Webinars
Upcoming Webinars
Global tracking of marine megafauna space use reveals how to achieve conservation targets
Thursday, February 26, 4-5:30 pm US EST/1-2:30 pm US PST/9-10:30 pm UTC and Friday, February 27, 8-9:30 am AEDT (Canberra, Australia)/10-11:30 am NZDT (Auckland, New Zealand). Presented by: Moderators Kayla Ripple and Nate Fedrizzi of Pew Fellows Program in Marine Conservation and panelists Ana Sequeira of Australian National University and MegaMove, Mark Erdmann of ReShark and Re:Wild, and Elizabeth Karan of Pew Charitable Trusts. Description: Selecting the right locations for high seas marine protected areas (MPAs) requires understanding where animals live and how they travel through the global ocean. A 2025 study provides timely insights into how many of the world’s most iconic marine species use international waters, and where protections could help them recover and thrive. The findings stem from a research project led by 2020 Pew Marine Fellow, Ana M.M. Sequeira, Associate Professor at the Australia National University and Research Director and Founder of MegaMove. This webinar will start with a short presentation highlighting key results from the study followed by an expert panel that will discuss how this information can help inform decision-making around the achievement of global conservation targets and the design of a future high seas MPA network.
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.
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
Estimating Blue Carbon Storage in Texas Coastal Wetlands
Blue Carbon is a term used to define carbon that is stored and sequestered in coastal wetland habitats. Wetland habitats found along the Gulf Coast of Texas include coastal salt marshes…
Application of the Sea-Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM) to New York and Connecticut
In 2013, the states of New York and Connecticut and the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission funded the application of the Sea-Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM)..
Integrating Oceans into the Landscape Conservation Cooperative Network
Conservation challenges of the 21st century are complex and include both local challenges and widespread threats such as drought, climate change, and large-scale habitat fragmentation…
Assessing Data-Limited Fisheries: the Framework for Integrated Stock and Habitat Evaluation (FISHE)
Thousands of commercial and recreational fisheries exist worldwide, representing an important component of many countries’ economies and supporting billions…
An Ocean of Story Maps
The story map is a relatively new medium for sharing not only data, photos, videos, sounds, and maps, but for telling a specific and compelling story by way of that content…
Keeping the Promise of Sydney – Next Steps for the Marine Agenda from the World Parks Congress
In this webinar, Lauren Wenzel, Acting Director of the NOAA National MPA Center, and Dan Laffoley, Marine Vice Chair for IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas..
The Blue Carbon Mapping Toolkit
This webinar originally aired on Dec 16, 2014. Presenter(s): Tim Wilkinson of UNEP WCMC Click here to view on YouTube
Restoring the Resilience of Caribbean Coral Reefs
Dr. Jackson presented on the new report Status and Trends of Caribbean Coral Reefs: 1970-2012. The report is a result of a three-year joint effort of the…
Ocean Planning’s Impact – An economic, environmental, and social retrospective
Existing studies have helped define what good ocean planning (also known as Maritime or Marine Spatial Planning) looks like..
Making Blue Carbon Work: Building Blue Carbon Projects and the GEF Blue Forests Project
This webinar originally aired on 25 November 2014. Blue carbon projects can work! A new report entitled ‘Building Blue Carbon Projects: An Introductory Guide’ showcases…