Webinars

Upcoming Webinars

The Community Voice Method: Amplifying community voices in decision making processes

The Community Voice Method: Amplifying community voices in decision making processes

Tuesday, September 29, 11 am US EDT/8 am US PDT/3 pm UTC/4 pm BST/5 pm CEST. Presented by: Amdeep Sanghera and Emily Bunce of Marine Conservation Society, UK. Description: For marine conservation initiatives to be effective and ethical, it is crucial that the views and ideas of local communities and resource users be represented in decision making. Community Voice Method (CVM) is a holistic and inclusive way of stimulating more meaningful and equitable community engagement in natural resource policy development, decision-making and management. Engaging with community members in a way that seeks their views and encourages discussion on marine issues, CVM combines arts-based social research with best practice in stakeholder engagement to deliver insights and conversations which can support positive, constructive, and enduring relationships and improved outcomes for people and nature. This webinar will present an overview of this film-based transdisciplinary approach, its origin, its application within the context of the UK and the Caribbean UK Overseas Territories, and its impact on people and nature. In addition, the webinar will feature an existing project in the Turks and Caicos where significant resources are being applied to the upskilling of local partners on the method, reducing the territory’s reliance on external researchers and resulting in a more locally-led project.

Seagrass Loss and Restoration: Case Studies from the Indo-Pacific

Seagrass Loss and Restoration: Case Studies from the Indo-Pacific

Wednesday, September 30, at 0400 UTC. Presented by: Dr. Rohani Ambo Rappe of Hasanuddin University and Dr. Jennifer Verduin of Murdoch University. Description: Seagrass meadows are vital to food security, livelihoods, and coastal resilience across the Indo-Pacific. They provide gleaning and small-scale fishing opportunities for the region’s most food-insecure households, as well as essential habitat for commercial fisheries. They also protect coastal communities by reducing wave energy and erosion, buffering storm surges, stabilizing sediments, and filtering pollutants, pathogens, and excess nutrients to improve water quality. Greater Southeast Asian has the largest global extent of tropical seagrass, but over half is degraded. Restoration projects are underway across the region, with varying degrees of success. A recent synthesis of this work identified several factors—including species, restoration methods, light levels, wave energy, and water depth—that are associated with greater survival and establishment of restored seagrass. In this webinar seagrass restoration experts Dr. Rohani Ambo-Rappe and Dr. Jennifer Verduin will share lessons from two of the most extensive and well-studied seagrass restoration programs in the region, including: 1) The use of simple, low-cost restoration methods in the Spermonde Archipelago, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, 2) Work to replant foundational seagrass species in partnership with Indigenous traditional owners in Shark Bay, Western Australia. The presenters will discuss why seagrass loss occurred, describe the restoration approaches used and their successes and challenges, and share lessons learned about what works, what doesn’t, and why. The webinar will conclude with a live Q&A, providing attendees an opportunity to ask the presenters questions.

Designing High Seas MPAs that work: Practical solutions for monitoring, control and surveillance

Designing High Seas MPAs that work: Practical solutions for monitoring, control and surveillance

Thursday, October 8, Noon US EDT/9 am US PDT/4 pm UTC/5 pm BST/6 pm CEST. Presented by: Klaudija Cremers, Julien Rochette, and Alexandra Oliveira Pinto of IDDRI. Description: The credibility of future high seas marine protected areas (HSMPAs) established under the BBNJ Agreement will depend on their effective implementation and enforcement. Experiences from existing MPAs and high seas governance show that monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) is a decisive factor for compliance and enforcement. While the remoteness of areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) poses major challenges, recent technological advances offer practical, scalable and cost-effective solutions, provided they are embedded in a broader compliance strategy. States and coalitions championing HSMPAs should therefore integrate a site-specific compliance strategy that includes MCS activities into their proposal from the outset, combining emerging technologies with complementary policy, legal, technical and cooperation measures. Over the past two years, IDDRI has conducted extensive research on MCS tools and services, including through interviews and expert consultations. This work resulted in a Guide that aims to support States and stakeholders in integrating MCS considerations into HSMPA proposals. This webinar will present the key findings of this work.

Past Webinars

How to do science so it influences marine policy and management: A panel discussion with a focus on Latin America, Caribbean, and African contexts

How to do science so it influences marine policy and management: A panel discussion with a focus on Latin America, Caribbean, and African contexts

This webinar originally aired on 28 September 2021. Moderator/panelists: Peter Edwards of The Pew Charitable Trusts (moderator), Rodrigo Arriagada of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (panelist), Nicole Leotaud of the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (panelist), and David Obura of CORDIO East Africa. Many environmental scientists find that their research has less impact in the real world than they hoped for or expected.

Behavior Change for Climate Action for the Oceans and Beyond

Behavior Change for Climate Action for the Oceans and Beyond

This webinar originally aired on 26 August 2021. Presented by: Caroly Shumway of the Center for Behavior and Climate. More and more environmental practitioners are incorporating behavior change into their efforts to increase pro-environmental action, building off the success of the medical community in using behavior change to improve health.

Working towards a global plastic pollution treaty: Process and possibilities

Working towards a global plastic pollution treaty: Process and possibilities

This webinar originally aired on 17 August 2021. Presented by: Trisia Farrelly of Massey University. Over 130 countries have declared support for a global agreement to combat marine litter and microplastics. There are numerous processes underway to build momentum towards an ambitious global plastics agreement at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) 5.2 in February 2022.

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