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
Guide to Consistent Protection Across Europe from Destructive Fishing in EU Natura 2000 Sites
Over 100 European Marine Sites (EMS) have been designated in the UK under EU laws since 1994. Yet historically there has been no effective system in place to manage destructive fishing practices in these sites…
Lessons Learned: Impacts of Coastal and Ocean Tourism
Coastal resort and cruise tourism are the fastest growing sectors of the tourism industry, and uncontrolled, large scale tourism development is causing…
IMBER-ADApT: A Decision Support Tool for Responding to Global Change
Global change is occurring now, often with consequences far beyond those anticipated. Although there is a wide range of assessment approaches available..
The IUCN Green List and Marine Protected Areas
The IUCN Green List is a new and progressive initiative that encourages and celebrates the success of protected areas, both terrestrial and marine..
Community-Based Sea Level Rise Projections
Washington Sea Grant has partnered with the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and Adaptation International to develop local sea level rise projections and sea level scenario maps…
Discovering Data and Informing Regional Ocean Health Priorities with the West Coast Ocean Data Portal
The West Coast Ocean Data Portal, launched in January 2014, connects people to ocean and coastal data to better inform regional ocean management, planning, and policy development along the US West Coast. ..
Where’s My Fish? New Tools to Visualize Climate and Other Impacts on Marine Animals
By 2100, ocean waters are expected to be substantially warmer than they are today, with profound effects on fisheries. One of the most commonly observed impacts of climate change…
Indigenous Knowledge and Use of Ocean Currents in the Bering Strait Region
In this webinar, Julie Raymond-Yakoubian of Kawerak, Inc. will presented a recently completed project on indigenous knowledge and use of ocean currents…
Plastic Waste Inputs from Land into the Ocean
Considerable progress has been made in determining the amount and location of plastic debris in our seas, but how much plastic actually enters them in the first place is more uncertain.
Lessons in Managing Public Space: From Public Lands to the EEZ
One of the most recent trends in ocean management has been the introduction of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) to reconcile multiple human objectives, including economic growth and ecosystem protection,