Marine Science | Solutions for a Healthy Ocean

Ecosystem-Based Management

Overview

Both the Pew Oceans Commission and the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy called on the U.S. to adopt ecosystem-based management (EBM) as the cornerstone of a new era of ocean policy. Human activities on the land, along the coasts, and in the oceans are changing ecosystems in unprecedented ways. Scientists understand a great deal about these changes and how ecosystems function, but there is a disconnect between this knowledge and current management practices. Ecosystem-based management focuses on addressing the cumulative effects of these actions so that we continue to enjoy healthy seafood, clean beaches, and other ocean benefits. COMPASS works with scientists, managers, and decision makers to help develop new tools to make ecosystem-based management a reality and ensure that science is better connected to—and informed by—management and policy.

Consensus Statement

On March 21st, 2005, COMPASS released a Scientific Consensus Statement on Marine Ecosystem-Based Management. This document, signed by more than 220 scientists and policy experts from academic institutions across the U.S., highlights current scientific understanding of marine ecosystems, explains how this knowledge shapes the call for a new management approach, and provides a definition for what the scientific community envisions when it recommends "ecosystem-based management" for the oceans. One year later, COMPASS released an Anniversary Report to highlight policy developments in ecosystem-based management since the official release of the Consensus Statement.

Workshops

COMPASS has hosted a number of workshops investigating key issues in ecosystem-based management. For more information and related meeting materials, click on the titles below:

Monterey, CA (March 2008)
Legal Standards for Marine Ecosystem-Based Management: California and Beyond

Santa Cruz, CA (January 2008)
California Current Ecosystem-Based Management (CCEBM) Initiative Working Meeting

Portland, OR (April 2007)
Using Case Studies to Advance a Practical Framework for Ecosystem-Based Management in Marine Systems

Durham, NH (March 2007)
Ecosystem-Based Ocean Management: Creating a Policy Relevant Science Vision

Portland, OR (February 2007)
Ecosystem-Based Management for the Oceans: Applying Resilience Thinking

Monterey, CA (Dec 2005)
Implementing Marine Ecosystem-Based Management: Integrating Perspectives from Science and Management

Friday Harbor, WA (Aug 2004)
Managing for Resilience: An Integrated Approach to Coastal Marine Science and Conservation

Further reading on this topic

The following literature is meant to provide a brief, general overview of some of the main issues surrounding ecosystem-based management. For more information, or for more specific questions, please contact Karen McLeod.

Arkema, KK, SC Abramson, and BM Dewsbury. 2006. Marine ecosystem-based management: From characterization to implementation. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 4: 525-532.

Guerry, AD. 2005. Icarus and Daedalus: conceptual and tactical lessons for marine ecosystem-based management. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 3: 202-211.

Halpern, BS, KL McLeod, AA Rosenberg, and LB Crowder. 2008. Understanding cumulative and interactive impacts as a basis for ecosystem-based management and ocean zoning. Ocean and Coastal Management 51:203-211.

Leslie, HL and KL McLeod. 2007. Confronting the challenges of implementing marine ecosystem-based management. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 5: 540-548.

Murawski, SA. 2007. Ten myths concerning ecosystem approaches to living marine resource managementt. Marine Policy 31: 381-690.

Rosenberg, AA and KL McLeod. 2005. Implementing ecosystem-based approaches to management for the conservation of ecosystem services. In: Browman HI and KI Stergiou (eds) Politics and socio-economics of ecosystem-based management of marine resources. Marine Ecology Progress Series 300: 270-274.

Other Resources

Ecosystem-Based Management Tools Network

Marine Ecosystem-Based Management Toolkit