Ensuring effective restoration for ecosystem health and the blue economy

Summary: The restoration, conservation, and sustainable development of coastal and marine habitats depends on high-quality information that give an accurate and complete picture of how the ecosystem, as a whole, is responding. Often, evaluation of management response projects is narrowly focused (e.g., habitat metrics or status of individual species stocks). Efforts to measure the effectiveness of restoration may focus on National Marine Sanctuaries and Monuments, National Estuarine Reserves, and deep ocean areas within and beyond national jurisdiction. The US may advance in this area with two specific activities: 1) Engage the interagency Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) to develop and integrate multi-sector and trans-disciplinary strategies that bring together diverse communities of ocean users and observers in the application of innovative technologies; 2) Co-design with frontline communities as a means to advance inclusion and to benefit significantly from the Blue Economy. The approach should be affordable, scalable, and exportable to other systems and geographies. The technology is available to do this today. Technological advances in genomics ('omics), passive and active acoustics, underwater video and other optical sensors, satellite remote sensing, statistical analysis (AI/machine learning), and cloud computing can now be integrated into observing systems to monitor change and evaluate progress due to management actions. Incorporating these emerging technologies into operational and research activities will be key to sustaining the American Blue Economy.

Sector: Academia, Government
Organization: Marine Biodiversity Observation Network, Marine Life 2030, and University
of South Florida
POC: Frank Muller-Karger, carib@usf.edu
Other Contacts: Gabrielle Canonico, gabrielle.canonico@noaa.gov