Halting biodiversity loss and maintaining a healthy ocean present key challenges against a backdrop of ever-increasing threats to ecosystems. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been adopted globally as a primary approach to address these challenges. When well-designed, regulated, and managed, these area-based management tools offer the potential to safeguard ecosystem function and conserve biodiversity. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement (BBNJ), and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 all aim for 30% ocean protection by 2030, building upon the CBD Aichi Target 11 of 10% by 2020. Establishing efficient networks of MPAs and Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) is crucial for achieving this ambitious goal.
While recent legislative drivers have set clear, trackable conservation targets, robust scientific evidence is needed to demonstrate their efficacy. With the need to scale up conservation efforts to meet the 2030 targets, it is imperative that we act now to refine and implement these measures effectively to ensure we achieve our conservation goals.
This session aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and highlight cutting-edge research and case studies that inform policy and practice, contributing to the resilience and sustainability of marine ecosystems amidst global change. It seeks to unite practitioners from ICES community working on spatial conservation measures to address key challenges and opportunities related to their designation, management, and effectiveness.
The goal is to advance science and management practices to enhance existing measures, track progress towards conservation objectives, and ensure the effectiveness of new spatial conservation tools. Topics include:
- Integrating MPAs and OECMs with marine spatial planning
- Developing efficient and comprehensive monitoring programs and effectiveness reporting.
- Bolstering stakeholder engagement.
- Enhancing existing conservation measures.
- Establishing effective networks of MPAs to achieve ecological coherence.
- Addressing challenges in monitoring, managing, and mitigating climate change impacts.
