Webinars
Upcoming Webinars
Trust Funds as Engines for Nature Finance: Debt Conversion in Cuba and a Biodiversity and Climate Fund in Madagascar and Africa (CFA Incubator Showcase #4)
Thursday, February 5, 9 am US EST/6 am PST/2 pm UTC/5 pm EAT. Presented by: Fernando Bretos of Cresta Coastal Network & Blanda Andrimamy and Léa Méléard of Miarakap. Description: The Conservation Finance Alliance (CFA) Incubator supports the development of innovative finance solutions that deliver sustained conservation outcomes. This webinar showcases two trust-fund–based approaches that mobilize long-term capital for biodiversity conservation and climate resilience. In the first half of the webinar, Fernando Bretos of Cresta Coastal Network will present a pioneering effort to develop Cuba’s first debt conversion for nature and Conservation Trust Fund (CTF). This initiative aims to channel fiscal savings from debt relief into biodiversity conservation, climate adaptation, and sustainable fisheries management, benefiting more than 200 protected areas and critical coastal ecosystems. The creation of an independent CTF can ensure long-term financial sustainability and transparent governance. Building on successful debt conversions and other sustainable finance experiences in the Caribbean, the project seeks to strengthen ecosystem resilience, food security, and climate adaptation through durable, trust-based financing. In the second half of the webinar, Blanda Andrimamy and Léa Méléard of Miarakap will present the Mitsiry Biodiversity and Climate Technical Assistance Facility, a key part of a blended finance vehicle designed to support biodiversity-positive enterprises in Madagascar and Eastern and Southern Africa. The initiative combines a $50 million investment fund with a $5 million technical assistance facility (TAF) that provides grant-based technical assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises. The TAF approach is designed to strengthen financial structuring, impact measurement, and governance, enabling businesses to scale while improving conservation outcomes. By aligning with global best practices in conservation finance, the TAF aims to attract donors and investors while catalyzing long-term, investment-ready conservation enterprises.
MPA Day 2026: Uniting a Global Community for Ocean Protection
Tuesday, February 10, 10 am US EST/7 am US PST/3 pm UTC/4 pm CET/5 pm EET/5 pm SAST. Presented by: Judy Mann-Lang, Founder of MPA Day, and Katja Laingui, European Coordinator for MPA Day. Description: Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are essential for conserving biodiversity, supporting sustainable livelihoods, and building climate resilience. MPA Day celebrated on August 1 annually is a coordinated global celebration to amplify collective efforts to protect the ocean. This webinar will highlight the evolution of MPA Day and its growing reach as more regions join in celebrating and promoting the value of MPAs. Judy Mann-Lang will discuss the origin of and motivation for MPA Day and its early growth, based on an understanding of the communication principles that underpin effective MPA management and public engagement. Katja Laingui will outline the steps taken to broaden MPA Day outreach into Europe and foster connections with emerging partners worldwide. Together, the speakers will share practical ways organizations and individuals can participate and help the initiative to grow in reach and impact.
Making Conservation Enterprises Investable: Low-Impact Scallop Harvesting and Improving Biodiversity Outcome Tracking (CFA Incubator Showcase #5)
Thursday, February 12, Noon US EST/9 am PST/5 pm UTC/5 pm GMT/6 pm CET. Presented by: Tom Hooper of Fishtek Marine Ltd & Eliot Miller of American Bird Conservancy. Description: The Conservation Finance Alliance (CFA) Incubator supports innovative solutions that use finance, data, and economic tools to advance sustainable conservation outcomes. This webinar will highlight two conservation enterprises: one focused on enabling sustainable fisheries and the other on biodiversity measurement – both cases exploring how robust data, technology, and impact metrics can help make conservation enterprises investable, improve accountability, and mobilize capital for nature-positive outcomes. In the first half of the webinar, Tom Hooper of Fishtek Marine Ltd will talk about the development of an innovative, low-impact method for harvesting scallops using pots as an alternative to damaging dredging. Dredging currently accounts for the majority of scallop harvesting and is associated with high emissions and significant seabed damage. This project explores how investment coupled with the right incentives can support a transition toward lower-impact fisheries. A core focus of the work is to integrate robust, science-based models on social, economic and environmental costs and benefits to enhance investment and policy for this transformation. The project aims to enable investors and regulators to better evaluate and support sustainable fisheries transitions, with applications extending beyond the UK. In the second half of the webinar, Eliot Miller of American Bird Conservancy will present the BirdsPlus Index. The BirdsPlus Index is a science-based tool to measure, report, and validate biodiversity outcomes for conservation finance, impact investing, and nature-positive action. The Index combines data from acoustic recordings, AI-driven species identification, conservation value scoring, and remote sensing to generate site-level biodiversity insights and an overall ecological integrity score. By providing a scalable, credible, and on-the-ground approach to biodiversity measurement, the BirdsPlus Index addresses a critical gap in conservation finance: the need for efficient, reliable, and science-based outcome tracking.
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.
Past Webinars
Understanding Disaster Finance: New Tools for a More Resilient Future
This webinar originally aired on Thursday, December 1, 2022. Presented by: Carolyn Kousky of the Environmental Defense Fund. Description: The frequency and intensity of natural disasters—such as hurricanes, floods, and storms—are on the rise, threatening our way of life and our livelihoods. Insurance, an often confusing and unpopular tool, is critical to recovery from these crises. Yet, as it becomes ever more essential, insurance markets are under stress, many are uninsured, and insurance often seems divorced from efforts to improve the resilience and sustainability of our communities. How can we improve insurance to provide consistent and sufficient help following all disasters? How do we use insurance not just to help us recover, but also to help us prevent disasters in the first place? And how can insurance help us achieve broader social and environmental goals? Associate Vice President for Economics and Policy at the Environmental Defense Fund and author of Understanding Disaster Insurance, Carolyn Kousky, will present on why traditional insurance markets fall short in meeting the needs of a world coping with climate change and how new insurance and risk transfer markets can help create thriving and resilient coastal communities and ecosystems.
The ONo Index: Detecting novel ocean conditions for MPA management
This webinar originally aired on November 16, 2022. Presented by: Steven Mana‘oakamai Johnson of Cornell University. A fundamental challenge in ocean conservation is translating the results of climate models into forms that managers and others can use to plan for the future. Using techniques from information theory, the Ocean Novelty (ONo) Index provides a simple and intuitive way to understand how climate change will alter key ocean biogeochemical variables. This measure can help MPA managers know what they need to prioritize in their planning and design policies and regulations that help their MPA keep pace with expected shifts in the ecosystem state. This webinar will share how the ONo Index is calculated and walk through an application for large MPAs.
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.