Marine Protected AreasWebinar Archives
Mud matters: Understanding the role of ocean sediments in storing carbon
Date/Time: Thursday, February 15
Speakers: Sara Hutto of the Greater Farallones Association and Greater
Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries
Doug George of NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management
The sediments of the vast ocean floor represent the world’s largest non-fossil pool of organic carbon, yet they are not well-studied or protected. The carbon in these sediments can remain stored for thousands to millions of years; however, activities such as mining, oil and gas exploration, and bottom-contact fishing can disturb sediment, resuspending it into the water column and potentially remineralizing carbon into aqueous CO2. Current understanding of marine sediment carbon along the US West Coast is limited, constraining meaningful management and protection of these critically important carbon sinks. The Greater Farallones Association, in partnership with NOAA Office for Coastal Management (OCM) and NOAA’s Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries, conducted the first systematic evaluation of marine sedimentary carbon stocks in North-central California. This webinar will discuss the importance of marine sediments in global carbon sequestration and storage. It will also present the results of this study, including an estimate of the carbon stock within the Sanctuaries’ marine sediments and identification of carbon “hot-spots” on the seafloor based on a novel spatial model of carbon density.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
Developing Offshore Wind in US Waters Part 2: Offshore Wind Development and the Structure and Function of Marine Ecosystems
Date/Time: Thursday, September 21
Speakers: Jon Hare of the NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center
The pace, scale, and magnitude of offshore wind development in the US and around the globe is increasing rapidly. Countries are committing to this new ocean use to decarbonize their energy systems and as a goal for economic growth. The scale of this development has moved from small turbines in shallow waters of the North Sea to new technologies that allow for large-scale industrialization in marine ecosystems. This webinar will explore the potential interactions of this growing industry with the structure and function of marine ecosystems and what science is still needed to better understand these interactions.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
Developing Offshore Wind in US Waters Part 1: The Planning and Regulatory Framework
Date/Time: Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Speakers:Brian Hooker of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Office of Renewable Energy
Programs,
Betsy Nicholson of the NOAA Office for Coastal Management,
Joy Page of the US Department of Energy Wind Energy Technology Office
The deployment of offshore wind energy facilities in US waters has tremendous potential to help the country deliver on its climate change commitments and clean energy goals. It is also a reality beginning to take shape with the first commercial-scale facilities beginning construction in 2023 in the Northeast US. In Part 1 of our webinar series on ocean wind energy in US waters, we will explore the historical and policy background and framing behind the US wind energy transition, including an introduction to the planning and regulation processes and the players involved. This webinar will set the groundwork for future discussions exploring offshore wind energy, its future in US waters, and its compatibility and interactions with marine protected areas and other ocean uses.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
Managing for Climate Change in MPAs: Stories and Tools from National Marine Sanctuaries and the National MPA Center
Date/Time: Thursday, April 27, 2023
Speakers: Lauren Wenzel of the NOAA National Marine Protected Areas Center
Zac Cannizzo of the NOAA National Marine Protected Areas Center and Office of National Marine
Sanctuaries
Sara Hutto of the Greater Farallones Association and Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine
Sanctuaries
Jillian Neuberger of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and National Marine Protected Areas Center
U.S. National Marine Sanctuaries and the National Marine Protected Areas Center are leaders in MPA management in a changing ocean. By leveraging the diversity of ecosystems, geographies, cultures, and experiences represented in the National Marine Sanctuary System, they have developed a suite of products that can help other MPA managers advance and accelerate climate-smart management of their MPAs. This webinar will highlight climate monitoring, assessment, and adaptation experiences from the National Marine Sanctuary System and share a number of new products and tools from the National MPA Center, including an MPA Climate Vulnerability Assessment Guide and Climate Adaptation Story Map, designed to help MPA managers accelerate and enhance climate monitoring, assessment, and adaptation within their own MPA.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
A New Toolkit for Engaging Youth in Ocean Health and Conservation
Date/Time: Wednesday, March 15, 2023
Speakers: Ajay Sawant of Apollo College of Veterinary Medicine
Julia Lara Navarrete of Autonomous University of Baja California
Rebecca Allen of Western Washington University
Serag Heiba of Chinese University of Hong Kong
Summer Snell of Brookes University
Frances Lang of The Ocean Foundation
With support from The Ocean Foundation and National Geographic Society, a group of young writers between the ages of 18-25 are creating a “youth ocean action toolkit” focused on the ocean literacy principles and marine protected areas (MPAs). This toolkit – written by youth for youth – provides community examples of how youth can take action to conserve their ocean; demonstrates the benefit of MPAs for ocean conservation; includes links to resources and multimedia content; and features a strong social media component. The toolkit will be available this summer in English and Spanish. This webinar featuring some of the toolkit’s youth authors will provide an overview of the content and techniques to engage and empower young people around the world.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
Do MPAs matter for climate change mitigation and adaptation?
Date/Time: Tuesday, January 17, 2023
Speakers: Joachim Claudet of the French National Center for Scientific Research
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are increasingly being promoted as an ocean-based climate solution. These claims are controversial, however, because the literature on the climate benefits of MPAs is diffuse and poorly synthesized. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a systematic literature review of 22,403 publications spanning 241 MPAs and analyzed these across 16 ecological and social pathways through which MPAs could contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Our meta-analysis found that marine conservation can significantly enhance carbon sequestration, coastal protection, biodiversity, and the reproductive capacity of marine organisms as well as fishers’ catch and income. Most of these benefits are only achieved in fully or highly protected areas and increase with MPA age. This webinar will present these results and discuss the extent to which MPAs can be a useful tool for mitigating climate change and adapting social-ecological systems.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
The ONo Index: Detecting novel ocean conditions for MPA management
Date/Time: Wednesday, November 16, 2022
Speakers: Steven Mana‘oakamai Johnson of Arizona State 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.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTOs
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
Integrating Climate Change into Marine Protected Area (MPA) Management Plans
Date/Time: Wednesday, July 6, 2022
Speakers: Vincenzo Corelli of l'Institut national de la recherche scientifique
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.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
Measuring progress towards effective MPAs – indicators and tools
Date/Time: Tuesday, June 21, 2022
Speakers: 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
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.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
Using Regulatory Data to Inform Marine Spatial Planning Efforts
Date/Time: Thursday, April 28, 2022
Speakers: 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.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
BlueMooring: A sustainable solution for managing MPA moorings and financing marine conservation activities
Date/Time: Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Speakers: Yousr Ben Fadhel and Louis Vercauteren of BlueSeeds
Description: 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.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
Marine Connectivity Conservation "Rules of Thumb" for MPA and MPA Network Design
Date/Time: Tuesday, February 8, 2022
Speakers: Barbara Lausche of Mote Marine Laboratory and chair of the IUCN-WCPA Marine Connectivity Working Group
Ecological connectivity of marine and coastal ecosystems is essential to linking our oceans' critical habitats, species, and natural processes. Beyond the movement of species, these connections sustain important ecosystem functions such as larval dispersal, nutrient cycling, and carbon sequestration. To help guide, enhance, and restore ecological connectivity of the ocean, the IUCN WCPA has released a new publication entitled "Marine Connectivity Conservation ‘Rules of Thumb’ for MPA and MPA Network Design." This publication provides broadly applicable guidance on connectivity for MPA managers. This webinar will highlight several of the 13 'Rules of Thumb' and how they can help guide integration of connectivity into conservation activities – ranging from interactions across the land-sea interface to the movement of currents and migratory species around the world and across political boundaries.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
Planning for coastal and marine heritage in a changing climate
Date/Time: Thursday, December 16, 2021
Speakers: Erin Seekamp of North Carolina State University
Heritage sites represent our inherited traditions, objects, monuments, and land and seascapes that provide cultural connections and identities as well as societal benefits. Yet, coastal heritage sites are overwhelmingly at risk from climate change induced threats, such as storm-related flooding and erosion and sea level rise. Coupling climate risks with the political and financial constraints facing heritage management, it becomes clear that damage, destruction or loss of heritage is inevitable. In this webinar you will learn about strategies for adapting and accommodating loss that center planning efforts around heritage values, enable transformation of heritage sites, and enhance transparency when difficult decisions must be made.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
Supporting self-financing mechanisms in MPAs
Date/Time: Wednesday, November 17, 2021
Speakers: Guillaume Le Port and Nastazia Femmami of BlueSeeds
This webinar will present two support programs: visitor fees and concession agreements. These programs empower and build MPA staff's capacity to manage their site or network's local financing mechanisms over the long term. These programs are designed by BlueSeeds, a French company based in Bordeaux which focuses on helping MPAs become financially sustainable and increase the effectiveness of their conservation activities. These two programs provide MPA managers with easy-to-use tools and documents to support them step-by-step in the practical implementation of visitor fees and concession agreements.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
MPAs as part of the climate solution: The role of blue carbon
Date/Time: Tuesday, October 26, 2021
Speaker: Sara Hutto of Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary
Well-managed marine protected areas (MPAs) protect valuable blue carbon habitats and processes, and they must be included in global and national mitigation and adaptation responses to climate change. Coastal and marine ecosystems play a significant role in the global carbon cycle - sequestering and storing carbon over long timescales. This presentation will review the latest science on oceanic and coastal carbon sequestration, raise awareness of the critical importance of the role these systems play, and highlight guiding principles for MPA managers to improve their understanding and management of blue carbon. To demonstrate application of these ideas, a case study from Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary in California will be presented, along with lessons learned and next steps.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
How to use diverse incentives to promote effective and equitable MPA governance: New case studies and practical guidance
Date/Time: Wednesday, July 7, 2021
Speaker: Peter Jones of University College London
MPA governance is the modification of human behavior (e.g., fishing, tourism, coastal development activities) through an appropriate combination of incentives – including economic, legal, participation, communication, and knowledge incentives. Previous research on MPA governance case studies has developed and explored the hypothesis that the use of diverse incentives is critical to developing MPA governance that is both effective (i.e., they achieve conservation objectives and are not “paper parks) and equitable (i.e., local customs and traditional ways of life are conserved, participation of local people is provided for, the costs and benefits of conservation are fairly shared). This webinar presents 28 new case studies (including a case study of the emerging policy framework for MPAs beyond national jurisdiction) to test this hypothesis and develop practical guidance for MPA managers and policy practitioners on how to combine a diversity of governance incentives to promote effectiveness and equity. Our research found that while many MPAs already employ a diversity of incentives, many of the incentives needed to be strengthened and others needed to be introduced.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
Planning for 30x30 in the US: Assessing Protection in US Waters
Date/Time: Thursday, May 6, 2021
Speaker: Mimi D'Iorio and Lauren Wenzel of NOAA,
Kirsten Grorud-Colvert and Jenna Sullivane-Stack of Oregon State University,
Jennifer Sletten of the Anthropocene Institute
The 30x30 international marine conservation commitment aims to protect at least 30% of the world's ocean by 2030 through representative and effective networks of marine protected areas (MPAs) that are fully or highly protected. Achieving this target would benefit marine biodiversity and the people who depend on healthy oceans as well as build ocean resilience to mitigate and adapt to a changing climate. Accurate reporting on progress toward 30x30 is vital and requires current and reliable information on protected area boundaries and regulations. This presentation is the first in a series focused on how the goal is being addressed in the United States. Speakers will provide background and context for the 30x30 initiative and highlight complementary efforts underway to catalog and classify MPAs. The MPA Guide provides clarity on what the term "protected" in MPAs really means, and ProtectedSeas' Marine Managed Area data provides spatial data on regulations, allowing analysis of the cumulative contributions of different management authorities to the same ocean space. These efforts contribute to a more complete picture of the quality and quantity of US MPAs to help move the dial towards effective ocean protection in US waters.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
The "Why" Behind 30x30: The State of the Science on Marine Protected Area Benefits
Date/Time: Thursday, April 29, 2021
Speaker: Sara Maxwell of University of Washington,
Juan Mayorga of University of California at Santa Barbara and National Geographic Pristine Seas,
Anne Guerry of Natural Capital Project and Stanford University,
Lauren Wenzel of NOAA
Marine protected areas (MPAs) – areas of ocean that are protected for the long-term conservation of nature – are important tools for biodiversity protection, climate resilience, fisheries enhancement, and provide many benefits and services that people depend upon. In the face of the accelerating impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss, and increasing human pressures on the ocean, nations around the world have adopted a goal to protect at least 30% of the world's ocean by 2030 through representative and effective networks of MPAs. In this webinar, speakers will provide an overview of the state of the science on MPA benefits, highlighting what we know about these important ocean conservation tools and the "why" behind the 30x30 goal. This webinar will help set the stage for a series of webinars focused on how the goal is being addressed in the United States, and speakers will highlight U.S.-based evidence and case studies where possible.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
Monitoring marine sanctuary usage with NMS-COUNT
Date/Time: Thursday, April 8, 2021
