Webinars
Upcoming Webinars
Advancing Ecosystem-Based Marine Spatial Planning Through the MarinePlan Decision Support System
Wednesday, March 18, 10 am US EDT/7 am US PDT/2 pm UTC/3 pm CET. Presented by:Vanessa Stelzenmüller of Thünen Institute of Sea Fisheries. Description: Achieving both conservation and green energy goals demands new approaches that more effectively align marine spatial planning (MSP) with systematic conservation planning. As a forward-looking, integrative process, MSP is uniquely positioned to help deliver sustainable marine futures, especially when grounded in strong ecosystem considerations. Implementing an ecosystem-based approach to MSP (EB-MSP) is therefore essential. This webinar will present a stakeholder-informed Decision Support System (DSS) for EB-MSP developed through the Horizon Europe project MarinePlan (www.marineplan.eu). The DSS offers practical guidance for aligning MSP processes with spatial conservation and restoration priorities. This webinar will introduce core components, including the use of Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs) as a central driver of conservation planning, as well as standardized guidance for defining planning scenarios aimed at meeting global conservation targets protecting 30% of marine areas, with 10% under strict protection by 2030. Finally, the webinar will compare developed planning scenarios with current MSP practices and discuss key insights. Challenges, opportunities, and areas for improvement within existing governance processes to support more effective implementation of EB-MSP will all be highlighted.
Tracking Global MPA Effectiveness: MPAtlas Tools and Tips
Thursday, March 26 at 10 am US EDT/7 am US PDT/2 pm UTC/3 pm CET. Presented by: Beth Pike, Jessica MacCarthy, and Nikki Harasta of the Marine Conservation Institute. Description: Where does the “3% of MPAs are effective” statistic come from? Would your work benefit from being able to see the number of fully and highly protected MPAs in different countries? Do you wish there was a platform for viewing High Seas MPAs? Maybe you want to see how many MPAs are protected from anchoring and aquaculture in addition to fishing, or maybe you want to view global MPAs by size class. Do you want to download the list of countries and the amount of EEZ that is fully or highly protected? Or do you want that list aggregated by sovereignty? The Marine Protection Atlas (MPAtlas) website has been tracking MPA effectiveness since 2012, but many folks do not know that it can do all this and more! Join this webinar to learn how to leverage this open access downloadable data for your conservation needs.
Valuing Marine Ecosystem Services for Better Decisions
Wednesday, April 8, 1 pm US EDT/10 am US PDT/5 pm UTC/6 pm BST. Presented by: Angela Fletcher and Glen Delaney of Earth Economics. Description: Marine and coastal ecosystems provide many ecosystem services that are essential to human communities, including food, recreational opportunities, and protection of infrastructure from natural disasters. These benefits are not often framed in economic terms, which can lead to them being overlooked in decision-making. Communicating ecosystem services in economic terms can support more holistic decision-making that accounts for the full range of benefits these systems provide. In this webinar, Angela Fletcher and Glen Delaney of Earth Economics will introduce the fundamentals of ecosystem service valuation and demonstrate how they have applied these methods in marine and coastal contexts. Earth Economics is a nonprofit economic consultancy with 26 years of experience applying valuation techniques in decision-making, policy, and project implementation. They will begin with a brief overview of ecosystem services and valuation basics, then walk through three real-world case studies that illustrate how valuation can inform conservation, restoration, and policy decisions: a valuation study of kelp forests along the California coast; the use of valuation to inform a National Marine Sanctuary application for the St. George Unangan Heritage site; and how valuation can support funding for salmon habitat restoration in the Duckabush Estuary in Washington State.
Past Webinars
The Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Tool for Coastal Habitats
This webinar originally aired on April 27, 2016. Presenter(s): Jen Plunket, Scott Lerberg, and Robin Weber of NERRS Click here to View on YouTube
Ocean Exploration and MPAs: Priorities, Technological Advances, and Partnerships
Advances in technology for ocean exploration are allowing us to reach new depths and previously unknown areas. As we reach these new frontiers
“To Target Everyone Is to Target No One”: What Social Marketing Can Offer Conservation and Management
Marketing techniques, honed by the commercial sector, are inherently about getting people to change their behavior, whether it is buying a product
Lost Whaling Fleets of the Western Arctic
NOAA archeologists have discovered the battered hulls of two nineteenth century whaling ships nearly 144 years after they sank off the Arctic coast of Alaska in one of the planet’s most unexplored ocean regions.
Maps and Datasets for Blue Carbon Habitats
Blue carbon denotes the long-term storage of carbon within plant habitats growing in coastal lands and nearshore marine environments.
Status of Marine and Coastal EBM among the Network of US Federal Programs
This webinar originally aired on 20 January 2016. This webinar will provide an overview of the current state of practice among a number of US…
A New Era of Cooperation Between Cuba and the US Established Through MPAs
On Nov 18, 2015, NOAA and the US National Park Service signed a memorandum of understanding with Cuba’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment to ..
How to Improve Marine Conservation Research in Small Island States
Healthy, functioning marine ecosystems are critical to the well-being of so called small island developing states (SIDS): these ecosystems contribute to local food security, foster a sense of community ..
The Rapidly Changing Arctic
This webinar was presented by Fran Ulmer, Chair of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission. Hon. Fran Ulmer provided an overview of the rapid changes that are taking place in the Arctic..
La herramienta para Evaluación de Servicios Ecosistémicos a Escala de Sitio (TESSA)
Por Isadora Angarita de BirdLife International. La herramienta para Evaluación de Servicios Ecosistémicos a Escala de Sitio (TESSA por sus siglas en inglés), ofrece una ..