M. (1998) Reefs at Risk: a map-based indicator of threats to the world's coral reefs. World Resources Institute, International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management, World Conservation Monitoring Centre and United Nations Environment Programme, Washington, D.C.
  • Spalding M.D. (1998) Biodiversity Patterns in Coral Reefs and Mangrove Forests: global and local scales. PhD Thesis. Department of Geography, University of Cambridge
  • Eakin C.M., McManus J.W., Spalding M.D. & Jameson S.C. (1997) Coral reef status around the world: where are we and where do we go from here. Proceedings of the Eighth International Coral Reef Symposium, Panama, 1, 277-82
  • Spalding M.D. (1997a) The global distribution and status of mangrove ecosystems. Intercoast Network, 1 (Spec. Ed.), 20-1
  • Spalding M.D. (1997b) Mapping global coral reef distribution. Proceedings of the Eighth International Coral Reef Symposium, Panama, 2, 1555-60
  • Spalding M.D. & Anderson R.C. (1997) Reef Fishes of Chagos. Friends of the Chagos, London.
  • Spalding M.D., Blasco F. & Field C.D. (1997) World Mangrove Atlas. International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems, Okinawa, Japan.
  • Spalding M.D. & Grenfell A.M. (1997) New estimates of global and regional coral reef areas. Coral Reefs, 16, 225-30
  • Baker J.M., Spalding M.D., Moore J. & Tortell P. (1996) Sensitivity Mapping for Oil Spill Response. International Maritime Organization and International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association, London, UK.
  • Wells S.M., Spalding M.D. & Grenfell A.M. (1996) Coral Reefs and Mangroves of the World. Lovell Johns and Maps International Ltd.
  • Baker J.M., Spalding M. & Moore J. (1995) Sensitivity mapping worldwide: harmonisation and the needs of different user groups. Proceedings of the 1995 International Oil Spill Conference (Acheiving and Maintaining Preparedness), 77-81
  • Jameson S.C., McManus J.W. & Spalding M.D. (1995) State of the Reefs: Regional and Global Perspectives. US Department of Commerce, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, USA.
  • Spalding M.D. (1995a) Global reef mapping. Coral Reefs, 14, 214
  • Spalding M.D. (1995b) The World Conservation Monitoring Centre: handling global biodiversity data. In: Marine and Coastal Biodiversity in the Tropical Island Pacific Region. Volume 1: Species systematics and information management priorities (eds. Maragos JE, Peterson MNA, Eldredge LG, Bardach JE & Takeuchi HF), pp. 291-301. East-West Center, Honolulu, USA
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