Webinars
Upcoming Webinars
Changing human behavior to secure conservation outcomes
Tuesday, September 16, 10 am US EDT/7 am US PDT/2 pm UTC/3 pm BST/4 pm CEST. Presented by: Laura Perry of Castlerock Conservation and the IUCN SSC CEC Behavior Change Task Force. Description: Conservation behavior change is a nascent discipline, but one which has great applicability to many of today’s conservation challenges. By using lessons drawn from social psychology, behavioral economics, and healthcare interventions, this approach has huge potential to shape human behavior and ultimately secure conservation outcomes. In this talk, we will explore the fundamentals of behavior change and how an array of techniques can be used to change human behavior. Touching on examples from across conservation, we will discuss how these approaches can add value to a conservation program, how practitioners can go about involving behavior change in their work, and the relevance of behavior change approaches to conservation translocations.
Novel marine-climate interventions: Understanding the current global status of their use and how we can govern them responsibly
Thursday, October 16, 1 pm Australia EDT/Wednesday, October 15, 10 pm US EDT/Wednesday, October 15, 7 pm US PDT/Thursday, October 16, 2 am UTC. Presented by: Emily Ogier of the University of Tasmania. Description: Novel marine-climate interventions – such as ocean alkalinity enhancement, assisted evolution of marine species, assisted migration of marine species, regrowing targeted species, restoring habitat, and aquaculture for carbon sequestration – are being rapidly implemented to address both the causes and consequences of warming oceans. A recent survey revealed five types and 17 sub-types of interventions proposed or deployed in 37 marine systems globally. There is low consensus in climate goals being pursued by these interventions, however, and there is limited assessment and management of the broader ecological, cultural and social risks and benefits. This webinar will present the types of novel interventions being developed or deployed, their geographic distribution and stage of development (i.e., pilot or full deployment at regional scale), types of climate goals and benefits pursued, and current arrangements (if any) for responsible governance. Recommendations for responsibly governing these interventions at both pilot and upscaled deployment – such as robust evaluation of opportunity cost of alternative actions, bioethical and cumulative impact assessment at pilot scales, and building in triggers for downscaling or exits based on community monitoring – will also be discussed.
Distinguishing Marine Spatial Planning and Marine Protected Area planning to advance conservation
Wednesday, October 22, 10 am US EDT/7 am US PDT/2 pm UTC/3 pm WEST/3 pm BST/4 pm CEST. Presented by: Catarina Frazão Santos of the University of Lisbon and Tundi Agardy of Sound Seas. Description: Marine spatial planning (MSP) and marine protected area (MPA) planning are two distinct area-based processes used worldwide to support sustainable ocean use and conservation. While MSP and MPA planning share similarities, they target different goals and objectives, and use different methodologies, tools, and practitioner skillsets. In this seminar we present our view of the differences and why they matter, emphasizing that using both can maximally advance conservation, especially in the face of climate change. We discuss how the conflation of MSP with MPA planning can create or fortify siloes, impeding holistic and effective management and lessening chances for broad support for conservation and sustainable use. As the world moves to incorporate climate change considerations into planning, the lack of clarity around these distinct approaches can lead to further confusion and limits our pathways to sustainable solutions. To avoid this, we encourage dialogue about scope and objectives of the tools used in planning and provide some lessons for practitioners to adopt ‘climate-smart’ approaches in MSP and MPA planning practices, optimizing synergies between the two wherever possible. We speak to several different ways to promote such synergies and build on progress being made in each arena, including how in certain circumstances OECM planning could bridge MPA planning and MSP and how climate-smart MSP in Antarctica could catalyze both conservation and sustainable use.
New WCPA practice guidance for protected and conserved area finance
Tuesday, November 18, 10 am US EST/7 am US PST/3 pm UTC/4 pm CET. Presented by: David Meyers of the Conservation Finance Alliance and the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Sustainable Finance Specialist Group. Description: New guidance provides detailed frameworks, descriptions, and insights into the use of conservation finance solutions to achieve protected and conserved area outcomes. The webinar will spotlight how protected and conserved areas (PCAs) generate significant values for society and the economy, why these high economic values are not enough to ensure PCAs are adequately funded and conserved, why financial needs for PCAs are growing, and why investing in PCAs generates significant returns. In addition, this webinar will cover critical guidelines for PCA finance – optimizing resource efficiencies, discouraging harmful actions, incentivizing position action, and increasing financial capital for conservation – for a variety of finance streams including donors and philanthropies, site-based finance, and private sector finance along with special considerations for indigenous group funding.