Speaker: Robert Burns and Ross Andrew of West Virginia University
Visitor use drives change in both ecological and economic conditions in marine areas. The National Marine Sanctuary Visitor Counting Process (NMS-COUNT) was developed and conceptualized to address the needs of NMS managers for visitor counting and assessment. NMSs sites function as underwater parks in the US, and are federally protected for their diverse and exceptional biological and cultural resources. In open water areas, many NMS sites are accessible through almost infinite locations, so a rigorous set of methods to count those visitors, assess their activities, and evaluate their expenditures related to NMS site visitation is needed. The NMS-COUNT process considers the local context of sites and builds off the strength of each site using local expert panels to identify the most feasible visitor monitoring solutions. Pilot studies at Gray's Reef NMS and Florida Keys NMS have produced thousands of visitor observations through wide arrays of sampling techniques. Traditional observation and counting methods are supplemented with specific survey questions and non-traditional techniques for visitor counting (e.g., acoustic signals, social media data, satellite imagery classification, vessel ID tracking data). The methods best suited to a specific site are pulled from the myriad of potential tools, producing a customized counting process that is tailored to the unique attributes of a specific protected area. The NMS-COUNT process can be customized to different marine contexts and holds great potential for learning about visitors in marine settings that are challenging to sample.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
Shifting MPAs for conservation and fisheries under a changing climate
Date/Time: Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Speaker: Talya ten Brink of NOAA
Tu Nguyen of Ocean Nexus Center
Anne Mook of Nazarbayev University
Sarah Roberts of Duke
University
Juliano Palacios-Abrantes of University of British Columbia
Marine species are shifting their distribution towards colder waters because of climate change, potentially compromising the benefits and management objectives of currently established Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Therefore, it remains unclear what the long-term effectiveness of MPAs for conservation, fisheries, and reliant communities is under a changing climate. The team developed six MPA designs of equal size in an Ecopath with Ecosim model: four static MPAs (Square, Narrow Vertical, Narrow Horizontal, and Network) which stayed in place and two dynamic MPA designs (Square Shifting and Network Shifting) which moved 20 km poleward every 20 years to take into account the shifting nature of marine species affected by climate change. The model differentiated between the Static Horizontal and Static Vertical MPAs because of the expectation that vertically oriented MPAs will be more likely to benefit marine species as they shift poleward due to climate change. The Square Shifting MPA outperformed the Square Static MPA on all aggregate measures and outperformed all MPA orientations in terms of revenue. However, the results suggest that there is no one optimal solution in the face of climate change, and different MPA designs could potentially bring about regional benefits in terms of increased amount of fish and catch. The webinar will discuss our findings, including revenue, biomass, fisheries, and species-specific results.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
Planning Ocean Uses in 3D
Date/Time: Wednesday, March 3, 2021
Speaker: Mimi D'Iorio of the NOAA National Marine Protected Areas Center
Charles Wahle of the NOAA National Marine Protected Areas Center (retired)
Demand for ocean space is increasing, yet decision makers often lack tools to understand the complete requirements any given use may have for ocean space, and thus its potential to conflict with other coexisting uses. This webinar will present NOAA's new Guide to Building and Applying Space Use Profiles for Ocean Management, which helps ocean planners, managers, and stakeholders fully visualize the holistic, three-dimensional footprint of diverse ocean uses and use that insight to more effectively manage ocean spaces. The Guide illustrates how each ocean use, including its distinct functional components, occupies specific horizontal and vertical ocean zones from the shoreline to the open ocean and from the airspace above the sea surface down to the seabed. The Guide can help inform zoning in marine protected areas and marine spatial plans and the siting of individual uses.
Co-sponsors:NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
Coral reef eco-evolutionary dynamics: Adaptation and connectivity in MPA networks under future climate change
Date/Time: Thursday, February 25, 2021
Speaker: Helen Fox of Coral Reef Alliance
Lisa McManus of University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Lukas DeFilippo of University of Washington School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences and NOAA Alaska Fisheries
Science Center
While coral reefs face mounting threats, many coral populations are already well adapted to conditions unfavorable to the average coral (e.g., high temperatures, low pH, poor water quality). With the goal of better understanding the drivers of persistence and adaptive capacity and the role of management and MPAs, we developed a general eco-evolutionary framework to explore the influence of network structure and spatial management on a metapopulation's adaptive response to temperature increase. This framework was applied to coral populations in the Caribbean, Southwest Pacific, and Coral Triangle to determine the characteristics of individual reefs that lead to persistence or decline under climate scenarios and test the efficacy of spatial management strategies (MPAs) in these three regions. We also used eco-evolutionary simulations to explore scenarios of coral propagation, transplantation, and assisted evolution and identified potential benefits and risks of these interventions. We find that corals' vulnerability to climate change depends strongly on assumptions of their standing genetic variation, which determines the potential for an evolutionary response. One implication of this work is that MPA networks can promote persistence by protecting coral populations adapted to diverse environments so that corals with evolutionarily favored traits reproduce and spread throughout reef networks.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
Addressing marine debris in protected areas: Best practices and examples
Date/Time: Thursday, January 14, 2021
Speaker: Anna Ruth Robuck of the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography and NOAA Marine Protected Areas Center
Marine debris encompasses a wide range of materials of diverse origin, including derelict vessels, fishing gear, plastic debris, and microplastics. Different types of marine debris have been documented to impact every level of biological organization, and many uncertainties about impact remain. The complex and often harmful nature of the problem translates to management and conservation challenges within protected areas, and a "one size fits all" approach to marine debris generally fails to incorporate local needs and nuance. This webinar synthesizes recommendations for protected area managers seeking to reduce marine debris. The recommendations are based upon review of research, case studies, and experience from government, academia, and non-profits. This webinar will also provide some suggested actions and current examples from protected areas addressing marine debris in the US and beyond.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
Developing a financial sustainability assessment tool for Marine Protected Areas
Date/Time: Tuesday, December 8, 2020
Speaker: John Bohorquez of Stony Brook University
Lack of financial resources and staff capacity may limit the effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in meeting their conservation objectives. We are developing a replicable framework to assess the sustainability of MPA financial strategies and identify potential solutions to identified risks, including improving the efficiency and allocation of available resources, expanding or improving in-place financial mechanisms, and developing alternative financial mechanisms. The framework development and assessment is supported by real-world case studies from Colombia, the Caribbean Netherlands, Belize, and Mexico.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
Connecting Our Blue Planet: Building Ecologically Connected Marine Protected Area Networks
Date/Time: Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Speakers: Gary Tabor, president of the Center for Large Landscape Conservation and Chair of the IUCN WCPA Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group
Barbara J. Lausche, Director of Marine Policy at Mote Marine Laboratory and Chair of the Marine Connectivity Working Group under the IUCN WCPA Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group
J. Wilson White of Oregon State University
Zachary J. Cannizzo of NOAA's National Marine Protected Areas Center and the NOAA Climate Program Office
The interconnectedness of the ocean is one of its defining characteristics. This ability of species and processes to move and flow from place-to-place, called ecological connectivity, is increasingly recognized as a key aspect of successful marine conservation. Two recent reports highlight the importance of both protecting and leveraging connectivity conservation for successful MPA management. Both the IUCN "Guidelines for conserving connectivity through ecological networks and corridors" and the National MPA Center brief "Ecological Connectivity for Marine Protected Areas" make the case for ecological connectivity and provide practical recommendations for moving marine conservation forward by increasing consideration and application of fundamental ecological connectivity processes. This webinar will provide an overview of these reports and serve to stimulate discussions and actions that lead to greater protection of ecological connectivity as part of marine conservation.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center, Center for Large Landscape Conservation, IUCN WCPA Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group, and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
Beyond Polarization: Learning from the Unlikely Story of California's Marine Protected Areas
Date/Time: Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Speakers: Steven Yaffee of the University of Michigan and Kaitilin Gaffney of the Resources Legacy Fund
At a time when the United States is divided and positive collective action feels out of reach, the creation of California's network of marine protected areas provides a story of hope and hard work. After a contentious ten-year collaborative public process, the establishment of a network of 124 protected areas was considered nothing short of miraculous, having navigated political and interest-based polarization, bureaucratic delays, evolving science, and historic financial difficulties. What lessons can be drawn from the experience? This webinar will report on the conclusions of a new Island Press book that analyzes the story. It will also explain how the protected areas designation process has influenced the implementation of the MPA network, and describe elements of the California experience that may be adapted elsewhere.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
NOAA's National Marine Protected Areas Center turns 20: Two Decades of Understanding, Strengthening and Connecting MPAs
Date/Time: Tuesday, May 28, 2020
Speakers: Charlie Wahle, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, National Marine Protected Areas Center, NOAA
Over the past two decades, marine protected areas (MPAs) in the US have evolved from a poorly understood ocean management measure to a more proven and increasingly common conservation tool to protect the ocean's most important places and the social and economic benefits they provide. In May 2020, NOAA's National Marine Protected Areas Center marks 20 years of collaborative work to inform and catalyze that transformation by providing critical information and tools to support and strengthen MPA programs in the United States and internationally. This presentation will discuss the issues that led to Executive Order on Marine Protected Areas in May 2000; highlight key contributions of the MPA Center in the US and globally; and chart the course forward to meet today's emerging ocean challenges.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
Options for adaptation, risk management, and resilience building in a changing climate: Q&A about the IPCC Special Report
Date/Time: Tuesday, May 19, 2020
Speakers: Ko Barrett, IPCC Vice-Chair
Shallin Busch, Anne Hallowed, and William Sweet
of NOAA
Global warming has already reached 1°C above the pre-industrial level, due to past and current greenhouse gas emissions. There is strong evidence that this is resulting in profound consequences for ecosystems and people. The ocean is warmer, more acidic and less productive. Melting glaciers and ice sheets are causing sea level rise, and coastal extreme events are becoming more severe. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC) in September 2019. The SROCC outlines climate-related risks and challenges that people around the world are exposed to today and that future generations will face. It also presents options to adapt to changes that can no longer be avoided, manage related risks and build resilience for a sustainable future. This webinar will share the findings of the SROCC and allow ample time for Q&A about the IPCC special report with webinar participants. Access the SROCC here.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
Gaps in Protection of Important Ocean Areas: A Spatial Meta-Analysis of Ten Global Mapping Initiatives
Date/Time: Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Speakers: Ellen Pikitch and Christine Santora of Stony Brook University and the Ocean
Sanctuary Alliance
Natasha Gownaris of Gettysburg College
There are numerous ongoing UN and non-governmental initiatives to map important marine areas at the global scale. As countries of the world seek to achieve numerical targets for marine protected areas, scientists must emphasize the "where" and the "how." To help achieve the former, we used GIS to overlay ten global maps, quantify the extent to which they overlap, and then conduct a gap analysis to show areas of importance that are not currently protected by MPAs. We also looked at current protected area coverage in terms of size, biogeographic representativeness, no-take status, and exclusive economic zones. 55% of the ocean is identified as important by one or more of the initiatives. Over 14% of the ocean was identified as important by multiple studies, but nearly 90% of this area is currently unprotected. The largest concentrations of important but unprotected areas are in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Coral Triangle, and around Madagascar. We found a lack of biogeographic and political representativeness in the current coverage of MPAs, representing ample opportunity for action based on current information and evidence. This webinar will present study results as well as a new online version of the map available at https://www.somas.stonybrook.edu/research/global-research/macop.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
MiCO: Creating a global geospatial knowledge hub on marine migratory connectivity
Date/Time: Tuesday, March 10, 2020
Speakers: Daniel Dunn of the University of Queensland Corrie Curtice of the Duke University
Advancements in animal tracking technology are enabling us to collect far more data on the migratory patterns of marine species than ever before. These data are changing the way we think about how the world's oceans are connected – they are broadening our understanding of the habitats that marine migratory species depend on as well as the pathways between them. However, while the amount of data is growing exponentially, synthesis of and access to information on migratory connectivity to inform management and policy has lagged behind. A new consortium Migratory Connectivity in the Ocean (MiCO) is working to transform these data into actionable knowledge that can be incorporated into international management and policy frameworks to protect and sustainably manage migratory species. MiCO provides a global geospatial knowledge hub on migratory connectivity that is open access and easy to use. This webinar will provide information on how to use this knowledge hub as well as contribute to it. Learn more about MiCO at https://mico.eco/about/connectivity.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
A New Coast: Strategies for Responding to Devastating Storms and Rising Seas
Date/Time: Thursday, February 13, 2020
Speakers: Jeffrey Peterson, author of A New Coast: Strategies for Responding to Devastating Storms and Rising Seas
Due to climate change, devastating storms and sea level rise will increasingly threaten vibrant communities, critical infrastructure, and vital natural systems. This webinar will present actionable policy guidance for how governments, businesses, and engaged citizens can work together to prepare for a changing coast.
