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
Ocean Prosperity Roadmap: Fisheries and Beyond
The Ocean Prosperity Roadmap: Fisheries and Beyond is a new collection of research designed to inform decision makers..
A Community-Based Tool for Designing TURF-Reserves
Small-scale coastal fisheries are central to the health of the ocean, livelihood, poverty alleviation and food security for millions around the world..
Toolkit for Ecosystem Services Site-based Assessment (TESSA)
The Toolkit for Ecosystem Services Site-based Assessment (TESSA) provides practical step-by-step guidance for conducting an ecosystem services assessment at the site scale.
Ocean Parks and the 2016 National Park Service Centennial
The National Park Service is entrusted with managing 86 ocean and Great Lakes parks across 22 states and four territories.
Land Cover Products for Understanding Water Quality Impacts
Land use and land cover have significant impacts on ecosystem health—with impervious surface runoff and natural areas that provide flood protection or pollutant filtering being obvious examples. ..
Monitoring Progress: The Biodiversity Indicators Dashboard
he Biodiversity Indicators Dashboard is a web-enabled, interactive dashboard that enables tracking of biodiversity and conservation performance data in a clear
Inspire Ocean and Climate Literacy and Conservation through MPAs
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries serves as the trustee for a system of fourteen marine protected areas..
Mapping Ocean Wealth
Mapping Ocean Wealth is a new initiative to deliver scientifically rigorous information about ocean benefits in a way that helps decision-makers make choices about investments..
Tools to Plan for Hazards Resilience and Climate Change
A major challenge for coastal communities is planning for the impacts of current and future flood hazards. This webinar will highlight two resources that NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management …
Solving the Mystery of MPA Performance: Linking Governance to Ecological Outcomes
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are increasingly being employed as a tool to promote biodiversity conservation and maintain ecosystem goods and services.