Ecosystem-based management (EBM) incorporates the entire ecosystem, including humans, into resource management decisions. It is guided by an adaptive management approach, which involves monitoring both the ecological and social components of systems to observe their responses to changes and adjust management practices accordingly. Such an approach is increasingly important as climate-related changes have broad, knock-on effects throughout ecosystems.
Ecological indicators are successfully used to adaptively manage fisheries under a changing climate. There are promising advancements, too, in developing indicators that represent social systems. In this session, we invite research on the development of social, cultural, and economic monitoring systems for marine socio–ecological systems. We will focus on the mechanisms of integrating the human dimension into ocean resource decision-making; and on the successes, challenges, limitations, and lessons learned across our international community. We will thereby facilitate integrating social and ecological priorities into decision-making in ocean environments.