Proposals include gradually phasing out incentives for remaining in areas vulnerable to sea level rise (e.g., coverage under the National Flood Insurance Program), implementing a national permit program to limit building in areas destined to become wetlands or ocean, and a requirement for posting bond to cover costs of removing structures prior to sea level inundation. The final proposal is a comprehensive national program to support an effective response to the short and long-term challenges of worsening storms and sea level rise, as well as an outline of the steps needed to make a national program a reality.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
The Ocean: From Victim to Solution to Climate Change
Date/Time: Wednesday, January 8, 2019
Speakers: Jane Lubchenco of Oregon State University
Ove Hoegh-Guldberg of the University of Queensland
Steve Gaines of the University of California Santa Barbara
The 2019 IPCC report on oceans showed that impacts to the world's ocean from climate are significant and growing. Yet the ocean can also be a major part of the solution to climate change. In 2018, the High Level Panel on Climate Change (an initiative of 14 current heads of government committed to bold climate solutions), convened an international team of scientists and other experts to evaluate the potential for ocean-based actions to contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These include solutions ranging from ocean-based renewable energy and ocean-based transport to conservation of marine and coastal ecosystems, fisheries and aquaculture, and carbon storage in the seabed. This webinar will present the findings of the panel report, as well as two new complementary papers on ocean-based mitigation options and on the impacts of climate change to the ocean economy.
Co-sponsors: Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
The Art of Knowledge Exchange – Lessons from World Bank Experience and Applications for Marine Conservation
Date/Time: Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Speakers: Phil Karp, Principal Knowledge Management Officer with the World Bank's Social/Urban/Rural Development and Resilience Global Practice
Knowledge exchange, or peer-to-peer learning, is a powerful way to share, replicate, and scale up practical solutions to challenges and transform ideas into action. But designing and executing knowledge exchange to achieve intended results and integrating it as part of larger change processes remains challenging. Using its extensive experience in knowledge exchange, the World Bank has developed a systematic framework and guide to help practitioners be more effective knowledge providers, brokers, and recipients. This webinar will present the five-step framework, introduce a range of knowledge exchange instruments and activities, and discuss how this approach can be applied to marine ecosystem conservation. It will also look at the impact and implications of social media and citizen science.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
Resist, Accept, or Direct? A decision framework for navigating climate-driven ecological transformations
Date/Time: Thursday, November 14, 2019
Speakers: Gregor Schuurman of the US National Park Service
Wendy Morrison of NOAA
Carrie Kappel of the University of California Santa Barbara
In this world of rapid global change, managers often have limited ability to control the ultimate drivers of this change or resist or reverse ecological responses to it. Managers in this ‘brave new world' face difficult choices as well as important opportunities to influence ecological trajectories at local, regional, and continental scales, as they work along a management spectrum from resisting, to accepting, to actively directing ecological change. Managers need clear concepts and training in navigating ecological transformation (NET) and mechanisms to coordinate transformation management across agencies and management units. The FedNET working group (composed of representatives from federal land management agencies, USGS, and NOAA) is working to help US federal land managers understand, plan for, and respond to ecological transformation to maximize conservation of species, ecosystems, and ecosystem services. The group will develop concepts, frameworks, and training opportunities to help managers navigate the "who, why, where, when, how, and what" of NET and coordinate transformation stewardship across scales. The webinar will: 1) discuss how FedNET is using the decision framework Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD), 2) present related case studies to help federal land managers understand, plan for, and respond to ecological transformation, and 3) facilitate discussion with NOAA colleagues and an Ocean Tipping Points representative on how the RAD framework might be applied to marine fisheries.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
Making Marine and Coastal Protected Areas Climate Savvy
Date/Time: Thursday, November 7, 2019
Speakers: Eric Mielbrecht of EcoAdapt
Sara Hutto of the Greater Farallones Association
Making climate change adaptation planning simple and feasible for managers, The Climate Adaptation Toolkit for Marine and Coastal Protected Areas is a new resource consisting of a complement of tools that support climate vulnerability assessment, adaptation planning, and implementation. Users are supported by essential tools including a library of over 100 curated adaptation actions organized by habitat type and climate impact, each supported by case studies and documents from CAKEx.org, and the North American Marine Protected Area Rapid Vulnerability Assessment Tool. The toolkit is particularly effective as it was co-created with MPA managers and experts from Canada, Mexico and the U.S., working in concert with EcoAdapt, the Greater Farallones Association, and the Commission for Environmental Cooperation. View the toolkit at https://www.cakex.org/MPAToolkit.
Co-sponsors: Parks Canada, NOAA National Marine Protected Areas Center, Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas (CONANP), EcoAdapt, the Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange (CAKE), the Greater Farallones Association, and the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
Engaging Diverse Audiences in Marine and Coastal Protection
Date/Time: Thursday, October 17, 2019
Speakers: Josie Spearman of Guana Tolomato Matanzas NERR
Ellen M. Leroy-Reed of Friends of Guana Tolomato Matanzas NERR
Dave Feliz of Elkhorn Slough NERR
Jay Haigler of Diving with a Purpose
Lauren Swaddell of NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program
Managers of coastal and marine protected areas are responsible for places that are important for a wide range of audiences, yet we often come up short in engaging meaningfully with diverse audiences. This webinar will present brief case studies about coastal and marine protected areas and non-profit partners that are working with people from diverse backgrounds to provide opportunities to understand and enjoy our ocean and coasts. Educational initiatives from two national estuarine research reserves (NERRS) -- Guana Tolomato Matanzas (GTM) in Florida and Elkhorn Slough in California -- will be presented. GTM NERR's educational programs have recently increased their ability to accommodate students and potential visitors with physical, emotional, and intellectual challenges and communities with little or no access to transportation. Elkhorn Slough NERR conducts after school and science mentoring programs, regular school field trips, and subsidized school transportation programs, including for several predominantly Hispanic communities. Diving with a Purpose (DWP) is working with partners to engage and educate the community-at-large on cultural heritage resources that exist in marine protected areas throughout the US with a focus on the African Diaspora. Finally, the first Knauss (Sea Grant) Fellow from Guam will speak about her experiences.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
We've Got Chemistry! Leveraging Partnerships and the Ocean Acidification Information Exchange to Advance Ocean Acidification and MPA Science
Date/Time: Wednesday, September 25
Speakers: Julianna Mullen of NERACOOS and the OAInfoExchange.org Jenny Waddell of the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Francis Chan of Oregon State University
Marine protected areas (MPAs), sanctuaries, and reserves offer refuge to a wide variety of marine species, but can they also protect vulnerable organisms from the effects of ocean acidification (OA) and other climate-related stressors? Increasingly, OA scientists and MPA managers are working together to explore questions of adaptability in marine protected areas to explore this question and sharing their ideas on a dynamic new online platform called the OA Information Exchange (OAIE). In this webinar, we will: 1) provide an orientation to the OAIE to the MPA community and other new users, 2) describe how innovative collaborations between researchers and volunteer scientists are advancing both OA and MPA science in Oregon Marine Reserves, and 3) provide examples of efforts to document changing ocean conditions and understand potential impacts of ecosystem change in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, including how the development of a sentinel site for ocean acidification on the Olympic Coast supports OA coordination and collaboration in Washington. [Please note that this webinar will last 1.5 hours.]
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center and the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program with OCTO (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network)
A Toolkit for Managing Cultural Resources in Marine Protected Areas
Date/Time: Tuesday, July 2, 2019
Speaker: Dr. Trisha Kehau Watson, Co-Chair, Cultural Heritage Resource Working Group (CHRWG), Lauren Wenzel, NOAA MPA Center and CHRWG Co-Chair Joe Schumacker, Quinault Department of Fisheries, CHRWG Member
What are cultural resources anyway? Often MPA managers are experts in natural resources management, and
lack background in managing cultural resources. The Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee
(MPAFAC) developed an on-line toolkit to address this need. Covering topics such as spanning legal
authorities, a cultural landscape approach, planning for climate change and natural disasters, engaging
stakeholders, and underwater archeology, the group's Cultural Resources Toolkit provides invaluable insight
and strategies for marine and coastal managers and MPA visitors alike. In this webinar, the Cultural
Resources Working Group of the MPAFAC provide an overview of the enhanced Toolkit and discuss its role in
connecting people to their heritage in special coastal places throughout the US and elsewhere. The MPAFAC
provides recommendations to the US Departments of Commerce (NOAA) and Interior for the effective design,
establishment, and adaptive management of US MPAs.
Learn more at: https://marineprotectedareas.noaa.gov/fac/products/
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center, MPA News, and the EBM Tools Network (co-coordinated by OCTO and NatureServe)
Conservation targets and how much of the world do we need to protect?
