The Skimmer on Marine Ecosystems and Management
Organization Spotlight: OceanElders, a Catalyst for Ocean Conservation
Launched in 2010, the nongovernmental organization OceanElders is a group of experienced global leaders who use their collective influence to promote ocean conservation. The first Ocean Elder appointed was oceanographer and explorer Sylvia Earle. Now there are twelve, including Virgin Group CEO Sir Richard Branson, Queen Noor of Jordan, Jean-Michel…
Tundi’s Take: How Objectives-Oriented EBM Propels Us Away from Static, Formulaic Marine Management
By Tundi Agardy, MEAM Contributing Editor. tundiagardy@earthlink.net Management of anything at all – a business, a household (or, even harder, teenagers within a household), fisheries, or marine environments – is focused on achieving positive outcomes. That is stating the obvious. But conventional management, and even much of EBM today, focuses…
The EBM Toolbox: Funding for Tool Development
Dozens of innovative tools have been created to help integrate scientific research and societal values into management in exciting ways, but many of these tools fail. One reason is that tool developers are unable to find consistent, long-term funding for their work. A recent article in the journal BioScience (Curtice…
“Turning the Dials” in the Direction of Progress: Reflecting on the Largest Study of Marine EBM in Practice
Recognize the connections within ecosystems. Balance the needs of those ecosystems with the needs of humans. Manage in an adaptive way. Collaborate. These and other principles of ecosystem-based management have been laid out in numerous publications. But what do these concepts look like when translated into actual use? Now, thanks…
In US, Marine Spatial Planning Process Enters Regional Phase; Federal Role Is Reduced from Original Plans
In 2010, President Barack Obama signed an executive order establishing a national ocean policy for the US. Among other actions, the policy called for a national process of coastal and marine spatial planning (CMSP), which would be carried out on a phased basis across nine regional planning areas (MEAM 4:1)….
Tundi’s Take: Circling Back to Hawaiian EBM
By Tundi Agardy, MEAM Contributing Editor (tundiagardy@earthlink.net) I recently had the great pleasure of addressing the Hawai'i Conservation Alliance on the occasion of its 20th anniversary conference. In preparing for that speech, I learned much about how EBM is approached in the Hawaiian Islands, comparing that to trends and emerging…
Perspective: Fisheries Research Needs to Change Course
By Andrew Johnson, Bangor University Editor's note: Andrew Johnson is a recent graduate of the University of Bangor (UK) with a Ph.D. in marine ecology. Governments and scientists invest significant money and time every year in trying to understand where fish live and why, for the purpose of informing fisheries…
Perspective: In the Coral Triangle Initiative, Is Support Filtering Down to MPAs and Local Practitioners?
By Alan White, The Nature Conservancy Editor's note: Alan White is senior scientist for the Asia-Pacific Program of The Nature Conservancy. He is also a member of the Coral Triangle Support Partnership, a consortium of WWF, Conservation International, and The Nature Conservancy. The partnership is funded by the Regional Development…
Notes & News: Ocean Health Index – EBM case studies – EU marine spatial planning – Shifting baselines – UN Oceans Compact
Ocean Health Index scores marine ecosystems on sustainability of services A new measurement called the Ocean Health Index evaluates the condition of marine ecosystems according to 10 human goals, representing an ecosystem-based assessment of the ecological, social, and economic benefits that a healthy ocean provides. The higher the score (on…
EBM Toolbox: Six Field-tested Tools for Comprehensive Marine Spatial Planning and MPAs
By Sarah Carr Editor’s note: The goal of The EBM Toolbox is to promote awareness of tools for facilitating EBM processes. It is brought to you by the EBM Tools Network, an alliance of tool users, developers, and training providers There are dozens of software-based tools that can be used…