[Coral-List] 10th ICRS MPA mini-symposium

Mike Mascia mbm4 at duke.edu
Sat Dec 13 12:57:55 EST 2003


Dear coral-list,

The organizers of the ICRS mini-symposium "Designing Effective Coral Reef 
Marine Protected Areas: Moving from Sites to Systems" would like to invite 
submission of abstracts for consideration as part of this session. This 
mini-symposium will serve as the primary locus for MPA presentations and 
discussions in Okinawa, addressing the biophysical and social aspects of 
coral reef MPAs design and performance.  The MPA mini-symposium is being 
co-organized by World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy, U.S. 
Geological Survey, and Duke University.  The full symposium description is 
enclosed below.

If you are interested in participating in this mini-symposium, please 
submit your abstract by December 25 at 
http://www.plando.co.jp/icrs2004/.  Click on 'Call for Papers', go to 
'Abstract Submission', and assign your abstract to mini-symposium 4-15 
"Designing Effective Coral Reef Marine Protected Areas".

We look forward to your participation.

Mike Mascia
Will Figueira
Alison Green
Gilly Llewellyn
Greg Piniak



Designing Effective Coral Reef Marine Protected Areas: Moving from Sites to 
Systems

Co-Organizers
Michael B. Mascia
US Environmental Protection Agency & WWF Science Fellow

Will Figueira
Duke University

Alison Green
The Nature Conservancy

Gilly Llewellyn
World Wildlife Fund

Greg Piniak
United States Geological Survey


Effective marine protected area (MPA) networks are the foundation of 
current coral reef conservation strategies, yet our ability to design MPA 
systems that are functionally linked--bureaucratically or 
ecologically--remains limited.  This mini-symposium will outline the 
emerging "state of the art" in the theory and practice of establishing 
effective coral reef MPA networks, providing scientists and decision-makers 
with a framework for designing and evaluating research programs and 
management initiatives.  The first portion of the mini-symposium will be 
dedicated to synthesis talks, each of which will address one stage in the 
"life history" of a coral reef MPA network (e.g., biophysical design; 
sociopolitical design; development and establishment; adaptive 
management).  The rest of the mini-symposium will provide rich contextual 
detail, complementing the synthesis presentations through detailed analyses 
and case studies focusing on particular aspects of either the biophysical 
or human dimensions of coral reef MPAs.  Presentations in the biophysical 
dimensions sub-theme will address the biological design and performance of 
MPA systems, including local demographics, connectivity, larval export, 
biomass overflow, and trophic cascades.  Special emphasis will be given to 
issues associated with building resilience to global change into the design 
of MPAs.   Talks in the human dimensions sub-theme will address the 
sociopolitical design and performance of MPA systems, including stakeholder 
participation, resource use rights, decision-making arrangements, 
enforcement, and socioeconomic impacts.  Both sets of talks will identify 
the implications of their research findings (i.e., lessons learned) for the 
development and management of coral reef MPA networks.  Throughout the 
mini-symposium, the focus will be on success--what steps are necessary to 
develop coral reef MPA systems that meet their management objectives, and 
what scientific research is necessary to make more informed management 
decisions?


Michael B. Mascia, Ph.D.
WWF Science Fellow
223 Constitution Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002

Phone: (202) 566-2176
Cell: (202) 257-2455
Email: Michael.Mascia at duke.edu 




More information about the Coral-List mailing list