Past Webinars
A Poison Like No Other: How Microplastics Corrupted Our Planet and Our Bodies
This webinar originally aired on November 2, 2022. Presented by: Matt Simon of Wired magazine. Description: Matt Simon, science journalist at Wired magazine, has published the first book to fully explore the threat of microplastics. Publishers Weekly describes the book as a “lucid, distressing look at a growing environmental concern.” In this webinar, Simon will share how the study of microplastics began in the sea but has now moved to land, the atmosphere, and human health. This presentation will give a brief overview of the current science of microplastics and the scientists who travel to the ends of the earth and the bottom of the ocean to understand plastic pollution.
Getting our $h!t together: The urgent need and opportunities to improve public and ocean health by addressing sewage pollution
This webinar originally aired on Tuesday, October 4, 2022. Presented by: Chris Clapp of The Ocean Sewage Alliance. Description: Roughly 80% or more of the world’s sewage enters the oceans completely untreated or poorly treated, stressing many ecosystems to the point of collapse. This challenge goes largely unnoticed until a crisis happens – a fishery is lost, beaches get closed, or, worse, people get seriously ill. The Ocean Sewage Alliance was formed to break the silence about ocean sewage pollution and bring a sense of urgency to public discourse on the issue. We do so by simultaneously raising awareness about the problem and highlighting the many opportunities that arise from addressing sewage pollution – opportunities in the form of resource recovery, job creation, and risk avoidance.
Introducing Ocean Eye, new technology for marine ecosystem service payments
This webinar originally aired on Wednesday, July 13, 2022. Presented by: Sari Tolvanen of Ocean Eye. Description: Global studies have shown that stakeholder buy-in is the number one success factor in marine conservation, but too often coastal communities lack incentives to support conservation initiatives. Ocean Eye is a data collection and financial transfer platform that collects wildlife sighting data and transfers ecosystem service payments. The animal sighting reports are directly linked to small payments from tourists that go to coastal communities to incentivize the protection of endangered and vulnerable species. By connecting profit to purpose for the tourism operators and communities, it will shift the focus from the current unsustainable behavior of fisheries and coastal communities towards a sustainable, regenerative, and profitable new focus industry that will provide positive livelihood for the future.
Integrating Climate Change into Marine Protected Area (MPA) Management Plans
This webinar originally aired on Wednesday, July 6, 2022. Presented by: Vincenzo Corelli of l’Institut national de la recherche scientifique. Description: The highly dynamic shifts in species distributions and transformations of marine ecosystems due to climate change present significant management challenges to marine protected areas (MPAs). While climate change projections can be incorporated into the design process for new MPAs and MPA networks, adaptation is less clear for established MPAs, which were often not designed with climate change impacts in mind. This webinar will explore the results of an analysis that surveyed the integration of climate change measures in existing MPA management plans. The presenter will share what actions are already being taken by MPA managers to anticipate, adapt to, and mitigate the consequences of climate change and ensure the continued effectiveness of MPAs in a changing ocean. They will also discuss how their results create a community-sourced database of actions which other MPAs can draw upon.
Everything you wanted to know about marine OECMs (but didn’t dare to ask!)
This webinar originally aired on Thursday, June 23, 2022. Presented by: Imen Meliane, Marine OECM Lead of the IUCN-World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA); Tundi Agardy, Director of Sound Seas; and Jannica Haldin, Deputy Executive Secretary of Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission/ Helsinki Commission (HELCOM). Description: “Other effective area-based conservation measures” (OECMs) is a relatively new term to recognize and support existing area-based conservation efforts that contribute to biodiversity conservation outcomes but are not formally recognized and reported as protected areas. There is increasing recognition that OECMs are necessary for achieving Aichi Target 11 and post-2020 area-based conservation targets. In the marine environment, government agencies, communities, and other organizations have started assessing their potential OECMs and reporting them. Over 200 marine OECMs are now formally recognized. This webinar will introduce the concept of OECMs and outline their definition and criteria, with a focus on marine OECMs. It will also provide a practical example of how marine OECMS are being advanced alongside MPAs to further marine biodiversity protection in the Baltic Sea.
