Webinars

Upcoming Webinars

Insights and tools for combining governance approaches for more effective and equitable MPAs

Tuesday, October 1, 10 am US EDT/7 am US PDT/2 pm UTC/3 pm BST/4 pm CEST. Presented by: Peter Jones of University College London. Description: The MPA Governance Project has analyzed 50 MPA case studies in 24 countries (Open Access source here) and finds : 1) a strong correlation between the effectiveness of MPAs and the number of governance incentives used; 2) that combinations of economic, legal, communication, knowledge and participatory incentives are employed in effective MPAs and mostly needed in less effective MPAs; and 3) that there are no ‘magic wand’ incentives or ‘best practice’ combinations of incentives that guarantee MPA effectiveness. This webinar will provide an overview of the 50 case studies through the conceptual lens of coevolutionary governance of social-ecological systems, discussing generally applicable findings and the wider importance of functionally integrated combinations of diverse incentives. It will show that effectiveness is not determined by any specific governance approaches or incentives, but rather the combination of a diversity of functionally integrated incentives, which interact with and support one another to promote MPA effectiveness and resilience, i.e. diversity is the key to resilience, both of species in ecosystems and incentives in governance systems.

The new Integrated Marine Debris Observing System (IMDOS): Coordinating the global community to provide data to inform policy

Wednesday, October 23, 10 am US EDT/7 am US PDT/2 pm UTC/4 pm CEST. Presented by: Audrey Hasson of Mercator Ocean International. Description: The Integrated Marine Debris Observing System (IMDOS), supported by GEO Blue Planet and the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), is establishing a global ocean observing system to provide open access data on marine litter and provide coordination and guidance for the global marine debris community. An integrated global marine debris observing system is essential for accurately assessing the extent of marine debris pollution and determining mitigation actions. In the context of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee developing an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, IMDOS will foster the delivery of the necessary data to inform effective actions, set realistic targets, and develop, implement, and adjust policies. In addition, projects working on the global observation, monitoring, and forecasting of marine litter can make their work visible in the IMDOS directory of initiatives. Being part of this directory will also give practitioners direct access to all news and events that IMDOS will be organizing. For more information on the Integrated Marine Debris Observing System (IMDOS) and to add information on relevant projects and initiatives, please visit https://imdos.org.

Marine Monitor (M2): Understanding and tracking human activity in nearshore coastal environments

Tuesday, October 29, 1 pm US EDT/10 am US PDT/5 pm UTC. Presented by: Samantha King and Brendan Tougher of ProtectedSeas Marine Monitor (M2). Description: The ProtectedSeas Marine Monitor (M2) system is a shore-based monitoring platform that integrates X-band marine radar, AIS, and optical cameras with custom software to autonomously track and report on vessel activity in nearshore coastal environments. M2 is used for a variety of applications by government agencies, law enforcement personnel, researchers, and NGOs to better inform decision making related to human use in and around marine managed areas. M2 has over 250 unique users from 70 organizations and has been deployed to over 30 locations in 12 countries. This webinar will present an overview of the system and some current applications and answer questions about how it can be deployed in new areas.

Past Webinars

Behavior Change for Climate Action for the Oceans and Beyond

This webinar originally aired on 26 August 2021. Presented by: Caroly Shumway of the Center for Behavior and Climate. More and more environmental practitioners are incorporating behavior change into their efforts to increase pro-environmental action, building off the success of the medical community in using behavior change to improve health.

Working towards a global plastic pollution treaty: Process and possibilities

This webinar originally aired on 17 August 2021. Presented by: Trisia Farrelly of Massey University. Over 130 countries have declared support for a global agreement to combat marine litter and microplastics. There are numerous processes underway to build momentum towards an ambitious global plastics agreement at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) 5.2 in February 2022.