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Linking LMEs to local science and management for Sustainable Development: A summary of the four-part Global Ocean Series

GEF-UNDP/UNEP-IOC IW:LEARN

By IW:LEARN

January 4^th, 2021

Better understanding of the ocean is essential for the sustainable development of ocean resources. As the ocean community looks towards the United Nation’s Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), it is vital to build upon existing international assessment and management frameworks that have been established, such as the Large Marine Ecosystems (LME) Approach, that enable marine ecosystems to recover and maintain their full productivity potential. The LME Approach has encouraged ecosystem and socioeconomic science-based management and intergovernmental cooperation over the last 36 years. It provides a proven platform for replication of new projects, acceleration of existing projects and escalation of the global movement towards sustainable development of the ocean. There are also many projects and researchers around the world working on coastal science and management at local and national levels dealing with the same issues to understand, assess and manage ocean resources for sustainable development.

Linking LMEs to local science and management for Sustainable Development: A summary of the four-part Global Ocean Series

The virtual Global Ocean Series originated from a collaboration between GEF IW:LEARN (funded by the GEF, implemented by UNDP/UNEP, and managed by IOC-UNESCO) and the University of Rhode Island Coastal Resources Center (URI-CRC), with support from the Walton Foundation, to explore the connection between local, national efforts and the much larger LME Approach and how collaborations can be enhanced in the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (UN Decade of Ocean Science). The specific aims of the Global Ocean Series were to:

Better understand the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Decade of Ocean Science objectives and connections to work being done by scientists, organizations, communities and countries;
Share science and management efforts, especially those that link across scales from LMEs to local actions;
Discuss and identify how to improve efforts and linkages immediately and then over the duration of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

Below is a brief review of each session of the Series and primary takeaway points to offer perspective and guidance for the path forward.

The Series began by framing the issue with a kick-off conversation linking Large Marine Ecosystems to local science and management. Attended by 236 participants from 44 countries, chaired by Barry Gold (Earth Resilience Group), and facilitated by J.P. Walsh (URI-CRC), the guest panellists for the conversation included:

Peter Thomson (UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean)
Vladimir Ryabinin (Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and Assistant Director General, UNESCO);
Sandra Whitehouse (Ocean Conservancy);
Kenneth Sherman (Coastal Resources Center, Graduate School Oceanography, University of Rhode Island); and
Elin Torell (Coastal Resources Center, Graduate School Oceanography, University of Rhode Island)

During the opening remarks, Ambassador Peter Thomson provided updates on the postponed UN Ocean Conference and reminded participants of the great progress on delivering SDG 14 targets 14.5 and 14.6 despite the impact of COVID-19, stating that, “Whatever you were doing before in a positive light, double down on it, because there is opportunity and crisis”. Thomson also reflected on the challenges in achieving SDG 14 and how the LME Approach has a role to overcome these. The first challenge is not continuing to honour our commitments and the plan we have made for the survival of human kind in the form of the Paris Climate Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. The second impediment to achieving the SDG14 targets is the current pandemic which could set us back if we do not proceed with a blue green recovery response (cleaner production, sustainable aquaculture, green hydrogen of offshore renewable energy).

Executive Secretary Vladimir Ryabinin began his remarks by thanking Ken Sherman and his team for developing the LME Approach and giving the ocean community a handle for managing large ocean spaces since the early 1990s. Dr. Ryabinin introduced the UN Decade of Ocean Science and called on the LME Community to engage with the initiative. “Human kind is running out of time to manage the ocean sustainably” he stated, and elaborated that the Decade would unite various sources of knowledge as a chance to engage science in a meaningful way. When asked about the objectives of the UN Decade of Ocean Science and the challenges ahead, Ryabinin emphasized that the “Decade is a historic undertaking. The aim is to provide a platform for consolidating the work of an entire community to help the ocean move from its current state to a managed state with LMEs, Marine Protected Areas, Integrated Coastal Management, and Marine Spatial Planning being the tools for this”. Ryabinin closed by calling on the community to look towards future predictions (observations) to move towards action.

Dr. Sandra Whitehouse stated that sustainable use and conservation should be looked at together with the process of integrated ocean management and the tool of ocean planning to achieve this. Whitehouse asserted that, “Ocean planning requires robust stakeholder engagement and science”. Whitehouse provided two examples of this process in action with the first focused on offshore wind energy for Rhode Island (USA) and the second for an aquaculture farm in New England waters. The Block Island Wind Farm stakeholder engagement process resulted in a plan (known as the Ocean Special Area Management Plan or SAMP, ) that protected half the total area from heavy industrial development, with a dedicated renewable energy area designated for the proposed windfarm. For the aquaculture site, its establishment had to navigate several other uses: a National Marine Sanctuary, transatlantic cables, torpedo testing sites and commercial fishing. With the application of science, conflicts with other uses and ecological resources were avoided. Whitehouse weighed in on the key role of NGOs and remarked that the Ocean Conservancy is critical as an advocacy organization to make sure conservation is retained as a priority in LME ecosystem based management processes. This is done with the best available science and maximum stakeholder involvement. She also remarked on the importance of NGOs advocating during the Decade to insist that regional planning entities become codified into law, and to ensure adequate funding to keep necessary science up to date.

