Webinars
Upcoming Webinars
Do we have the ecosystem-based science to manage human activities?
Thursday, April 23, at 10 am US EDT/7 am US PDT/2 pm UTC/3 pm BST/4 pm CEST. Presented by: Roland Cormier and Michael Elliott of International Estuarine & Coastal Specialists (IECS). Description: There is long history of multi-disciplinary research dedicated to Ecosystem-based Approaches (EBA) for environmental policies and management plans – these combine to create Ecosystem-based Management (EBM). Research provides valuable insights into environmental impacts and their effects on biodiversity through ecosystem status overviews, impact assessments, and environmental quality reports generated from large data sets and models using conceptual, qualitative, and quantitative methods. Since policies establish the reasons for action and management outlines the priorities to be addressed, it is ultimately technical measures (Ecosystem-based Technical Measures, EBTM) that specify how managers of human activities can best reduce pressures on ecosystems. An applied science approach – Ecosystem-based Science (EBS) – is needed to inform the reliability and effectiveness of such technical measures. This talk will present this EBA-EBM-EBTM-EBS continuum and build on a previous talk given last year on recent advances in environmental science for management (see OCTO webinar July 2025 https://octogroup.org/recent-developments-in-the-sustainable-management-of-marine-resources). Most initiatives and examples presented will be related to marine environments, but some from other aquatic environments will also be used.
Marine Manager: A tool for transparency and effective marine conservation in the quest for 30×30
Wednesday, April 29, at 11 am US EDT/8 am US PDT/3 pm UTC/10 am COT/4 pm BST/5 pm CEST. Presented by: Lina Gutierrez Cala and Leah Buckley of Global Fishing Watch. Description: With less than 5 years to achieve the global commitment of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030, transparency and accountability are more important than ever. Access to reliable information about human activity at sea is essential to support the decision-making processes required to meet this ambitious target. This webinar will introduce the Marine Manager platform, developed by Global Fishing Watch in partnership with Donna Bertarelli Philanthropy. The free and open platform serves datasets on vessel activity and presence derived from satellite tracking and imagery sources, as well as environmental datasets. By making these datasets publicly available and easy to visualize and interact with, Marine Manager supports the development and implementation of effective conservation schemes with tangible outcomes, while helping address challenges such as “paper parks” – protected areas that lack the required management and monitoring tools to meet their mandates. As of today, Marine Manager has supported multiple processes, including the designation of critical biodiversity areas, the design and implementation of management plans, and ongoing monitoring efforts. The tool complements local partners’ resources to enhance the protection of key biodiversity areas in the regions in which Global Fishing Watch operates. Through the Marine Manager platform, Global Fishing Watch aims to provide transparent, reliable and accessible information that supports informed decisions and safeguards the ocean for the well-being of the communities that depend on it.
Keep Poop in the Loop: A Global Sewage Treaty for Our Ocean
Tuesday, May 19 at 1 pm EDT/10 am US PDT/5 pm UTC. Presented by: Jasmine Fournier of Ocean Sewage Alliance, Description: Nearly half of the world’s wastewater flows untreated into our rivers and oceans, fueling biodiversity loss, threatening human health, and costing the global economy over $4 trillion annually. But here’s the good news: it’s solvable. And eliminating sewage pollution isn’t just good for the ocean; it’s good for business. Clean water means healthier ecosystems, more resilient reefs, and sustainable coastal economies because no one wants more sewage in the ocean. It’s a win-win-win. This webinar will present the vision for a binding United Nations resolution that establishes international standards, unlocks financing, and supports countries in ending sewage pollution at its source. This conversation will explore how a Global Sewage Treaty addresses a root issue across climate, plastics, biodiversity, and water scarcity; how a circular approach can turn waste into a financially beneficial resource; and the growing movement demanding global cooperation on this solvable crisis, and how you can join.