Date/Time: Thursday, July 11
Speaker: Harvey Locke of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas Beyond the Aichi Targets Task Force
What should global conservation targets be beyond 2020? The Beyond the Aichi Targets Task Force, appointed by the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas, is trying to answer this question and is developing a framework for potential use by the Convention on Biological Diversity to help implement post-2020 targets set at the next Conference of the Parties in China. The Three Global Conditions for Biodiversity Conservation Framework proposes to divide the world into three conditions: 1) heavily used areas, 2) intermediate areas, and 3) wild areas. Each of these global conditions requires different conservation and restoration strategies to restore or maintain biodiversity and ecosystem function. The Task Force is currently exploring the applicability of this framework to the world ocean. Dr. Harvey Locke, Chair of the Beyond the Aichi Targets Task Force, will present the results of a global scientific survey on area-based conservation and explore the idea of the Three Global Conditions framework.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center, MPA News, EBM Tools Network (co-coordinated by OCTO and NatureServe)
China's Underwater Cultural Heritage in the South China Sea: Nanhai #1, A Window on the Maritime Silk Road
Date/Time: Thursday, May 9
Speaker: Hans Van Tilburg of the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Underwater Cultural Heritage can inform us about past events and seafaring cultures in powerful ways. China's ambitious Nanhai #1 excavation project has achieved a new milestone in the recovery of underwater cultural heritage artifacts. The discovery of a 900-year old Song dynasty merchant vessel initiated the removal of the adjacent seafloor along with the intact wreck, allowing for meticulous "in situ" excavation under environmentally controlled conditions within a specially-built lab. The wealth of porcelains and trade goods found with the vessel demonstrates the extensive and vibrant past of the Maritime Silk Road, and archaeologists are only now reaching the lower levels of the vessel's cargo holds. The project is also relevant to today's resource and management issues in the South China Sea.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center, MPA News, EBM Tools Network (co-coordinated by OCTO and NatureServe)
The effects of temperature on species distributions and community composition: Implications for Marine Protected Area management
Date: Thursday, April 11
Speaker: Malin Pinsky, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Rutgers University
Recent research has shown that the geographic distributions of marine species are changing – and will continue to change – as climate change leads to geographic shifts in their preferred thermal habitats. Furthermore, as a result of these changing geographic distributions, ecological communities are being reorganized. These changes are already posing challenges for managing living marine resources, and these challenges are likely to grow as marine organisms continue to shift ranges, including across national, state, and other political boundaries. This presentation will provide an overview of relevant research (conducted off the coasts of the US and Canada) and discuss implications for Marine Protected Area management.
Co-sponsors: NOAA National MPA Center, MPA News, EBM Tools Network (co-coordinated by OCTO and NatureServe)
Sustaining MPA Benefits In a Changing Ocean: A Call to Action from the US Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee
Date/Time: Thursday, March 14
Speakers: Brian Baird, an Ocean and Coastal Policy Advisor; Samantha Murray of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography; Mark Carr of the University of California Santa Cruz; and Charlie Wahle of NOAA
The Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee (MPAFAC) provides recommendations to the US Departments of Commerce (NOAA) and Interior on ways to ensure the effective design, establishment, and adaptive management of US MPAs. Created in 2003 and reauthorized by the White House in 2017, the Committee comprises 20 members representing diverse sectors and interests in ocean matters. In 2018, the Committee was directed to document examples of the ecological, economic, and cultural benefits provided by federal and other MPAs around the country, and to recommend specific actions that should be undertaken by MPA agencies to sustain those benefits in the face of rapidly changing ocean conditions and uses. After a thorough investigation, the MPAFAC found extensive, and sometimes surprising, examples of benefits from existing MPAs, including: ecological resilience; coastal storm protection; revenue from ocean tourism and recreation; cultural and historical education; diverse public engagement in ocean conservation; and capacity-building for local ocean decision-makers. The Committee also provided specific recommendations for sustaining MPA benefits, including a unanimous call to "Fully support, fund, maintain, evaluate and adaptively manage the nation's MPAs ...". In this webinar, three of the Committee's leaders, and the NOAA liaison, will provide an overview of the Committee's findings and recommendations and will discuss their implications for MPAs in the US and elsewhere.
Webinar co-sponsored by NOAA National MPA Center, MPA News, and the EBM Tools Network (co-coordinated by OCTO and NatureServe).
Case Studies in Climate Adaptation in MPAs
Date: Thursday, February 14
Speakers: Sara Hutto of Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and Susan Guiteras of the US Fish and Wildlife Service
Climate impacts are already being felt at coastal and marine protected areas, and some managers are moving beyond conducting vulnerability assessment to implementing climate adaptation actions to address climate stressors. These actions range from relatively small-scale efforts (e.g., restoring native oysters that protect shorelines) to major restoration and adaptation projects (e.g., returning tidal flow in wetlands and restoring natural barrier island geomorphology to increase resiliency to storm events). Speakers will present case studies from Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge.
Webinar co-sponsored by NOAA National MPA Center, MPA News, and the EBM Tools Network (co-coordinated by OCTO and NatureServe).
Implications of climate change for managing coastal and marine protected habitats and species
Date: Thursday, October 11
Speaker: Paul Buckley of the Centre for the Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas)
Climate change is already affecting a wide range of marine and coastal conservation features (habitats, species and communities). Impacts on the quality, composition and presence of these protected features presents challenges to their conservation within protected sites and their wider networks. Here we present findings from recent studies undertaken by the UK Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership (MCCIP) on the implications of climate change for protected features and wider marine biodiversity legislation. Case studies on the vulnerability of specific marine conservation features to climate change are presented, and potential management options explored. Broader issues for the implementation of legislation that includes coastal and marine biodiversity are discussed, including mechanisms that exist within these obligations to 'accommodate' impacts of climate change. Finally, wider challenges, and opportunities, for the conservation of marine species, habitats, and communities in a changing climate are explored.
Webinar co-sponsored by the NOAA National MPA Center, MPA News, and the EBM Tools Network (co-coordinated by OCTO and NatureServe).
Climate-driven species redistribution in marine systems
Date: Tuesday, September 25; Wednesday, September 12
Speakers: Gretta Pecl of the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies and Centre for Marine Socioecology in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Climate change is driving a pervasive global redistribution of the planet's species, with manifest implications from genes to ecosystems across multiple temporal and spatial scales. Species redistribution defies current approaches to natural resource management that focus on restoring systems to a baseline and are often based on boundaries drawn in the past. Changes in distribution of marine resources creates difficulties, particularly when species cross jurisdictional boundaries and where historical catch rates and assessment processes may no longer be appropriate. Moreover, we are still a long way from understanding the suite of mechanisms and processes underlying the high variation in rate and magnitude of shifts. We have even less understanding of how species redistribution will drive changes in ecological communities and further complicate aspirations of ecosystem-based management. Climate-driven species redistribution therefore presents intriguing ecological challenges to unravel, as well as fundamental philosophical questions and urgent issues related to ecology, fisheries, food security, Indigenous and local livelihoods, and many other aspects of human well-being. This presentation will highlight some of the progress with adaptation planning and adaptation actions at international, national and local scales, including the need for an interdisciplinary approach and stakeholder engagement.
Webinar co-sponsored by the NOAA National MPA Center, MPA News, and the EBM Tools Network (co-coordinated by OCTO and NatureServe).
Integrating social network development into MPA management capacity building and institutionalization in the Philippines and Indonesia
Date: Thursday, August 9, 2018
Speakers: Anne Nelson and Gabrielle Johnson of NOAA
Every MPA site, region, and capacity building program is unique in structure and content, yet all programs need to build trust and community to create a locally-relevant format and framework. To contribute to the ongoing growth of the global social network of marine protected area (MPA) practitioners, the presenters will share observations from the social MPA network building that was part of recent NOAA MPA Center International Capacity Building in the Philippines and Indonesia. These programs deliver technical capacity for effective MPA management and a participatory learning framework for participants to enhance their MPA social network to support long term implementation of gained knowledge and skills. Webinar co-sponsored by the NOAA National MPA Center, MPA News, and the EBM Tools Network (co-coordinated by OCTO and NatureServe).
Climate Change Threatens the Worlds Marine Protected Areas
Date: July 23, 2018
Speaker: John Bruno of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Abstract: MPAs and the species they protect are increasingly being impacted by climate change. Although MPAs are widely promoted as a means to mitigate the effects of climate change, the opposite perspective is more in line with the scientific reality: without drastic reductions in carbon emissions, ocean warming, acidification and oxygen depletion will disrupt the composition and functioning of the ecosystems currently protected within the world’s MPAs. The community- and ecosystem-level impacts of climate change threaten to negate decades of progress in conservation and further imperil species and ecosystems that are already in jeopardy. Webinar co-sponsored by the NOAA National MPA Center, MPA News, and the EBM Tools Network (co-coordinated by OCTO and NatureServe).
Unmanned Systems (UxS): Transforming How We Study and Manage the Marine Environment
Date: Thursday, March 28, 1 pm US EDT/10 am US PDT/5 pm UTC
Speaker: John McDonough, Senior Program Advisor, NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations
Unmanned Systems (UxS) are transforming how we study and manage the marine environment. This presentation will provide an overview of unmanned aerial systems, unmanned surface vehicles, unmanned underwater vehicles, buoyancy gliders, and remotely operated vehicles. Emphasis will be placed on their contributions to establishing and managing marine protected areas. Webinar co-sponsored by the NOAA National MPA Center, MPA News, and the EBM Tools Network (co-coordinated by OCTO and NatureServe).
Finding the right 10%: Assessing MPA progress and the BlueBRIDGE platform
Date: Tuesday, June 14, 2018
Speaker: Miles Macmillan-Lawler of GRID-Arendal
Abstract: As we move towards the 2020 deadline for countries to fulfil their commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity Aichi Target 11, now is a good time to take stock and ask the question – are we protecting the right 10% of marine area in our MPAs? Not only does Aichi Target 11 talk about conserving 10% of coastal and marine areas, it specifies the effective conservation of areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services and ecologically representativeness as key goals. So how do we know if we are achieving this? This webinar will outline a framework for assessing the progress of MPAs in achieving these goals and present the Protected Areas Impact Maps Virtual Research Environment on the BlueBRIDGE platform (https://bluebridge.d4science.org/web/protectedareaimpactmaps), an open access application which uses this framework to assist countries in assessing their progress against Aichi Target 11 and ensuring that they get the right 10%.
Rapid Vulnerability Assessment Tool for MPA Managers
Date: Tuesday, May 8, 2018
Speaker: Sara Hutto of NOAA and Lara Hansen of EcoAdapt
Abstract: This North American Rapid Vulnerability Assessment Tool helps marine protected area managers evaluate the implications of climate change for the habitats of their sites. The tool, available in English and Spanish, has three parts (a user guide, a set of blank worksheets, and a booklet containing sample completed worksheets), which used together allow marine protected area managers to conduct a rapid vulnerability assessment and adaptation strategy development process. This webinar will cover: 1) why the tool was created, 2) an overview of the tool (how it works, what it looks like, where to find it), 3) the experience of using the tool, and 4) additional application of the tool. Learn more about the tool here.
Two perspectives on evaluating MPA management effectiveness: lessons learned from Australia's Great Barrier Reef and India
Date: March 13, 2018
Speaker: John C. Day, ARC Centre for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University, Australia
Abstract: The term ‘Management Effectiveness Evaluation' (or MEE) is well recognized as an important part of adaptive management for any protected area. Differing assessment methodologies have emerged around the world, many of them building upon the Framework agreed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and its World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) for assessing management effectiveness. In this talk, Jon will discuss some of the lessons learned when applying the IUCN/WCPA framework to assess MEE in a large and complex marine protected area (MPA) like the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Jon will compare and contrast this with a similar, but simpler, use of the same IUCN framework that he developed, working in conjunction with GIZ India, for Indian MPAs.