Dr. Elin Torell spoke about applying a nested governance approach to integrated coastal management and how the Coastal Resources Center at the University of Rhode Island works at the nexus between humans and the oceans to help communities find science based solutions to address risks. Torell referenced their work in Rhode Island and elaborated on other large coastal programs in the Philippines, Ghana, Malawi, and Madagascar. Using the nested governance approach, they combine working at the national level developing documents to be applied at the local level. Torell stated, “For us, that is the real importance, to combine the national tools and approaches with a local level on the ground action”. As a recommendation put forward to the UN Decade of Ocean Science, Torell felt that it would be important to apply some of the science to understanding all of these linkages. When asked to weigh in on the importance of engaging communities drawing on experience Torell felt that the key to success was having good local partners to facilitate the process.

Dr. Ken Sherman took participants on a journey through the development of the LME Approach, briefly touching upon the five modules, which he and his team were responsible for developing in the early 1980s. Sherman also emphasized the strong scientific basis of the LME Approach, highlighting the 18 Volumes and over 390 journal articles authored by 450 scientists and resource managers over the last 36 years. He added, “While we were moving the LME concept forward, the United Nations was paying attention at the highest political levels to environmental degradation”. Sherman explained how the Global Environment Facility (GEF) operational guidelines support for the LME Approach as an ecosystem based management model became a game-changing event, allowing it to move from theory to practice, with two examples being referred to: the Yellow Sea and Benguela Current LMEs. When asked for his reflection on using LME science for better management, Sherman asserted that the LME Approach allows countries to come together at a ministerial level and apply science to mitigate stressors on shared resources. Sherman noted that an analysis of the best 50 LME articles which is currently being finalized highlights the cutting-edge science that is forward-looking (modelling projections into 2060) and will be a beneficial contribution to the UN Decade of Ocean Science.

Dr. Barry Gold summarized the dynamic discussions of the first Session of the Series and added that the ocean science and management community needs to build partnerships among multiple groups. He highlighted that stacked interventions (regulation, incentives, markets, spatially explicit management) and nested scales, including political and administrative jurisdiction, should be used. Through the discussions, it became evident that there is a clear need for the approach to be science-based (including natural, physical and social sciences). Stakeholder engagement must include local communities and industry, but there also should be recognition of the different stakeholder goals. There are economic and ecologic outcomes that we must advance, and to do this, we need to cement the understanding that humans depend on the natural world, which has become clearer to everyone. Additionally, we must ensure that the pandemic and resultant resetting of global economy is done in a way that supports nature and makes the planet sustainable for all species, not just humans.

The second Session of the Series focused on Asia and the Pacific with discussions between LME, national and local projects, specifically focused on how science, data and information can be translated into policy, management decisions and implementation. Attended by 71 participants from 15 countries, chaired by Andrew Hudson (United Nations Development Programme), and facilitated by Sarah Gaines (URI-CRC), the guest panelists for the conversation included:

Nygiel Armada (Chief of Party, USAID Fish Right, URI-CRC, Philippines);
Yinfeng Guo, (Chief Technical Advisor and Project Manager GEF/UNDP Yellow Sea LME);
Aimee Gonzales (Executive Director, Partnerships in Environmental Management of the Seas of East Asia); and
Hugh Walton (Chief Technical Advisor and Project Coordinator of the Oceanic Fisheries Management Project II at the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency)