2026 Ocean Innovator Awards: Monitoring Kelp Forests in Oregon, Restoring Coral in Mozambique, and Reducing Whale Bycatch in the Azores
Tuesday, June 2, 12 pm US EDT/9 am US PDT/4 pm UTC. Presented by: Wave Moretto of Oregon State University, Yudmila Chunguane of Love the Oceans, and Andrea de Moura Milanelli of The Thünen Institute. Description: Join us to hear from the winners of the 2026 Ocean Innovator Award opportunity, which recognizes and promotes innovative ocean-related research and applied solutions. Early career professionals from around the globe submitted creative presentations about their innovative projects related to coastal, ocean, and estuarine environments. The three winners were selected by a team of expert reviewers across several dimensions of the ocean and coastal career field. Winners include: 1st Place: Wave Moretto, “Fish, Kelp, and Habitat Health: Redefining how we monitor Oregon’s nearshore kelp forests”; 2nd Place: Yudmila Chunguane, “BEAM – Biodiversity Enhancement and Algal Management: Youth lead coral restoration in Jangamo Bay”; and 3rd Place: Andrea de Moura Milanelli, “CetAcousticsWW – A Low-Cost Drifting Buoy for Cetacean Acoustic Monitoring in the Azores”.
From Surfonomics to Insurance: Valuing and Protecting Surf Ecosystems
Thursday, June 4, at Noon US EDT/9 am US PDT/4 pm UTC. Presented by: Nik Strong-Cvetich and Diego Sancho-Gallegos of the Save The Waves Coalition. Description: Surf ecosystems – the land-to-sea interface that creates the conditions for breaking, rideable waves for surfing, and the flora, fauna, and human communities that depend on them – generate enormous economic and cultural value for coastal communities, yet they remain largely unrecognized as natural assets in coastal policy and planning. This webinar introduces Surfonomics – a methodology that quantifies the economic value derived from surfing in coastal communities – and illustrates how reframing a surf break as a natural asset can support coastal conservation. Drawing on Save The Waves Coalition’s work around the world, presenters will trace the evolution from economic valuation of surf breaks to include climate vulnerability assessments and the design of financial tools that can sustain surf-dependent economies under a changing climate. The featured case study focuses on Oriente Salvaje World Surfing Reserve in El Salvador, where the Save The Waves Coalition and partners are developing a parametric insurance pilot to protect surf ecosystems and the coastal communities that depend on them – the first of its kind. Attendees will come away with an understanding of natural resource valuation and its role in supporting conservation and the livelihoods that rely on the sustainable use of these resources.
Past Webinars
Verra Standards for Sustainability, Resilience, and Carbon (including Blue carbon, Coastal Resilience, and Plastic Waste Reduction)
This webinar originally aired on March 16, 2022. Presented by: Sinclair Vincent, Anna Mortimer, and Kristen Linscott of Verra. Verra is a nonprofit organization that develops and provides standards that drive investment toward high-impact activities addressing environmental and social challenges across the globe. The rigorous process to meet Verra’s standards include independent verification and issuance of claims and credits. Verra’s standards are employed by a broad variety of governments, corporations and other private actors, and NGOs around the world. This webinar will present Verra’s programs in climate and sustainability focusing on standards in Blue Carbon to sequester carbon dioxide, Coastal Resilience to improve protection of human and environmental assets, and Plastic Waste Reduction to reduce waste ending up in the environment and incentivize recycling.
New tool for assessing the environmental impacts of wave energy projects
This webinar originally aired on March 1, 2022. Presented by: Ibon Galparsoro of AZTI. Marine renewable energies are gaining momentum around the world due to the need to develop safe energy sources that can help the world decarbonize and fight climate change. However, the full potential of energy from waves, currents and wind has yet to be tapped – in part due to uncertainty about how energy conversion devices may impact the marine environment. AZTI has developed a new tool – the WEC-ERA Tool – to assess the ecological risk of wave energy converters. This is an open-access tool for managers, decisionmakers, industry and others to evaluate the environmental risks associated with new wave energy projects. The tool evaluates how three different wave power conversion technologies – oscillating water column, oscillating wave surge converters, and wave turbines – affect the ecosystem. The system addresses all phases of the lifecycle of those power conversion technologies, from installation to operation to dismantling. This tool is intuitive and easy to use. The characteristics of the proposed installation are entered (i.e., number of units, total authorized surface, installed production capacity in megawatts, project lifespan in years, and area reserved for the equipment). Results consider possible impacts on the seabed and native bird, mammal, fish, reptile, and cephalopod species.
