Webinars

Wednesday, May 14, 1 pm US EDT/10 am US PDT/5 pm UTC. Presented by: Claire Colegrove and Alex Driedger of ProtectedSeas. Description: While hundreds of nations have committed to the global 30×30 target, much work remains to reach that goal and sustainably manage the remaining 70%. Regulatory protections are crucial for marine management efficacy, and accurate data on in-place management measures are essential for assessing existing marine protections and informing the creation of new areas. However, collecting and interpreting marine regulations can be challenging due to often unavailable or difficult-to-access legal instruments. Overlapping measures and siloed management add further complexities. ProtectedSeas Navigator contains data on worldwide regulations for MPAs, fishery management areas, and other place-based marine managed areas (MMAs) and considers restrictions cumulatively across overlapping areas using spatial aggregation techniques to provide insights into overall protection. This cumulative analysis of regulations in overlapping marine managed areas offers insights into overall uses and protection across ocean spaces, enabling better protection assessments, planning, and management. As an example, initial analysis in California revealed several ocean spaces where individual MMA protections were minimal, yet when combined with protections from other overlapping MMAs, resulted in more highly regulated spaces with enhanced protection.

Thursday, May 29, 1 pm US EDT/10 am US PDT/5 pm UTC. Presented by: Patrick Nichols of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Elizabeth Farquhar of North Carolina State University, and Jessi Florendo of the Puget Sound Restoration Fund. Description: Join us to hear from the winners of the 2025 Ocean Innovator Award opportunity, which recognizes and promotes innovative ocean-related research and applied solutions. Early career professionals from around the globe submitted creative presentations about their innovative projects related to coastal, ocean, and estuarine environments. The three winners were selected by a team of expert reviewers across several dimensions of the ocean and coastal career field. Winners include: 1st Place: Patrick Nichols, “Harnessing Environmental DNA to Track a Cryptogenic Nuisance Alga (Chondria tumulosa) that is Threatening Pacific Coral Reefs”; 2nd Place: Elizabeth Farquhar, “Developing a Low-Cost, IoT Device for Estimating Air–Water ΔpCO2 in Coastal Environments”; and 3rd Place: Jessi Florendo, “Bull Kelp Restoration through Kelp Community Gardening”. The next award cycle will open in February, 2026. To learn more about the Ocean Innovators Award, please visit www.sea-shoresolutions.com/oia.

Wednesday, June 18, 11 am US EDT/8 am US PDT/3 pm UTC/4 pm BST/5 pm CEST. Presented by: Nick Wise of OceanMind. Description: OceanMind uses satellites, artificial intelligence (AI), and extensive marine enforcement expertise to help authorities monitor and enforce their MPAs; detect, deter, and prevent illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; and support Port State Measure Agreement implementation. OceanMind also provides tailored capacity building and enforcement training for fisheries authorities. This webinar will provide an overview of how advanced technology can be used for effective enforcement of marine regulation, including case studies from the UK’s network of MPAs that cover almost 4.5 million square kilometres in some of the most remote locations on the planet, drawing comparisons to the enforcement needs of high seas MPAs.