Mr. Yinfeng Guo began with an overview of the GEF/UNDP Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem (YSLME) project and elaborated how the second phase has implemented 11 targets outlined in the Strategic Action Program (SAP) formally endorsed by China and the Republic of Korea. These countries have adopted measures through the SAP to reduce pressure on fish stocks through vessel buyback programs, seasonal closures and reducing limits on catch size. They also increased efforts to rebuild fish stocks, including use of artificial reefs, release of fry, marine forests and also marine ranching, as well as spawning and nursery ground conservation. Guo stated that reducing fishing effort is measured by the reduction in number of vessels by the countries. Reports from YSLME studies have shown a reduction in RO Korea fishing vessels from 61,000 in 2004, to about 40,000 in 2016. This represents a decrease of 75%. In China, fishing vessels in three major Yellow Sea provinces were down significantly from 54,000 vessels in 2015 to 42,000 in 2018, a reduction of 22%. Good results have also been reported from implementation of integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA). “We need to look at the social and economic aspects of reduced fishing effort, vessel numbers and fishing capture production” stated Guo. An example was provided from Shandong Province where statistics from the government indicate the implications of the policies in the fisheries sector. Touching upon the science in biological management and abundance of fish species, outcomes of a study by the Yellow Sea Fishery Research Institute and the National Institute of Fisheries Science (both partners of the project) demonstrated how fish species biomass fluctuated over a 30-year period. Despite the efforts being made, there is a clear change in the structure of the fish population in the Yellow Sea. The project also works with NGOs under their small grant program to help better understand the contribution of marine culture and fisheries to the plastic pollution issue in both countries. Based on the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (scientific data gathering) which took place in 2019, the YSLME team came up with four fishery and mariculture recommendations: 1) to continue to implement and improve input and output control management; 2) to effectively manage the license system, conduct scientific survey and evaluations to have a comprehensive and accurate understanding of fishery resources in a collaborative manner; 3) to set Total Allowable Catch collaboratively on the fish species of the Yellow Sea ecosystem; and 4) to ensure responsible running of aquaculture practices to reduce the impact on the marine environment. Guo was asked to elaborate on the latest status and progress on addressing nutrient pollution in the Yellow Sea, and according to studies conducted, about 70% of nutrients from the watershed came from fertilizer production. To address this there is a need for increased efficiency in nutrient use by farmers. It is also important to encourage nature-based solutions to mitigate some of the effects and absorb nutrients that will otherwise run into the Yellow Sea.

Dr. Nygiel Armada began by highlighting that the work presented was a result of partnerships between the government of the Philippines, USAID, GIZ, UN, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, NGOs, academia, and communities. Armada pointed out the complexity of the situation in the Philippines, which has 36,000 kilometres of coastline, and local governments manage their own water resources. Out of 1500 municipalities, approximately 832 are coastal with more than 60% of the population living along the coastline. The country has tried to introduce coastal resource management as a basic service of local government which has been challenging. As there has been limited focus on fisheries, local government alliances (Inter LGU) were developed which came up with fisheries management plans and harmonized fisheries ordinances so that they would not be in conflict with one another in shared waters (a bay, gulf or state coastline). With this common resource it is important to harmonise their fishery ordinances and develop Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) that will form a network. Inter-LGU has become more effective so efforts have begun to pool resources to undertake joint enforcement and they did make marine spatial pans that limit conflicts. These alliances can be loose or formalised by a memorandum of understanding. There have been challenges especially since their governance scale should be congruent with the scale of the ecosystem, which led to the FISH Project under USAID to help four municipalities work together with their LGU alliances on MPAs, mesh sizes and length limits. This success led to nine municipalities working together, but as stated by Armada “There is a sweet spot between governance and ecosystem scale that you have to contend with”, and this is the focus of the ongoing USAID Fish Right Program. With these initiatives, a target is to increase fish biomass/harvest which is ultimately linked to fishing gear, presenting another challenge in that it creates winners and losers. Among the winners were those who used illegal steel gear and their catch rates and harvest increases, and the losers were small-scale fishers. This made the team realise that increasing catch and value is not enough, it has to be about equity, which has taken over 30 years to achieve. More recently the government set up 12 fisheries management areas in consultation with scientists, fishers and the Dennison Research Institute. While there is still a need to convert this into policy or ordinances, there are already target reference points and limits in place. For both maturity and the ratio of fishing mortality versus natural mortality, they are exceeding the limits and now requiring a policy to be put in place. There is still science required including understanding the effects of fishing on the ecosystem (ecosystem performance indicators, biological or economic reference points). After being asked a question related to the key science and data needs of coastal managers, Nigel responded that they need a better understanding over larger areas and ecosystem modelling using remote sensing.