Urban Ocean: Partnering to advance clean, healthy cities for clean, healthy seas
This webinar originally aired on February 24, 2022. Presented by: Steve Morrison of NOAA, Jenna Jambeck of the University of Georgia, and Keri Browder of the Ocean Conservancy. This webinar will present the NOAA Marine Debris Program and its partnerships to curb plastic waste. It will cover the program’s overarching portfolio and goals as well as one of its programs – Urban Ocean. Led by Ocean Conservancy and in close collaboration with University of Georgia’s New Materials Institute and Circularity Informatics Lab, Urban Ocean provides a platform for city governments to connect with one another as well as with community leaders, academia, and the private sector to develop, share, and scale solutions to the ocean plastics crisis while progressing their broader urban development priorities. The webinar will showcase Urban Ocean’s recent findings and outputs, including the results of the Circularity Assessment Protocol in each of the learning cities and the recently released Urban Ocean Toolkit.
Marine Connectivity Conservation “Rules of Thumb” for MPA and MPA Network Design
This webinar originally aired on February 8, 2022. Presented by: Barbara Lausche of Mote Marine Laboratory and the IUCN-WCPA Marine Connectivity Working Group and Mary Collins of the Center for Large Landscape Conservation. To help guide, enhance, and restore ecological connectivity of the ocean, the IUCN WCPA has released a new publication entitled “Marine Connectivity Conservation ‘Rules of Thumb’ for MPA and MPA Network Design.” This publication provides broadly applicable guidance on connectivity for MPA managers. This webinar will highlight several of the 13 ‘Rules of Thumb’ and how they can help guide integration of connectivity into conservation activities – ranging from interactions across the land-sea interface to the movement of currents and migratory species around the world and across political boundaries.
Never let a good failure go to waste: Learning from conservation failure
This webinar originally aired on 25 January 2022. Presented by: Allison Catalano from work conducted at Imperial College London. How does your organization handle failure? Failure or outcomes that are less than successful are not uncommon in conservation initiatives, yet we rarely discuss failure in systematic ways that make use of the learning opportunities failure presents. Here we will discuss alternate ways to think about failure and the individual and interpersonal dynamics that make it challenging.
Planning for Coastal and Marine Heritage in a Changing Climate
This webinar originally aired on 16 December 2021. Presented by: Erin Seekamp of North Carolina State University. Heritage sites represent our inherited traditions, objects, monuments, and land and seascapes that provide cultural connections and identities as well as societal benefits.
Supporting self-financing mechanisms in MPAs
This webinar originally aired on 17 November 2021. Presented by: Guillaume Le Port and Nastazia Femmami of BlueSeeds. The webinar described two support programs: visitor fees and concession agreements. These programs empower and build MPA staff’s capacity to manage their site or network’s local financing mechanisms over the long term.
MPAs as Part of the Climate Solution: The Role of Blue Carbon
This webinar originally aired on 26 October 2021. Presented by: Sara Hutto of the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. Well-managed marine protected areas (MPAs) protect valuable blue carbon habitats and processes, and they must be included in global and national mitigation and adaptation responses to climate change.
Turning the tide of parachute science
This webinar originally aired on 21 October 2021. Presented by: Paris Stefanoudis of the University of Oxford and Sheena Talma of the Nekton Foundation. Parachute science is the practice whereby international scientists, typically from higher-income countries, conduct field studies in another country, typically of lower income, and then complete the research in their home country without any further effective communication and engagement with others from that nation.
Blueprint for Coastal Adaptation
This webinar originally aired on 13 October 2021. Presented by: Samuel Brody of the Institute for a Disaster Resilient Texas at Texas A&M University at Galveston, Carlos Martin with the Brookings Institution’ Metropolitan Policy Program, and Carolyn Kousky of the Wharton Risk Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Sea level rise will cause interrelated challenges in communities around the United States. The issues extend far beyond land use planning to affect housing policy, financing for public infrastructure, insurance, fostering healthier coastal ecosystems, and more.