Conservation Connections: Species and Places, NOAA's Partnerships for Transboundary Protection Program
Date: March 8, 2018
Speakers: Lisamarie Carrubba of NOAA Fisheries and Vicki Wedell, Acting Chief for Policy and Planning, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Abstract: The Partnerships for Transboundary Protection (PTP) Program was established by NOAA's Office of Protected Resources and Office of National Marine Sanctuaries to better connect conservation efforts directed toward marine species and their habitats. Through collaborative conservation that aligns sanctuary management plans, species' recovery plans, and habitat protection, the PTP Program is working to improve internal coordination and management of threatened and endangered species and their habitats, as well as other NOAA resources such as key fishery species in sanctuaries. The PTP Program is also working on expanding collaboration with other marine protected areas and external partners in order to further support conservation and recovery of species such as whales, corals, and Nassau grouper.
Engaging governments, businesses, and the public in the fight against marine plastic litter: the #CleanSeas campaign
Date: Feb. 8, 2018
Speaker: Carla Friedrich of UN Environment
Abstract: UN Environment launched #CleanSeas in February 2017 to engage governments, the general public, civil society and the private sector in the fight against marine plastic litter. This campaign is addressing the root cause of marine litter by targeting the production and consumption of non-recoverable and single-use plastic. It is also giving a platform to hundreds of local organizations doing important work on marine litter to highlight their efforts. The campaign contributes to the goals of the Global Partnership on Marine Litter, a voluntary open-ended partnership for international agencies, governments, businesses, academia, local authorities and non-governmental organizations hosted by UN Environment. Learn more about #CleanSeas at http://cleanseas.org.
Links to some key websites and publications mentioned during the webinar:
Post Hurricane Irma Rapid Reef Assessment in South Florida and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
Date: Jan. 11, 2018
Speaker: Steve Gittings, Science Coordinator, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and Tom Moore of the NOAA Restoration Center
Abstract: Following Hurricane Irma, a multi-agency and partner effort was launched to conduct a rapid assessment of the Florida Coral Reef Tract, including areas in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Science divers surveyed more than 50 sites, from Biscayne Bay to the Marquesas, and found extensive shifting of sand and heavy sediment accumulation as well as some structural damage to individual corals and the reef itself. Using information from these surveys, a parallel effort to stabilize corals in the most impacted locations was also undertaken. Scientists will share preliminary findings from the assessment cruise and triage activities as well as how such a collaborative effort was coordinated.
An Introduction to Business Planning for Protected Areas
Date: Nov. 9, 2017 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Eastern
Speaker: Andrew Rylance, Technical Advisor to the GOS-United Nations Development Programme-Global Environment Facility, Protected Area Financing Project (2016-2021)
Abstract: A workshop on business planning was recently held to support the financial future of protected areas in Seychelles. Outputs developed under this project have global application. This presentation will outline the importance of business planning for protected areas and how business plans can be used as tools to leverage financial support for conservation management. The presentation will also provide an introduction to the components of business plans and a database of protected area business plans where users can access over 45 examples of protected area business plans and guidelines.
Sharing the MPA Energy from IMPAC4: Highlights and Recommendations from the Conference
Nov. 2, 2017
Speaker: Lauren Wenzel, Director, National MPA Center, NOAA; Dan Laffoley, Marine Vice Chair, World Commission on Protected Areas, IUCN; Gonzalo Cid, International Coordinator, National MPA Center, NOAA; Diego Flores Arrate, SBSTTA NFP, Protected Areas NFP, Ministerio del Medio Ambiente, Chile; Felipe Paredes, Marine Protected Areas Specialist at Ministerio de Medio Ambiente, Chile.
Abstract:Over 1,100 people from 59 countries attended the 4th International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC4) in Chile in September 2017. This presentation summarizes what happened, including major themes, accomplishments, messages, and next steps.
Product Circularity and the Hidden Economic Opportunities of Discarded Fishing Nets and Ropes
Date: October 5, 2017
Speakers: Martin Charter, Director of The Centre for Sustainable Design of the University for the Creative Arts, United Kingdom
Abstract: Circular economies aim to minimize resource inputs, emissions, and energy leakage by designing long-lasting products; maintaining, repairing, and reusing them; and recycling them at the end of their useful life. This is in contrast to traditional linear economies utilizing 'take, make, dispose' models of production. The talk will provide guidance on how organizations can implement circular economy principles related to products, processes, and business models. It will also introduce the Circular Ocean project which pursues innovative and sustainable solutions for marine plastic waste arising from waste fishing nets and ropes (FNRs). Issues related to waste FNRs, existing products that utilize FNRs, and potential new business models for waste FNRs will be presented. Read more about the Circular Ocean project at http://www.circularocean.eu
Satellite tracking sharks and fishing vessels to assess a remote marine protected area
Sep. 14, 2017 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. Eastern
Speakers: Tim White, Stanford University
Abstract: Large marine protected areas (MPAs) have recently been established throughout the world at an unprecedented pace, yet the value of these reserves for mobile species conservation remains uncertain. This webinar will describe how recent advances in satellite technology and big data analytics have improved our ability to observe and understand the benefits of large MPAs. As a primary case study, the webinar will outline recent efforts to track fishing vessels and reef sharks within the Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, a U.S.-administered protected area in the central Pacific Ocean.
Green Fins: A tool for reducing the direct impacts of diving and tourism industries
Date: July 13, 2017 1:00 -2:00 p.m. Eastern
Speakers: Chloe Harvey, Programmes Manager, The Reef-World Foundation
Abstract: Join Chloe Harvey of Reef-World, to learn about Green Fins, a public-private partnership developed by UNEP and The Reef-World Foundation that leads to a measurable reduction in negative environmental impacts associated with SCUBA diving and snorkeling. This webinar will provide information on the Green Fins approach, share successes, and discuss lessons learned. The presentation will highlight newly released tools and resources available to support managers who are interested in reducing the impacts of marine tourism and applying the Green Fins approach in their areas.
A Coastal Conservation Leadership Program in Washington State
Date: June 8, 2017
Speaker: Casey Dennehy, Surfrider Foundation, Washington Coast Program Manager
Abstract: This webinar will describe a unique program on the Washington coast that has been offered to coastal conservation leaders the last two years. Known as the Surfrider Leadership Academy, the program follows the principles of networked leadership, collaboration, Marshall Ganz's public narrative framework, and concludes with a self-identified group project.
The new He'eia National Estuarine Research Reserve
Date: May 31, 2017
Speakers: Matthew Chasse, Coastal Management Specialist, NOAA Office for Coastal Management
Abstract: The newly designated He'eia National Estuarine Research Reserve is the 29th in the National Estuarine Research Reserve system and the first in Hawaii. The 1,385-acre reserve includes upland forests and grasslands, wetlands, reefs, and seagrass beds, as well as the largest sheltered body of water in the Hawaiian Island chain. The reserve also includes significant historic and cultural resources. This webinar will cover the process leading to the designation, and the reserve’s partnerships and management goals, including the integration of traditional Hawaiian ecosystem management with contemporary approaches. Learn more about the new reserve at https://coast.noaa.gov/nerrs/reserves/hawaii.html.
The new He'eia National Estuarine Research Reserve
Date: May 11, 2017
Speakers: Matthew Chasse, Coastal Management Specialist, NOAA Office for Coastal Management
Abstract: The newly designated He'eia National Estuarine Research Reserve is the 29th in the National Estuarine Research Reserve system and the first in Hawaii. The 1,385-acre reserve includes upland forests and grasslands, wetlands, reefs, and seagrass beds, as well as the largest sheltered body of water in the Hawaiian Island chain. The reserve also includes significant historic and cultural resources. This webinar will cover the process leading to the designation, and the reserve’s partnerships and management goals, including the integration of traditional Hawaiian ecosystem management with contemporary approaches. Learn more about the new reserve at https://coast.noaa.gov/nerrs/reserves/hawaii.html.
NOAA Marine Debris Program-funded Microplastic Research and Current Research Priorities
Date: April 13, 2017
Speaker: Carlie Herring, Research Coordinator, Marine Debris Division, NOAA Office of Response and Restoration
Abstract: Dive into the world of microplastics with the NOAA Marine Debris Program! Learn about the various types and sources of microplastics, and the impacts associated with microplastic marine debris. In this webinar, we will highlight microplastic studies funded by the NOAA Marine Debris Program, including studies that examine chemical and microplastic interactions under various environmental conditions (leaching and sorption studies), ingestion of microplastics by planktonic marine organisms, microplastic and contaminant interactions in marine food webs, and the abundance and occurrence of microplastic debris on beaches and in the Mississippi River watershed. In addition, this webinar will also briefly highlight current MDP research priorities.
Microplastics: What we know and discussion of research needs
Implications of spatial connectivity and climate change for the design and application of marine protected areas
March 9, 2017
Speakers:
Mark Carr, Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Long Marine Laboratory, University of
California, Santa Cruz
Dr. Sarah Robinson, Critical Inquiries Research, Brookline, Massachusetts
Abstract: The US Marine Protected Area (MPA) Federal Advisory Committee (FAC) has a Connectivity Subcommittee charged with understanding how knowledge about ecological spatial connectivity and climate climate change can be incorporated into the design, use, and management of effective MPAs and MPA networks. The committee has summarized the current scientific understanding of: 1) different types and scales of connectivity and their ecological implications, 2) how connectivity processes create ecological linkages among marine areas, populations, communities, and ecosystems, and 3) how connectivity impacts conservation outcomes in MPAs. This webinar will summarize the work of the FAC on the implications of spatial ecological connectivity for the design and application of MPAs in a changing ocean. This work forms the basis of the FAC's recommendations to the US Secretaries of Commerce and the Interior for future US MPA management and policy.
Sustainable Finance Options for U.S. Marine Protected Areas
Feb. 9, 2017
Speakers:
Brian E. Baird, Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee External Financing Subcommittee Chair
Director, Ocean & Coastal Program, The Bay Institute and Aquarium of the Bay
Dr. Martha Honey, Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee External Financing Subcommittee
Vice-Chair
Co-Founder and Executive Director, Center for Responsible Travel (CREST)
Abstract: MPAs require sustainable long-term funding for designation and management, specifically education, outreach, monitoring, research, policy development, and enforcement. Recommendations from a new report produced by the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee will be discussed, along with a wide-range of approaches to obtain external funding, important guidelines for success, and potential sources of external financing.
PROTECTING OUR MARINE TREASURES: Sustainable Finance Options for U.S. Marine Protected Areas
Dec. 8, 2016
Title: Demonstrating Relevance: Applying Lessons on Management Effectiveness at Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary
Speaker: Sarah Fangman, Superintendent, Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary
Dec. 1, 2016
Title: Progress on establishing protected areas in the Southern Ocean: the Ross Sea region MPA
Speaker: Mi Ae Kim, Foreign Affairs Specialist, Office of International Affairs and Seafood Inspection, NMFS
Abstract: The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) has been working to establish marine protected areas in the Southern Ocean, which would contribute to its objective – the conservation of Antarctic marine living resources. On October 28, 2016, CCAMLR agreed to the establishment of the Ross Sea region MPA, an area of exceptional ecological value and scientific importance. An overview of CCAMLR’s MPA efforts will be provided during the webinar, including details about the recently adopted MPA in the Ross Sea. See CCAMLR's webpage for background on CCAMLR MPAs.