Ms. Aimee Gonzales shared the PEMSEA experience in linking science, management, policy and local actions and efforts to upscale these to large marine ecosystems. Providing a brief background on the seas of East Asia and the six LMEs which are encompassed, Gonzales explained how PEMSEA began as a GEF/UNDP/IMO project addressing marine pollution and has now become an intergovernmental organisation with its own legal personality which operates through three levels of governance via the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA). At the regional level they look at transboundary policy and management interventions looking at the challenges and threats, and at the national level where national ocean policy is operationalised. One of the successes has been the development of 10 ocean policies across the PEMSEA Country Partners. Focusing on the local level, there is a need to improve governance and management of coastal resources, and Gonzales elaborated on the opportunity provided by the global pandemic to foster a new normal in ocean and coastal management. PEMSEA works with local governments to establish a collaborative networks to implement integrated coastal management guided by a scientific process and input from the PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers. Together this partnership has helped to achieve 37.9% integrated coastal management coverage which exceeded the target of 25% by 2021. Linking PEMSEA priorities with the UN Decade of Ocean Science, Gonzales explained that some recommendations were put forward during IOC-UNESCO’s consultation process including emphasis on socio-economic and policy research with more focus on empirical research or science that can be applied on the ground. There was also reference made to include indigenous knowledge and citizen science as a priority of the region. The application of ICM in LMEs has started with the GEF/UNDP Arafura-Timor Seas Project where there will be geographical application of the regional governance experience. In addition, PEMSEA is hoping to have GEF support to implement a project, which looks at spatial connectivity, and using integrated coastal management along with marine spatial planning to help build ecological networks of MPAs in LMEs. When asked for examples of citizen science used in PEMSEA projects, Gonzales referred to an initiative pioneered by the Marine Science Institute where they encouraged marine biology students or the local community to work with fisher folk to validate coastal resource data (coral, the state of the corals, the state of mangroves and state of fisheries). This is empowering local communities to be natural stewards and something that could help, particularly in remote places where some of the scientific tools are not accessible immediately. Gonzales was also asked about the data needs and gaps which should be addressed to enable ICM site managers to do their jobs better, to which she responded that their largest need is to generate a pool of leaders who are knowledgeable in multiple areas.

Mr. Hugh Walton provided an overview of the Western Central Pacific Tuna Fishery which is currently the only fully sustainable Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (RFMO) tuna fishery in the world. Walton elaborated on the Western and Central Pacific Tropical Warm Pool (CPTWP) which is contained within the economic zones of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) member countries. Moving onto the governance aspect, Walton spoke about the processes as part of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) and how the FFA plays a key role in supporting their member countries with the best advice going towards decision-making processes. When the WCPFC posts pre-meeting papers, the FFA analyses them and prepares briefs for their member countries. Explaining their risks, Walton spoke about the success they have had as FFA members to the WCPFC and that 60% of the catch is taken from FFA member countries. A great challenge they have is to sustain cooperation and there is also a challenge of disproportionate burden. Delving into the science, Walton mentioned the work of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community Oceanic Fisheries Program and how they are the science powerhouse behind the WCPFC as well as science providers for the FFA and their member countries providing state of the art stock assessments, economic analysis, and the risks and issues from a scientific point of view. In terms of challenges, they are looking at the effects of climate change on fish stocks and recent data projections over 50-100 years show a significant impact on Skipjack and Yellowfin. He noted that if realized, this will have a significant impact on food and economic security. A similar pattern is projected for Bigeye and Albacore, the latter having a challenging management. In terms of information management, Walton addressed the need for better management decisions. One example given was the Catch Management Schemes, a system that tracks and traces fish from the point of capture through unloading and throughout the supply chain. With the data now coming in at real time, more effort can be placed on analysis and interpretation. In addition, he noted that stock assessment modelling, and data analysis systems are based on real-time reporting from fisheries observers . This has led to organizational change and fisheries administration has become more dynamic. Walton concluded by stating, “How do we ensure that organizational systems adapt to take into account improved fisheries data access and analysis and apply this to sound fisheries management? And that is our challenge.” During the Q&A, Walton was asked to elaborate on the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) which is an innovative market based instrument in the Pacific Islands. According to Walton, the PNA is a group of 9 countries who catch 60% of the tuna in the region. The focus of PNA efforts to sustainably manage tuna is the Vessel Day Scheme (VDS). PNA members agree on a limited number of fishing days for the year, based on scientific advice about the status of the tuna stocks. Fishing days are then allocated by country and sold to the highest bidder. In this way, Pacific Islanders reap economic benefits from their sustainable management of tuna.

The final question to all the panellists touched on the quality of the data presented and if it accurately represented the fishing activity within their LMEs or coastal areas. Walton weighed in and stated that at least for the Western and Central Pacific they are aware of the data risks and data shortages, and he noted that there are concerted efforts to improve the quality of data in the risk areas (high seas transhipments, where observers are not able to monitor, and issues related to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing). Armada contributed that improving data quality has been an ongoing process, and he felt that in parallel there should be a process for moving from paper-based to electronic-based catch documentation with an emphasis on traceability. With the cost of technology becoming cheaper, this is becoming easier to achieve.

