The Skimmer on Marine Ecosystems and Management
Fishing for invertebrates is increasing dramatically, and it’s impacting marine ecosystems: How we can manage invertebrate fisheries better
Editor’s note: In 2016, roughly one-third of the total value of the world’s trade of fish and fish products was invertebrates. (They were approximately one-fifth of the global fish trade by live weight.) To learn more about the state and future of invertebrate fisheries management, The Skimmer interviewed Heike Lotze,…
Latest Marine Ecosystem News and Resources for Planners and Managers
New IPCC Oceans and Cryosphere special report paints dire picture of ocean health Experts describe best options for using oceans to mitigate climate change UN International Seabed Authority continuing discussions on regulations for deep-seabed mining; environmental organization seeks mining moratorium until deep sea better understood Scientists assess what is needed…
From the Archives: Mining social media: The new world of abundant, ‘messy’ data and what marine conservation and management can learn from it (MEAM May 2018, Issue 11:7)
Editor’s Note: From the Archives calls attention to past Skimmer/MEAM articles whose perspectives and insight remain relevant. Coverage of social media usually focuses on how social media platforms (e.g., Twitter, Facebook) can be used to communicate with and educate stakeholders and the general public. But social media also provides publicly available information…
It’s not just about marine mammals anymore: How ocean noise can harm marine ecosystems
Editor’s note: We’ve all read about how ocean noise can harm marine mammals. New research reveals that it can have profound impacts on lower trophic levels as well, with likely consequences for marine ecosystems. Catch up on the latest research with this month’s Skimmer. A little background on sound in…
Latest Marine Ecosystem News and Resources for Planners and Managers
Nearly 60% of ocean experiencing significantly increasing cumulative impact Marine wildlife populations decreased by half in past 40 years High European fisheries profits linked to sustainable practices US’s first large-scale offshore wind development held up by fisheries concerns Top ocean science research priorities for sustainable development identified New research brings…
New tools for dynamic ocean management: EcoCast vs. Marxan and more
Editor’s note: Heather Welch is a research associate with the University of California at Santa Cruz and the (US) NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center’s Environmental Research Division. The Skimmer spoke with her about her research, which focuses on understanding and planning for the spatial and temporal dynamics of large-scale marine…
Were you on holiday/in the field during July and August? Catch up on The Skimmer!
In case you missed it, last month’s issue of The Skimmer featured original articles: Expanding our view of voices that matter: New perspectives on ocean stakeholders. As economies, technologies, and climate shift, it is critical to reexamine our views of who ocean stakeholders are, their relative importance, and how we…
Expanding our view of voices that matter: New perspectives on ocean stakeholders
In recent years, stakeholder engagement has been widely recognized as integral to effective marine conservation, marine ecosystem-based management, and marine spatial planning. There are many different definitions of the term ”stakeholder”, but at its most inclusive, it is any “person, organization, or group with an interest (professional or societal) or an influence on the marine environment or who is influenced directly or indirectly by activities and management decisions.” The list of stakeholders engaged in any marine conservation or management process depends on the context of the specific project, but, in practice, typical stakeholders engaged in marine conservation and management processes include local industries, coastal residents, management agencies, and conservation organizations.
The world is changing rapidly though. New information and technologies, new forms of social interaction (often fostered by social media), increases in tourism around the globe, shifting economies, globalization, global climate change, and other factors make it critical to continually reexamine traditional views of who ocean stakeholders are, their relative importance, and how we engage them.
In this issue of The Skimmer, we feature three recent studies that highlight new (or often underrepresented) voices in ocean management processes, as well as thoughts on how these voices can be brought into decision making for marine ecosystems.
- One of these studies found the value of marine stewardship activities is greater than the revenues from commercial finfish and whale watching activities in the US state of Massachusetts.
- Another study presents the concept of “extra-local ecosystem services” – ecosystem services provided by coastal and marine ecosystems that are distributed beyond the ecosystem itself, including regionally and globally.
- A third study – of place attachment to the Great Barrier Reef – found a community of people with strong attachment to the reef who do not necessarily have ongoing direct experience with it.
The Slimmer Skimmer: An end to harmful fisheries subsidies may be coming soon – and that could help a marine ecosystem near you
Editor’s note: The Slimmer Skimmer is a new feature to give a brief update on a topic critical to marine ecosystem management. We are starting off our Slimmer Skimmer series with one of fisheries subsidies. The World Trade Organization is currently working to make an end-of-the year deadline (their own,…
Latest News and Resources for Ocean Planners and Managers
Draft of new UN Law of the Sea agreement on high seas biodiversity available for review Research shows fisheries in different nations highly interconnected by larval transport New study predicts every 1°C increase in ocean temperature leads to 5% loss of marine biomass Plastics could change physical processes in the…