Measuring progress towards effective MPAs – indicators and tools
This webinar originally aired on Tuesday, June 21, 2022. Presented by: Felipe Paredes, Marine Vice Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) and National Coordinator for MPAs, Ministry of Environment, Chile; Helen Klimmek, Programme Officer, UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC); and Sue Wells, Chair of the IUCN-WCPA MPA Management Effectiveness Task Force and Independent Consultant. Description: The global target of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030 involves not only designation of more areas but also equitable and effective management of designated sites. This webinar will cover recent activity related to assessing protected area management effectiveness (PAME) of MPAs, including: 1) IUCN WCPA’s priorities for work on effectiveness and implementation of MPAs and OECMs so that they achieve conservation outcomes; 2) work to establish indicators for measuring the effectiveness of protected areas and OECMs at the global level; and 3) a brief overview of PAME assessment tools in use and in development for MPAs. Presentations will be followed by a discussion on how the MPA community can come together, share experiences, and collaboratively accelerate the effective implementation of MPAs.
Applying Behavioral Insights to Improve Marine Conservation
This webinar originally aired on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. Presented by: Claudia Quintanilla and Katie Heffner of Rare. Description: Environmental challenges are also behavioral challenges; solving them requires behavioral solutions. Rare and its Center for Behavior & the Environment (BE.Center) applies behavioral science to help tackle some of the world’s most pressing environmental issues. This webinar will explore behavior-centered design, how it can be applied to marine conservation programs, and examples of successful cases from around the world – with challenge areas ranging from marine pollution to small-scale fishery management. Presenters will share actionable resources tools and other practical guides to apply behavioral insights in marine conservation programs.
Ocean Governance for MPA Managers: Exchanging experiences between South-East Asia and the Atlantic
This webinar originally aired on Thursday, May 5, 2022. Presented by: Purificaciò Canals, Team Leader of the Ocean Governance Project. Description: The European Union Ocean Governance project brings together partners from North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia to improve the work of MPA managers in the field. The Ocean Governance project has developed two self-assessment tools for MPAs – the Coastal Resilience Self-Assessment Tool and the Marine Mammals Self-Assessment Tool. It also connects regional and national networks and learning exchanges of MPA managers, promotes transboundary cooperation for marine protection, and is working to restore sites in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines. This webinar will provide an overview of the whole project as well as present the two self-assessment tools.
Using Regulatory Data to Inform Marine Spatial Planning Efforts
This webinar originally aired on April 28, 2022. Presented by: Deirdre Brannigan of ProtectedSeas. Being able to access rules and regulations in marine protected areas (MPAs) is critical to understanding which MPAs or OECM (other effective conservation measures) have restrictions in place to meet conservation goals. The ProtectedSeas Navigator mapping project is a one-stop resource for policymakers to find out where MPAs are located as well as discover the existing regulations and evaluate their various levels of protection. This regulations-based tool can be used to inform protection analyses and aid in forecasting other areas that need protection. Currently ProtectedSeas has data for over 15,500 MPAs in more than 106 countries –the only place this comprehensive repository of information and data exists. ProtectedSeas is in a formal public-private partnership with the US NOAA MPA Center. This webinar will be of special interest to MPA managers, resource protection staff, policy makers, scientists, and the conservation community who are interested in assessing ocean conservation regulations and protection metrics.
BlueMooring: A sustainable solution for managing MPA moorings and financing marine conservation activities
This webinar originally aired on April 6, 2022. Presented by: Yousr Ben Fadhel and Louis Vercauteren of BlueSeeds. BlueSeeds is a French company that helps MPAs reach financial sustainability and increase the effectiveness of their conservation activities. BlueSeeds believes that one way of supporting MPA managers is to provide them practical tools that can make their day-to-day management work easier while also financing some of their conservation activities. To this end, BlueSeeds has developed a web app that MPA managers can use to manage the booking of their MPA moorings. With this tool, MPA managers can control and monitor the recreational use of the MPA, communicate more easily with visitors, and generate conservation revenues from the paid booking of moorings managed through the web app.