Dr. Andrew Hudson nicely summarised the information shared and the discussions of the second session of the Series. He noted that all the discuss programs share common elements, specifically the challenges of working at different ecosystem and governance scales, the difficulty of acquiring and understanding sufficient and high quality data and the need for science to inform good decision-making and to convince decision-makers of the importance of sustainable ocean use and sound science applied to Policy and Management. In sum, the entire conversation tied well to the underlying theme of the UN Decade for Ocean Science and its importance as a vehicle to help advance data collection, the analysis, and the transparent sharing of the enormous quantities of data and science that ocean managers at all scales (local to global) need to do to do their job effectively in the spirit of translating science to policy, and management.

The third session of the Series focused on the Caribbean and Africa with discussions between LME, national and local projects coordinators, to hear how local management efforts connect to regional LME management. The conversation also highlighted how these activities are contributing to the achievement of SDG14 and to the upcoming UN Decade of Ocean Science. Attended by 84 participants from 25 countries, chaired by Christian Severin (GEF), and facilitated by Mish Hamid (IW: LEARN), the guest panelists for the conversation included:

Viviane Kinyaga (GEF/UNDP Benguela Current LME)
Laverne Walker (GEF/UNDP Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf LME)
Seraphin Dedi (USAID SFMP, Gulf of Guinea Regional Fisheries Commission, Ghana)
Ny Aina Andrianarivelo (USAID Hay Tao, URI-CRC, Madagascar)

Mr. Ny Aina Andrianarivelo began with an overview of Madagascar geography and characteristics. Approximately 10% of the population lives in its coastal areas, which contains 25% of the western Indian Ocean coral reefs and 2% of the world’s mangroves. Andrianarivelo spoke about the challenges in Madagascar, specifically the adverse governance conditions and weaker science-based management. Tools such as marine spatial planning have not been implemented yet, there is weak law enforcement and existing management measures such as MPAs have been ineffective. He expressed concern about unsustainable use of resources (overfishing/destructive fishing), conflict overlap between industrial fishing and traditional fishers, mangroves are deforested, and mining activities without management plans. Andrianarivelo shared two initiatives which highlight the contribution of Madagascar to the Sustainable Development Goals and the connection the UN Decade of Ocean Science. The first is a cultural initiative in Northern Madagascar and a model of integrated ocean management based on blue economy in partnership with several countries and supported by NGOs. The second initiative is the “Promise of Sydney" which aims to ensure the conservation of the unique biodiversity of the country. It includes the extension of MPAs to triple their surface area, the promotion of Locally Managed Marine Areas (LLMAs) as important conservation tools to involve communities in the management of these MPAs, and granting permanent status to protected areas currently classified as temporary. This corresponds well with achieving Aichi target 11. In terms of science to management, Andrianarivelo shared information on the USAID Hay Tao project (which means “Know How” in Malagasy) which reinforces local level outcomes by creating an enabling and empowering environment. As key pillars they focus on policy and law with preconditions for the project being improved incentive structures, access to and effective use of data, and increased trust between stakeholders. URI-CRC works within this project on marine activities such as coastal zone management and supporting the development of fisheries management plan guides. The main two activities support integrated mangrove management supporting the development of a national strategy, payment for ecosystem services and natural accounting. For fisheries management, training has been provided on applied technical and data collection and stock assessment, and supporting the regulation of fishing zones. Also a growing data portal supports fisheries and coastal processes, with additional support provided to enhance capacity development for MPAs and LLMA networks. When asked about the use of MPAs as a tool and whether it was actively or passively used, Andrianarivelo felt that for more effective use of MPAs, capacity development was needed for park managers as well as the improvement of the tools to measure effectiveness of MPAs. Another critical aspect to make more active use of MPAs was to include small-scale fishers as key stakeholders and stewards to help advance the expansion and effectiveness of these areas.