Nov. 10, 2016
Title: Facilitating Collaborative Public Decisions: A Video-Based Training Tool
Speaker: Steven L. Yaffee, PhD Professor of Natural Resource and Environmental Policy, School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan
Abstract: Whether you are a stakeholder, facilitator, agency official, or student, this tool can help you understand and facilitate real-world public decision making processes. Using multimedia examples drawn from the California Marine Life Protection Act Initiative, the tool enables users to explore strategies for facilitating the different stages of collaborative decision making. This tool was created to help a variety of users expand their expertise and increase their understanding of facilitation strategies, challenges, and steps in a collaborative process.
Nov. 3, 2016
Title: Adaptive Management of Marine Protected Areas: Predicting Responses
Speaker: Louis W. Botsford, Distinguished Professor, Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis
Abstract: The state of California established a statewide network of marine protected areas through the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) process. Managers and scientists must now figure out how to employ adaptive management of these MPAs (i.e. to compare outcomes to predicted effects, a requirement of the act). The first step was to initiate baseline monitoring of sites inside the new MPAs and at select reference sites outside of them. Next, with support from California Sea Grant, researchers developed computer models for adaptive management of Central California's MPAs for commercially and recreationally important species such as blue rockfish, black rockfish, lingcod and cabezon. The spatial population models incorporated what is known about species' larval dispersals, adult movement patterns, and key species interactions to simulate how fish populations might respond to spatial closures and other factors, such as fishing pressure outside the no-fishing zones. Output from the simulations has provided insights on how soon managers should expect to see increases in fish population abundances and when and why there may be time lags in some species' responses, given factors such as pre-MPA fishing pressure and pre-MPA fish population abundance. The models also offer predictions for how much individual fish sizes might be expected to increase over time. Yet other computational modeling focused on determining "spill-over" distances for MPAs and their implications for siting monitoring reference sites. The scientists report that simply comparing sites inside and outside MPAs can produce misleading results and that consistent evaluation of each over time is more important for accurate assessments of MPA performance than comparing inside and outside MPAs at a set time. This group is working collaboratively with state wildlife managers to develop the science necessary to monitor and adaptively manage the state's new MPAs.
Oct. 4, 2016
Title: Ocean Highlights from the IUCN World Conservation Congress
Speakers: Lauren Wenzel, Director NOAA National Marine Protected Areas Center; Carl Gustaf Lundin, Director, IUCN Global Marine and Polar Programme; and, Dan Laffoley, IUCN Principal Advisor, Marine Science and Conservation for the Global Marine and Polar Programme, and Marine Vice Chair for the World Commission on Protected Areas.
http://www.iucnworldconservationcongress.org/
July 14, 2016
Title: Takeaways from the 13th International Coral Reef Symposium
Speakers: Paulo Maurin (Hawaii Management Liaison/NOAA Coral Program), Jason Philibotte (International Coordinator for Pacific Region/NOAA Coral Program), and Bob Richmond (Kewalo Marine Laboratory Director and ICRS Meeting Organizer)
Abstract: The International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS), held from June 19-24, 2016, in Honolulu, Hawai’i, is the primary international meeting focused on coral reef science and management. ICRS brings together an estimated 2,500 coral reef scientists, policy makers, and managers from 70 different nations to present the latest research findings, case histories, and management activities and discuss the application of scientific knowledge to achieving coral reef sustainability. The 13th iteration of ICRS expands outside its traditional science realm to also include policy and management with the overall theme of "Bridging Science to Policy." Alongside the symposium, a concurrent Leadership Forum with heads of state from the Pacific is convening to talk about the most pressing issues their local reefs are facing. This presentation will share outcomes from the Leadership Forum as well as high-level scientific findings from the conference, drawing direct links to management and policy.
June 23, 2016
Title: Alternative Livelihood Opportunities for Coastal Communities in the Eastern Caribbean by ECMMAN
Speakers: Joan Norville (Programme Officer, OECS), Roland Baldeo (MPA Coordinator, Grenada Fisheries Division) and Michael Savarin (President, Tan Tan Development Corporation, Dominica).
Abstract: To relieve fishing pressure and provide supplementary income to coastal communities surrounding MPAs, the Eastern Caribbean Marine Managed Areas Network (ECMMAN) is implementing sustainable, alternative livelihood projects on six islands. Supported by the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), small livelihood grants were made available to qualified applicants selected by a regional committee. Projects range from eco-tourism cooperatives, agriculture projects, mooring sites, and training a network of fishers and vendors to catch and market invasive lionfish. The projects have effectively equipped displaced fishers and community members with the skills and investment needed to launch micro-enterprises. In this webinar we will hear about the Livelihood Support Fund concept and implementation, as well as from the facilitators of two national projects.
May 12, 2016
Title: Eyes on the Seas Project - The Pew Charitable Trusts
Speaker: Mark Young, Senior Officer, Conservation Enforcement at the PEW Charitable Trusts
Abstract: The Pew Charitable Trusts has partnered with the Satellite Applications Catapult to pioneer Project Eyes on the Seas, a cutting-edge technology platform that combines satellite monitoring and imagery data with other information, such as fishing vessel databases and oceanographic data, to help authorities detect suspicious fishing activity. Illegal fishing is a global concern that threatens the long-term health of our oceans, worsens the impact of overfishing on critical marine ecosystems, and costs up to an estimated $23.5 billion annually. It accounts for 1 of every 5 fish taken from the world’s seas and jeopardizes the livelihoods of tens of millions of people who depend on the oceans’ resources.
Apr. 14, 2016
Title: Ocean Exploration & MPAs: Priorities, Technological Advances and Partnerships
Speaker: Alan Leonardi, PhD, NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research
Abstract: Ocean exploration advances in technology are allowing us to reach new depths and areas previously unknown. As these doors open what does the interface between ocean exploration and the MPA community mean and how can state-of-the art ocean exploration support the research and policy decisions surrounding the nation's system of marine protected areas.
Mar. 10, 2016
Lost Whaling Fleets of the Western Arctic
Speaker: Brad Barr, PhD, NOAA/Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Maritime Heritage Program
Abstract: NOAA archaeologists have discovered the battered hulls of two 1800s whaling ships nearly 144 years after they and 30 others sank off the Arctic coast of Alaska in one of the planet's most unexplored ocean regions.The shipwrecks, and parts of other ships, that were found are most likely the remains of 33 ships trapped by pack ice close to the Alaskan Arctic shore in September 1871. The whaling captains had counted on a wind shift from the east to drive the ice out to sea as it had always done in years past. The ships were destroyed in a matter of weeks, leaving more than 1,200 whalers stranded at the top of the world until they could be rescued by seven ships of the fleet standing by about 80 miles to the south in open water off Icy Cape. No one died in the incident but it is cited as one of the major causes of the demise of commercial whaling in the United States.
Feb. 11, 2016
Maps and Datasets for Blue Carbon Habitats
Speaker: Karen Richardson, Director of Programs at the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC)
Abstract: Blue carbon denotes the long-term storage of carbon within plant habitats growing in coastal lands and nearshore marine environments. With support from the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), maps of blue carbon habitats, seagrass, salt marsh, and mangroves, on the coasts of Canada, Mexico and the United States were collected, verified and compiled to create the first continent-wide collection of blue carbon habitat maps. These maps show that seagrasses grow coastally throughout North America, while mangroves are primarily tropical and salt marshes, primarily temperate/arctic. A geodatabase was established, metadata documented, data and methodological gaps were assessed along with challenges in identifying the extent of these habitats. The maps compiled for North America document 24,200 km2 of seagrass, 13,500 km2 of salt marsh and 10,100 km2 of mangrove. Only half of the continent’s seagrasses have been mapped and priority sites were identified for future mapping. The area of blue carbon habitat within marine protected areas and terrestrial protected areas was also determined and an initial analysis of priority areas in all three habitats for blue carbon preservation, restoration and management was conducted.
Jan. 14, 2016
A New Era of Cooperation Between Cuba and the U.S. Established Through Marine Protected Areas
Speakers: Billy D. Causey, PhD. Director of Southeast, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Region
of NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Pedro Ramos, Superintendent Everglades National Park and Dry Tortugas National Park, National Park
Service
Daniel Whittle, JD. Director of the Environmental Defense Fund's Cuba Program
Abstract: On Nov 18, 2015, NOAA and the National Park Service signed a memorandum of understanding with Cuba’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment to cooperate on the conservation and management of Marine Protected Areas – one of the first bilateral arrangements following the recent renewal of diplomatic relations between the US and Cuba. This groundbreaking accord follows years of work by EDF and others to bring together marine scientists, resource users and managers in both countries to develop joint conservation strategies for the marine ecosystem of the region. This presentation will highlight Cuba’s spectacular marine environments, the development of the system of MPAs in Cuba and how the establishment of sister sanctuary programs under the agreement will facilitate greater understanding and protection of the marine resources our two countries share.
Dec. 10, 2015
The Rapidly Changing Arctic by Fran Ulmer, Chair of the U S Arctic Research Commission
Speaker: Hon. Fran Ulmer, Chair, U.S. Arctic Research Commission
Abstract: Fran Ulmer will provide an overview of the rapid changes that are taking place in the Arctic: social, economic, environmental and governmental, and will summarize the Arctic Council history and current agenda.
Nov. 12, 2015
Ocean Parks and 2016 National Park Service Centennial
Speaker: Cliff McCreedy, Marine Resource Management Specialist, Ocean and Coastal Resources Branch, National Park Service
Abstract: The National Park Service is entrusted with managing 86 ocean and Great Lakes parks across 22 states and four territories. With over 11,000 miles of coast and 2.5 million acres of ocean and Great Lakes waters, the parks provide tremendous recreational benefits and biological and cultural values to the nation. The Park Service celebrates its 100th birthday in 2016. The Park Service Centennial will include events and activities across the ocean and coastal parks, as part of the Find Your Park Centennial campaign, as well as virtual experiences via social media and the web. This webinar will provide a brief overview of the breadth and extent of coastal resources and issues in the National Park System and the NPS Centennial.
Oct. 8, 2015
Inspire Ocean and Climate Literacy and Conservation through MPAs
Speaker: Claire Fackler, National Education Liaison, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Abstract: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries serves as the trustee for a system of fourteen marine protected areas, encompassing more than 170,000 square miles of America’s ocean and Great Lakes. The National Marine Sanctuary System's education and outreach programs inspire ocean and climate literacy and stewardship of the national marine sanctuaries through engaging hands-on, STEM field programs, teacher workshops, student activities, social media and free online resources. Learn about the impacts of these unique programs through formative and summative evaluations and how you too can inspire ocean and climate literacy, as well as conservation and stewardship through your own marine protected area.
Aug. 13, 2015
Solving the Mystery of MPA Performance: Linking Governance to Ecological Outcomes
Speakers: Dr. Helen Fox, Senior Director, Research and Monitoring, RARE
Dr. David Gill, Luc Hoffman Institute/SESYNC Post-Doctoral Fellow, National Socio-Environmental Synthesis
Center (SESYNC)
June 11, 2015
Lessons Learned: Impacts of Coastal and Ocean Tourism
Speaker: JMartha Honey, Executive Director of the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST)
Abstract: Coastal resort and cruise tourism are the fastest growing sectors of the tourism industry, and uncontrolled, large scale tourism development is causing an array of environmental damage to beaches, coastal waters, and some MPAs. In addition, coastal and marine tourism is both a contributor to and victim of climate change. This presentation examines some of these problems, as well as efforts by industry innovators to construct and operate coastal and marine tourism in ways that minimize environmental impacts and mitigate and adapt to climate change.
