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Quick Facts:

Galapagos Shark
Photo: Wolcott Henry
Roughly 12% of the earth's land mass is currently protected, while less than 1% of the ocean is safeguarded.

Mississippi River
Satellite Photo: NASA
Sediment plumes from the Mississippi River extend far into the offshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico.







Ocean Use Planning

We must use the oceans, but can't afford to use them up. Marine ecosystems worldwide have been severely degraded by pollution, over-fishing, and global climate change. The response has been a loss of large marine animals, reduced biological diversity, and rapid degradation of underwater habitats like coral reefs, sea grass and kelp beds.

Three DOE theme groups dealt with this subject in different ways:

Ocean Use Planning & Marine Protected Areas
Using the Patagonian Shelf, identified actions/timing/costs for an Ocean Use Plan.

The Land-Ocean Interface.
Proposed global standards for MPA programs; sharing ideas; a Fund for sound programs.

Restoring & Maintaining Marine Ecosystem Function.
Proposed a scientific program to reverse the decline in marine ecosystems.

We know enough to begin comprehensive long-term planning for global ecosystem management, with "nested" local, national and regional efforts. Actions are presented for estuaries, tropical and temperate nearshore, seamounts, polar seas, open ocean and deep ocean areas. Costs integrated across the three groups are about US $15 billion over 10 years.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
• Identify large marine ecosystems (LMEs) for ocean use management. Define stakeholders; map uses/threats; establish zoning for commercial uses and protection and sustainable surveillance and enforcement. Implement 5 LME management programs, with 80 MPAs in the next 3 years; more than 20 LME's with over 400 MPA's in 10 years.

• Establish a Code of Conduct for the Stewardship of Coastal Ecosystems. Fund a Coastal Stewardship Incubator Network to reward 20 regional programs that meet the standards. Also fund a global knowledge network to share successful practices, a globally coordinated public education program, and a grants program for emerging crises or high7345;priority opportunities.

• Create a global system of marine reserve networks to conserve areas of intact marine systems, and prevent the spread of destructive fishing practices there. Institute mapping and monitoring of the reserves as reference areas, and use differences between impacted and reference sites to judge the effectiveness of management regimes.

• Coordinate a global network of new and existing centers distributed among the major marine ecosystems of the world to integrate research, monitoring, restoration and communication functions. Develop new technologies to support monitoring and accelerated ecosystem recovery.

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