Mr. Seraphin Dedi provided a powerful statement about the importance of fisheries in central Gulf of Guinea and the pressure on the resource. As a fisheries body, the Gulf of Guinea Regional Fisheries Commission is very concerned about taking action especially when dealing with challenges including Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, destructive fishing gear, maritime security, governance and corruption. Another aim of the Fisheries Commission is to promote cooperation among the countries, thus policy and governance are a high priority. A positive achievement has been the development of a fisheries management plan for the region that has enabled the countries to take decisions together on seasonal fisheries closures, and encouraged other countries to take action. There is also a regional mechanism in place through a Task Force to address illegal fishing and related crimes in the region. At the national level, there is a National Working Group committed to IUU who have been trained to take action when appropriate. A communication platform has been set up to ensure effective cooperation in the region among member states with regular sharing of documentation on projects that are being implemented. Dedi explained that they undertake reviews of the legal frameworks of each country committed to combating IUU. Where the framework is weak, they try to harmonize the legislation within a country to ensure the collective strength of the region is able to address illegal fishing. A regional vessel-monitoring centre has been established to help provide an overview of all vessels operation in the region and address any illegal activity. Another area being addressed is the International Agreement on Port State Measures where five out of the six member countries have ratified the agreement. A challenge they are facing is the monitoring of fishing canoes that create a lot of pressure on the resource, and to meet this, there is a need for improved science and technology. A recommendation from Dedi was to ensure that fisheries management was addressed at the regional level, despite the number of national projects being implemented, to ensure a greater impact and sustainability of the ocean resources. Dedi concluded his presentation by emphasizing that, “Capacity building in the region is very important, as without capacity, decisions and action cannot be taken.” Responding to a question on technology that their management groups require to enable easier, better, or more complete implementation of management strategies, Dedi stated that they need current and real time data and they are using cellphones to collect data as this technology is easily accessible. Vessel Monitoring Systems are considered critical but it is very new in the region; they are pushing countries to access and use this tool.

Ms. Laverne Walker opened her presentation with an overview of the GEF/UNDP Caribbean Sea and North Brazil Self LME (CLME+) project, which is currently implementing a Strategic Action Program (SAP) endorsed at the ministerial level by 25 countries and 6 overseas territories. The project is addressing key issues in the region such as fisheries, habitat degradation and marine pollution. A number of root causes were identified such as inadequate access to data and information, and inadequate consideration of the value of goods and services. Through the project work, they are helping the countries achieve the SDG 14 targets and also contribute to the UN Decade of Ocean Science through specific actions. The first example Walker shared was the development of a regional plan of action on IUU fishing which guides the development of national plans at the country level. The second example was the State of the Marine Ecosystems and associated Economies in the CLME+ region (SOMEE) which reports on the three key transboundary problems and will measure progress by linking the related SAP Actions to SDG targets, the CBD Aichi Targets, and others. Walker highlighted that research gaps and priorities that come out of the SOMEE will be used to create a research agenda for informed decision-making in the region. All of this information is contained in the CLME+ Hub which allows the countries and partners to access all the reports and data. At the local level, the project is implementing a Civil Society Action Programme (C-SAP) which provides a framework to guide civil society’s participation in the project. It outlines priorities identified by civil society and capacity building requirements needed by civil society so that it can effectively play a role in partnership with governments and other stakeholders. The project is also working to address pollution and promote alternative and enhanced livelihoods in communities by providing guidance through the entire value chain process. “With gender being a priority in the region, they are working with FAO to develop a gender policy for fisheries with involvement of community associations” stated Walker. When asked to provide three lessons that the global community (UN Decade of Ocean Science and the SDG implementation process) can pick up and replicate from the implementation of LME SAPs, Walker responded that the first lesson is to engage all sectors early on through society and private sector. Although civil society has been fully engaged, private sector is harder to reach. The second lesson is to work with countries to support their existing commitments and placing new/additional commitments on them is difficult. The third lesson is that the global community needs to better coordinate reporting requirements for member states, which can be overwhelming and does not support the process nor make it more efficient.

Ms. Viviane Kinyaga shared the work of the Benguela Current Convention and outline how they link science and management at both local and LME levels. The Benguela Current LME is shared by Angola, Namibia and South Africa who have agreed to manage their transboundary resources which was legalized through the signing of a treaty to create the Benguela Current Convention. The Convention is comprised of: a Secretariat that plays a coordinating role; Committees that are responsible for technical input; and the Commission and Ministerial Conference for decision-making. The most important science committee is the Ecosystem Advisory Committee (EAC) that is responsible for research and long-term monitoring. Their key output is data to enhance the understanding of the ecosystem status and change and then to make recommendations or management measures to the Commission and Ministerial Conference. At the regional level the EAC is responsible for prioritizing monitoring indicators, harmonizing monitoring approaches between the three countries, capacity development, and the production of a State of Marine Ecosystem report. The countries are responsible for the execution of the monitoring program, and for sharing data and information so that the State of the Ecosystem at an LME level is compiled, and to use the science to inform policy decisions. The Compliance Committee is responsible for policy and enforcement of regulations. Regarding fisheries, they have developed a self-assessment model to inform sustainable fisheries practices and management plans for key fishery stocks, and drafted a framework that is currently under discussion on managing fish stocks at the transboundary level (including top predators and marine mammals). To address pollution, they have identified sources and hotspots, as well as developed a monitoring program, with the development of standards for coastal water quality at their initial stages in collaboration with the private sector. Oil spill risk assessments at the national and regional level are being undertaken which form the baseline for the oil spill contingency plan. A formalized approach to intertidal biodiversity monitoring from South Africa to Namibia is being addressed. At the local level, they are working in Angola with communities to enhance enforcement of regulations which supports the government via community partnerships, and in South Africa they are engaging local stakeholders in estuary monitoring programs. Kinyaga concluded by mentioning the contribution of the GEF/UNDP BCLME project to the work of the Benguela Current Convention and the support it provides to capacity building, strengthening regulatory frameworks, and contributing to the link between science and governance. As end-users of science for management, Kinyaga was asked to elaborate how they use ocean science to inform policy decisions. In response, Kinyaga provided a fisheries example where all three countries use the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) System. Elaborating on her statement, Kinyaga said, “Since the BCC promotes an ecosystem-based approach, they have undertaken years of research to confirm which fish stocks are shared between the countries and the behaviour of different fish species. This informs management recommendations which are made to the Commission.” From their experience, they have learned that countries request to discuss these management recommendations at the country level before taking it to the regional level.