Click here for the Powerpoint, Sound and associated files.
May 14, 2015
IUCN Green List and Marine Protected Areas
Speaker: James Hardcastle, IUCN Programme Development Manager
Abstract: The IUCN Green List is a new and progressive initiative that encourages and celebrates the success of protected areas, both terrestrial and marine, that reach excellent standards of management. Protected areas that are well-managed fulfill their promise of conserving biodiversity and essential ecosystem services that benefit everyone and sustain life on earth. For protected area managers or agencies, the IUCN Green List will provide direct and indirect benefits from listing including: 1) International recognition for the listed areas and their management authorities for the high quality of management; 2) Political and financial support for areas that achieve listing, or to address issues that will facilitate listing of new areas; 3) Motivation of protected area managers and their agencies to meet and maintain high standards of management; 4) Opportunities for listed areas and their agencies to receive financial and project support; 5) Recognition by the tourism industry and visitors that the area will offer a quality visitor experience; 6) Acknowledgement by communities and stakeholders that the area addresses issues of involvement and benefit sharing; and 7) Further motivation to establish routine methods for measuring management effectiveness. This webinar will discuss the origins and implementation of the IUCN Green List including standards that protected areas must meet to be listed and how marine and coastal sites are engaging in the process.
Click here for the Powerpoint, Sound and associated files.
Apr. 9, 2015
Indigenous Knowledge and Use of Ocean Currents in the Bering Strait Region
Speaker: Julie Raymond-Yakoubian, Kawerak Social Science Program Director
Abstract: Julie Raymond-Yakoubian of Kawerak, Inc. will be discussing a recently completed project on indigenous knowledge and use of ocean currents. This webinar will share perspectives on the importance of traditional understandings of ocean currents as a critical aspect of the body of knowledge held by communities in the region, how this knowledge was collected, and the modern-day practical applications of this knowledge for marine policy, planning, and safety considerations. The session will include examples of where this knowledge is currently being used.
Click here for the Powerpoint, Sound and associated files.
Mar. 12, 2015
Climate-Smart Adaptation: Vulnerability Assessment Results and Next Steps for the North-central California Coast and Ocean
Speaker: Sara Hutto, Ocean Climate Specialist, Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary
Topic: Learn how the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary MPA is planning for climate-smart adaptation and how you might be able to use the same approach. Sara Hutto will present the Vulnerability Assessment Results for 40 species, habitats and ecosystem services in the North-central California region. Application of the vulnerability assessment, scenario planning, and the formation of a working group to develop adaptive management recommendations will also be discussed. To learn more about how the assessment was conducted, please view the August 2014 webinar presentation, "A Climate-Smart Approach to Adaptive Management of North-central California Coast and Ocean Resources".
Click here for the Powerpoint, Sound and associated files.
Feb. 12, 2015
Integrating Oceans into the Landscape Conservation Cooperative Network
Speaker: Elsa Haubold, Ph.D., PMP National Landscape Conservation Cooperative Coordinator U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Topic: 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. These complex threats impact entire landscapes and multiple resources simultaneously and are too large for any single organization to meet alone. The Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs) provide a forum for States, Tribes, Federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, universities and other groups to work together in a new way. LCCs provide scientific and technical expertise for conservation planning at landscape scales and promote collaboration among their members in defining shared conservation goals. In this webinar, Dr. Elsa Haubold, National Coordinator for the Landscape Conservation Cooperative Network, will discuss the LCC Network's mission and objectives and the work of its partners. Learn more about the LCC Network athttp://lccnetwork.org.
Click here for the Powerpoint, Sound and associated files.
Jan. 8, 2015
Keeping the Promise of Sydney - Next Steps for the Marine Agenda from the World Parks Congress
Speakers: Lauren Wenzel, MPA Center acting Director, and Dan Laffoley, Marine Vice Chair for IUCN's World Commission on Protected Areas
Topic: A presentation on coastal and marine recommendations and next steps from November's landmark global forum on world parks.
Click here for the Powerpoint, Sound and associated files.
Dec. 11, 2014
Restoring the Resilience of Caribbean Coral Reefs by Jeremy Jackson
Speaker: Jeremy Jackson, Ph.D., Smithsonian Institution & Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Topic: Dr. Jackson will present 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 International Coral Reef Initiative’s (ICRI) Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN), the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). It is the most detailed and comprehensive study of its kind published to date and is the result of the work of nearly 200 experts over the course of three years. Average Caribbean coral cover declined by half but varies greatly among locations with some sites showing little or no decline. The principal drivers of reef degradation so far have been local impacts of overfishing and coastal development that are potentially reversible by local action. Banning destructive fishing and strengthening coastal zone management would increase resilience of Caribbean reefs to the inevitable future impacts of climate change. Download the report at: www.iucn.org/knowledge/publications_doc/publications/?uPubsID=5035.
Click here for the Powerpoint, Sound and associated files.
November 13, 2014
Working Across Agency Lines to Improve Visitor Use Management on U.S. Public Lands and
Waters
Speakers:Kerri Cahill, Branch Chief, National Park Service, Denver Service Center Ellen
Eubanks, Project Leader, Landscape Architect, Forest Service, San Dimas Technology & Development Center
Charles Wahle, Senior Scientist, NOAA National Marine Protected Areas Center
Topic: The United States has a diverse system of national parks, monuments, wildlife
refuges, marine protected areas, estuarine research reserves, conservation areas, recreation areas,
wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers, and scenic and historic trails managed by a number of different
federal agencies. The Interagency Visitor Use Management Council, with representatives from the US National
Park Service, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Army Corps of
Engineers, and NOAA, is developing effective and legally defensible implementation tools for assessing,
planning, and managing visitor use and visitor capacity on US public lands and waters. The Council's
collaborative efforts provide a consistent approach to visitor use management that will in turn create
seamless connections between lands and waters managed by different federal agencies. In this webinar,
representatives from the Interagency Visitor Use Management Council will present on guidance being developed
to encourage sustainable recreation on federal lands and waters.
Click here for the Powerpoint, Sound and associated files.
October 9, 2014
A Cultural Resources Toolkit for MPA Managers
Speaker:Valerie Grussing, MPAC Cultural Resources Coordinator
Topic:The Cultural Heritage Resources Working Group of the MPA Federal Advisory Committee
is creating a virtual toolkit for coastal and MPA managers on cultural resource management. The toolkit will
provide practical guidance to help MPA managers effectively manage cultural resources, building on
recommendations from the MPA FAC on adapting a Cultural Landscape Approach. The webinar will present the
draft Toolkit, and provide an opportunity for feedback.
Click here for the Powerpoint, Sound and associated files.
September 11, 2014
Marine Wilderness 10+10 Project: Bringing Back the Wild
Speaker:Julie Randall, Vice President of Programs, The WILD Foundation
Topic: Marine Wilderness is a powerful vision of functional, healthy and resilient marine
life that regenerates populations of wild species interconnected to form productive food webs. It also
provides a picture of what wild nature looks like and does compared to places with more significant human
impacts. The Marine Wilderness 10+10 Project is a collaborative effort of 10 partners led by The WILD
Foundation to reverse marine life depletion and habitat decline by applying a science-based strategy to halt
overfishing and destructive human use. For 20 sites around the world (a quarter in the United States),
organized teams of stakeholders equipped with project tools and visuals will chart, assess, and act to
expand and deepen protections that consider livelihood, cultural and recreational concerns while ensuring
ecological needs are met. Through WILD's partnership with the International League of Conservation
Photographers (iLCP), the project will help change public values concerning marine life toward an active
constituency for marine wilderness. This webinar was co-sponsored by the NOAA National Marine Protected
Areas Center, the EBM Tools Network, and MPA News.
Click here for the Powerpoint, Sound and associated files.
August 7, 2014
A Climate-Smart Approach to Adaptive Management of North-central California Coast and Ocean
Habitats, Species, and Ecosystem Services
Speakers: Sara Hutto - Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Climate-Smart
Adaptation Project Coordinator
Topic: The Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary's Climate-Smart Adaptation
Project for the North-central California Coast and Ocean will produce a comprehensive and prioritized
adaptation implementation plan based on climate-smart principles. A climate-smart approach seeks
nature-based solutions to reduce climate change impacts on wildlife and people, and enhance resilience to
sustain vibrant, diverse ecosystems. Phase 1 of the project consists of a 2-part workshop series that
engages scientists and resource managers to identify focal species, habitats, and ecosystem services and
develop vulnerability assessments for these focal resources. Phase 2 uses this information to define
plausible climate scenarios for the region and develop and prioritize adaptive management recommendations,
with special focus on living shoreline projects, through a working group of local stakeholders. After
evaluating these recommendations, the sanctuary will develop a detailed implementation plan and design pilot
living shoreline projects with the goal of proactively sustaining diverse ecosystems through nature-based
solutions.
Click here for the Powerpoint, Sound and associated files.
July 10, 2014
Building Capacity to Sustainably Manage Increasing Recreational Uses in MPAs
Speakers: Priscilla Brooks – Conservation Law Foundation and MPA Federal Advisory Committee
and, Charlie Wahle, Ph.D. - NOAA MPA Center
Topic: Recreational uses of MPAs are expanding rapidly in the US and around the globe.
While promising many benefits to users and the sites, this trend has also raised concerns about the
sustainability of increased use and about the capacity of most MPAs to manage and facilitate these diverse
and often novel activities. To that end, the US Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee, working
with the NOAA MPA Center, has examined this challenge and has developed a suite of recommendations and best
practices for managers to consider in addressing this trend.
Click here for the Powerpoint, Sound and associated files.
June 12, 2014
Preparing for Disaster at MPAs, Will Underwood, Stewardship Coordinator, Grand Bay National
Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi Department of Marine Resources
Speakers: Will Underwood, Stewardship Coordinator – Grand Bay National Estuarine Research
Reserve, Mississippi Department of Marine Resources
Topic: Focus on the need to consider disaster response planning for marine protected areas
using the example of the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) in Mississippi. Natural and
anthropogenic disasters will be discussed, with emphasis on impacts associated with hurricanes and oil
spills. Proper identification and ranking of hazards and risks to personnel, environmental resources, and
infrastructure will be covered as well as discussion on how to integrate with the response community and
crosswalk concepts of environmental sensitivity to responders. Examples of formal disaster response plans
recently developed within the NERR system will be presented and a template for plan preparation will be made
available.
Click here for the Powerpoint, Sound and associated files.
May 8, 2014
Listening to our Sanctuaries: Understanding and Reducing the Impacts of Underwater Noise in
Marine Protected Areas
Speakers: Leila Hatch, Ph.D. – Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National Marine
Sanctuary
Topic: Increasing levels of human activity are contributing increasing levels of underwater
noise to the world's aquatic places. In the U.S., the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is the
federal agency most responsible for preventing harm to aquatic animals and their habitats. This presentation
will discuss NOAA's interest in conserving acoustic habitat quality in addition to minimizing adverse
physical and behavioral impacts of noise to specific species. It will also focus on the role that National
Marine Sanctuaries are playing in NOAA's ocean noise strategy through both science and management
initiatives.