In summary, the participants heard from Ny Aina on the MPAs in Madagascar and the work being done to triple their surface area and to promote Marine Protected Areas Community Management Areas (LLMAs) to involve communities in the management of these MPAs. Seraphin provided an overview of the work done by the fisheries committee in the Guinea Current LME to develop fisheries management plans for the region by enhancing cooperation between the countries to address IUU fishing and assist in the harmonizing of legislation. Laverne described the work of the GEF/UNDP CLME+ project that developed a regional plan of action on IUU fishing, the State of the Marine Ecosystems and associated Economies in the CLME+ region (SOMEE) report that links related SAP Actions to SDG targets, and the Civil Society Action Programme (C-SAP) which provides a framework to guide civil society’s participation. Viviane shared the work of the Benguela Current Convention, and how they link science and management at both the local and LME levels through the establishment of scientific committees who provide data and recommendations to the Commission and Ministerial Conference for decision-making. A common challenge for all these programs was data and information management, which is being addressed by each initiative in different ways. There was also a clear emphasis on the need for capacity building and the inclusion of civil society to enhance the impact of their work. Participants of the session contributed a variety of questions relating to climate change, nutrient pollution, effects of tropical cyclones, the inclusion of small-scale fishers, and the impact of COVID-19 on the panelists work, which made for lively discussion. Overall, the panel effectively highlighted how their activities are contributing to the achievement of SDG14 and the upcoming UN Decade of Ocean Science for Africa and the Caribbean.

The fourth session of the Global Ocean Series focused on the Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem, which is one of the largest and best-studied large marine ecosystems. Attended by 110 participants from 22 countries, chaired by Jennifer McCann (URI-CRC), and facilitated by J.P. Walsh (URI-CRC), the guest panelists for the conversation included:

Nick Napoli, Ocean Planning Director, Northeast Regional Ocean Council
Andy Lipsky, Acting Chief of Staff; NE Fisheries Science Center, NOAA
Lyndie Hice-Dunton, Exec. Director, Responsible Offshore Science Alliance
Jeff Grybowski, Clean Energy Executive and former CEO of Deepwater Wind, developer of America’s first offshore wind farm
Tatiana Rynearson, Professor, URI Graduate School of Oceanography

Dr. Nick Napoli kicked off the session introducing a few regional ocean partnerships that cover the Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf LME. He is personally involved with both the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regional ocean councils (MARCO and NROC). These councils provide data and best management practices to assist, advance, and inform the LME and its managers, as well as to ensure consistency from state to state. The councils produce regional ocean work plans which address regional activities and practices involving different resources and sectors, and regional ocean data portals that serve data and maps that act as a “footprint of resources and activity that change over time and are informed and vetted by regional agencies and experts.” These maps can show, for example, regional connectivity in the LME or how activity volume changes over the year. States can use this data portal to create new and better management strategies. When asked if there are existing examples of using the maps for multi-use strategies, meaning two entities using the same resource intentionally, Napoli responded, “Multi-uses are difficult. Our laws, authorities and financial incentives are really geared towards focusing on a single activity at a time, but I would say that a couple of things have evolved over the last ten years. First is that those single-use efforts are now better informed of the entire picture, than they were ten years ago, so now when you're planning for a single activity, you have a better consideration for everything else that's going on.” He added that smaller scale efforts in Massachusetts and Connecticut are looking at multi-use approaches in their planning efforts.

Dr. Tatiana Rynearson then began her presentation titled "Linking Pelagic Community Structures with Ecosystem Dynamic and Production Regimes on the Changing Northeast U.S. Shelf LME." She started off explaining how the Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf is a highly productive temperate ecosystem which is vulnerable to basin processes, climate change, and human impacts. While Napoli’s presentation focused mainly on uses for data, Rynearson’s presentation focused on the collection of that oceanographic data. She explained how the National Science Foundation-funded program on the NE Shelf Long-term Ecological Research (LTER) explores the functioning of food webs from the microscopic plankton to the important commercial fisheries within the area. The goal of the LTER is to understand shifts, both seasonal and decadal, and how those changes impact food webs and ecosystem productivity. In response to a question about how the data is shared with managers and regulators, Rynearson said that due to the fact that much of the data she and her team are collecting is so new, there is considerable processing and analysis before robust insights are available. But through regional science connections, they are also able to have direct interactions with managers (e.g., NOAA) who need and can use the information.

Dr. Andy Lipsky’s presentation was titled "Working at LME Scale for Fisheries and Offshore Wind Co-Existence in the U.S." He began explaining how the NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center works with the entirety of the LME. He stated that the offshore wind industry in the U.S. is about to expand greatly, projecting a few thousand turbines and eight thousand kilometers of submarine cables in regional waters by the year 2030. This advancement will interact greatly and in many ways with the NOAA fisheries mission, including species protected under the Endangered Species Act and the forty-eight managed fisheries in the region. The projected effects from four different stages (pre-construction, construction, operation, and de- commissioning) that are related to the LME are acoustic survey in relation to noise, vessel traffic, fixed structures in the seabed, sediment disruption, cables, lighting, navigation, and new habitat creation. These effects impact the NOAA fisheries missions of creating and managing sustainable fisheries. There is also the potential for disruption of fishing communities, creating new habitat, biological impacts, animal behavior change, and overall ecosystem changes, just to name a few of the many potential changes. Lipsky stressed the importance of understanding the interaction between offshore wind and all the aspects of the LME. He finished by summarizing a few key challenges that are faced by ocean ecosystems, fisheries, and protected species co habitation in the same LME, and in particular the pace and scale of future development, the impacts to scientific surveys and assessments, the engagement of commercial and recreational fishing industry and collaborative in research and monitoring frameworks across scales – from turbine to LME impact. “We are often forced to solve problems as they are happening before us, versus solving a problem before it arises,” emphasized Lipsky. He further said that the main opportunities to solve the problems mentioned is that everyone in the industry is willing to work together and that there is always potential for innovation and improved new technology.

Mr. Jeff Grybowski began by giving a bit of history of the Block Island Wind Farm, America’s first offshore wind farm created by Deepwater Wind and put into operational use in 2016. The first proposal for the BIWF was in 2008 and Grybowski noted the time frame of development is something that will rapidly increase. “Things are going to get bigger and they are going to get much faster.” This projection is uniform given the increasing rate of offshore wind globally, with growths in the UK, Germany, and China. Responding to the question of why build offshore renewable energy in the Northeast, Grybowski explained that, as a result of a huge population along the East Coast, and with energy high prices and limited amounts of natural resources, there is great demand. Also, there is, a large potential supply of world class, steady annual wind speeds. The third key to the situation is that the Northeast continental shelf is a buildable location. Developments now for new offshore wind farms are happening locally at a variety of different stages everywhere along the coast from Maine to South Carolina.

Dr. Lyndie Hice-Dunton introduced Responsible Offshore Science Alliance (ROSA) which is a relatively new not-for-profit organization dedicated to collaboration on offshore wind development with fisheries and regional research, communication and improvement of data sharing. “Offshore wind development is occurring at the LME scale.” ROSA is equipped to handle this regional and larger scale collaboration with its organizational structure consisting of an advisory council, board of directors, and research advisory board.

Takeaway Points from the Global Ocean Series

The Series was successful at bringing together a wide range of experts from around the world to share, learn and discuss science and management. While progress has been made at all levels, many challenges remain and much work is needed particularly as population grows, impacts spread and climate changes.

Some of the main recommendations arising from the 4-part Global Ocean Series which took place between May and June 2020 include:

Science is critical and many questions remain as new concerns arise. We need to better understand connections between coastal and ocean processes on multiple time frames from short-term (e.g. storms) and longer term (e.g. infrastructure development, climate change) process. The collection and sharing of relevant data is fundamental.
Spatial scaling is also important to involve activities and stakeholders from local champions to large-scale management efforts. Improved communication and coordination between scales is essential.
Direct, sustainable stakeholder engagement is critical to build trust, scientific understanding and coordinated action. While there are many examples of informed science-based decisions, there is a great need for developers and managers to be collaborative and transparent.

For more information on the Global Ocean Series, please contact the GEF IW:LEARN Project Coordination Unit (info@iwlearn.org). To watch video recordings of the Series, click here. Other outputs and information related to GEF LME community are readily available on the website.