April 10, 2014
Lessons Learned: Community Engagement in MPA Management
Speakers: Matt Ferris-Smith, Samantha Miller, Joe Otts and Michelle Zilinkskas – University
of Michigan's School of Natural Resources and Environment
Topic:This webinar presented a toolkit to enhance the capacity of marine protected areas to
effectively engage with local communities. Based on interviews with MPA managers, staff, and community
members from across the United States, the toolkit addresses topics including building trust and
understanding with community members, increasing collaboration with communities, increasing awareness and
knowledge of protected areas, and fostering stewardship behavior. It was developed by graduate students from
the University of Michigan's School of Natural Resources and the Environment in collaboration with NOAA's
National Marine Protected Areas Center. Webinar co-sponsored by the NOAA National Marine Protected Areas
Center, OpenChannels.org, and MPA News.
View video of webinar presentation
March 13, 2014
Global Ocean Refuge System to Protect Marine Life Worldwide (GLORES)
Speakers: Lance Morgan, Ph.D. – Marine Conservation Institute
Topic:Global Ocean Refuge System (GLORES) is a science-based strategy for advancing marine
protected areas worldwide. GLORES expands existing efforts by: 1) using a scientifically sound biogeographic
framework for protecting ecosystems; 2) establishing clear, transparent criteria for the best locations,
strong protection, effective management, and credible enforcement to save species and their habitats from
preventable harm; 3) fostering improved cooperation among nonprofit and for-profit organizations to achieve
GLORES goals; and 4) incentivizing competition among countries and international governmental organizations
for the prestige and economic benefits of earning Global Ocean Refuge status for the best existing and new
marine protected areas. GLORES will incorporate the best thinking of marine biologists, oceanographers,
fisheries scientists, geographers, economists, market researchers, business people, and others, and it will
support governments with marine jurisdictions to save at least 10% of every ocean biogeographic region by
2020, and 20% by 2030. Learn more about GLORES athttp://globaloceanrefuge.org.
View video of webinar presentation
February 25, 2014
Monitoring and Evaluation of Spatially Managed Marine Areas (MESMA)
Speakers: Oscar Bos, Institute for Marine Resources and Ecosystem Studies (IMARES), The
Netherlands and Vanessa Stelzenmuller, Thunen-Institute of Sea Fisheries, Germany
Topic: Created by the European Community, the MESMA framework is a step-wise approach to
the evaluation and monitoring of spatially managed marine areas. The framework provides guidance on the
selection, mapping, and assessment of ecosystem components and human pressures. It also addresses the
evaluation of management effectiveness and potential adaptations to management, including governance. The
webinar will highlight the framework and geospatial tools for implementing it.
View video of webinar presentation
January 9, 2014
MPAs as Sentinel Sites
Speakers: Steve Gittings, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, NOAA
Topic:"Sentinel sites" are areas with the capacity for sustained ocean observations to
track environmental change. Within national marine sanctuaries, these observations are focused on ecological
integrity and early warning indicators in order to inform decisions by resource managers. Monitoring data,
characterization and applied research efforts are the backbone of the sentinel site program. The
presentation will illustrate how Sanctuaries are serving as sentinel sites. Environmental monitoring plays
an integral role in management actions such as response, mitigation, restoration, management plan review,
permitting, enforcement, and education. Sanctuaries are also designing web capabilities to deliver sentinel
site information to managers and other users.
View video of webinar presentation
December 12, 2013
Assessing Habitat and Community Sensitivity to Climate Change Impacts
Speakers: Jeff Crooks, Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve and Dwight
Trueblood, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, NOAA
Topic: The National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERRS) are uniquely positioned across the
U.S. to assess climate change impacts and the sensitivity of representative coastal habitats to them. The
NERRS Climate Sensitivity Study identified key anthropogenic and climatic stressors affecting each reserve's
ecological and social landscape and then analyzed the social and bio-physical sensitivity to these
stressors. Presenters will share key findings from this study, and the Tijuana River Reserve in California
will discuss their collaborative efforts to develop a vulnerability assessment that informs an Adaptation
Strategy to address sea level rise and riverine flooding.
View video of webinar presentation
November 14, 2013
Impacts of Sea Level Rise on National Parks
Speakers: Rebecca Beaver and Courtney Schupp, National Park Service
Topic: Climate change and sea level rise will challenge National Park efforts to protect
natural and cultural resources and to provide visitor access and recreational opportunities. Learn how
several national parks are addressing these challenges: collecting baseline data on archaeological sites
that are vulnerable to rising water levels and associated changes in biological activity and visitor use;
incorporating barrier island processes into long-term development plans including visitor facilities; and
engaging in a regional multi-agency effort to restore coastal areas impacted by a major hurricane.
View video of webinar presentation
September 12, 2013
Water Quality Threats to Marine Protected Areas
Speakers: John Walthen, Fish, Shellfish, Beach and Outreach Branch, US Environmental
Protection Agency and Johanna Weston, California State Water Board.
Topic: Learn about two programs to protect the water quality critical to the health and
effectiveness of marine protected areas. EPA's Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH)
Program provides grants to coastal and Great Lakes states to monitor beaches for contamination and notify
the public about water pollution threats. The program is now implementing new water quality criteria,
including analysis and monitoring methods. California's State Water Board administers 34 Areas of Special
Biological Significance (ASBS). To preserve biologically unique and sensitive marine ecosystems for future
generations, municipalities, wastewater treatment plants and other dischargers are regulated to reduce water
pollution impacts to these special places.
View video of webinar presentation
August 8, 2013
Drawing the Line: Visualizing Global MPA Distribution Using Practical Protection Categories with
MPAtlas.org
Speakers: Lance Morgan, President and Russell Moffitt, MPAtlas Project Manager. Marine
Conservation Institute
Topic: Currently, only about 1.8% of the world's oceans are in MPAs; far less than the 12%
of land area that is protected. Of the world's MPAs, only a small fraction—less than half—are in areas
designated as no-take marine reserves, places where fishing is prohibited. MPAtlas.org is an interactive
online compilation of key information on the world's MPAs to help users locate and learn about individual
MPAs. Speakers will discuss country- and regional-level progress towards implementing MPAs and allow users
to obtain information on the distribution of MPAs relative to social, political, and ecological contexts.
View video of webinar presentation
July 11, 2013
SocMon: Social Science Monitoring in Coastal and MPA Management
Speakers: Peter Edwards, Economist and Social Science Coordinator, NOAA Coral Reef
Conservation Program
Topic: How do we know what impacts MPAs and other coastal management tools are having on
the lives of people who live nearby? This information is critical for management decisions, but often
lacking. The Global Socioeconomic Monitoring Initiative for Coastal Management (SocMon) works through
regional and local partners to conduct community-based socioeconomic monitoring. Partners collect household
and community level data about dependence on coral reef resources, perceptions of resource conditions,
threats to marine and coastal resources, and support for strategies such as marine protected areas. Take a
look at some of these monitoring exercises and learn about findings, lessons learned and challenges facing
effective use of human dimensions data as part of coastal resource management.
View video of webinar presentation
June 13, 2013
Big Ocean MPA Network: Addressing the Common Challenges of Large, Remote Marine Protected
Areas
Speakers: Aulani Wilhelm, Superintendent, Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument
Topic: Is big always better? Big Ocean is a network of managers and partners of existing
and proposed large-scale marine managed areas. The network's aim is to improve the effectiveness of
management efforts, to serve as a peer learning resource and support system, and to build the professional
standards of practice for large, remote MPAs. The six founding member sites in Australia, the United States,
Kiribati, Chagos (UK) and Chile represent more than 900,000 mi2 (2.3 million km2) of ocean ecosystems --
roughly the same size as the Mediterranean Sea.
View video of webinar presentation
May 9, 2013
Marine Protected Area Network Planning in the Bay of Fundy/Scotian Shelf
Speakers: Maxine Westhead, Section Head, Protected Areas and Conservation Planning,
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Topic:: Planning a network of MPAs off of Canada's East Coast of Nova Scotia and New
Brunswick is no small task. Fisheries and Oceans Canada is the lead agency of this effort, working in
partnership with Environment Canada, Parks Canada and the provinces to design a marine protected areas
network that represents the region's diverse habitats and ecosystems to meet the goals of the Convention on
Biological Diversity, as well as national and regional goals and mandates. Maxine will describe the work
completed to date for this unique area of Canadian waters, successes, challenges, and next steps in the
planning process.
View video of webinar presentation
April 11, 2013
WWII Offshore: Monitor National Marine Sanctuary's Battle of the Atlantic
Expedition
Speakers: John Wagner, Monitor National Marine Sanctuary
Topic:: The Battle of the Atlantic has been called the longest, largest and most complex
naval battle in history, running throughout World War II and extending across the Atlantic to U.S. shores.
The Battle of the Atlantic Expedition is a multiyear maritime archaeology project to survey and document
historically significant shipwrecks lost off the coast of North Carolina. Find out more about the field of
maritime archaeology, innovative archaeological survey technologies, and Monitor National Marine Sanctuary's
efforts to raise awareness and appreciation of these nonrenewable cultural resources.
View video of webinar presentation
March 13, 2013
Turning Visitors into Partners: Challenges and Successes at Golden Gate National Recreation
Area
Speakers: Howard Levitt, Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Topic:: Millions of people from San Francisco and around the world come to Golden Gate
National Recreation Area each year to enjoy the park's tremendous recreational and educational
opportunities. Learn how the park has created a "ladder of engagement" to connect with everyone from casual
visitors to corporate partners to build support for this world class attraction and for marine and coastal
conservation.
View video of webinar presentation
February 14, 2013
Thank You Ocean! Building Common Outreach Messages and Strategies through the California Ocean
Communicators Alliance
Speakers: Sarah Marquis, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Topic: Federal and state marine and coastal programs in California are working together to
spread the word about the value of healthy oceans through Thank You Ocean, a series of public service
announcements, podcasts and other tools that are reaching a broad and diverse audiences. Learn how stronger
communications networking can increase your MPA program's impact.
View video of webinar presentation
January 10, 2013
How Are We Doing? Taking the Pulse of California's Oceans
Speaker: Dr. Liz Whiteman, MPA Monitoring Enterprise, California Ocean Science Trust
Topic: Monitoring California's statewide network of MPAs will produce an unprecedented body
of data that will be useful not only to assess the performance of MPAs, but also to measure the health of
the ocean ecosystems and inform management decisions. Find out about the new framework developed to guide a
partnerships-based monitoring program and a new online community platform – OceanSpaces- for sharing
monitoring data and results.
View video of webinar presentation
December 13, 2012
Can You Hear Me Now? Research and Tools on Ocean Communication
Speakers: Wei Ying Wong, Communications Project Director, The Ocean Project
Topic: The Ocean Project conducts cutting edge market research and analysis to help inform
outreach and education on ocean issues. Find out what people really think about ocean issues, and how to
target your outreach messages.
View video of webinar presentation
Building the Capacity of MPA Programs Around the Globe
Speakers: Anne Walton, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Topic: The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries' MPA Management Capacity Building Program
works with 22 countries around the world on a wide range of topics including climate change adaptation,
marine spatial planning, managing tourism, MPAs and fisheries, and other topics. What can their experiences
in other countries teach U.S. MPA managers?
View video of webinar presentation
October 11, 2012
Developing and Connecting the Gulf of Mexico MPA Network
Speakers: Ryan Young, Gulf of Mexico MPA Network Coordinator
Topic: The Gulf of Mexico MPA Network was formed to link diverse federal and state MPA
programs in the region. Learn about shared priorities in the region, and the interactive website being
developed to connect MPA managers and other experts.
For More Information
Write to mpainfo@noaa.gov