Marine ecosystem-based management: challenges remain, yet solutions exist, and progress is occurring
Journal article, 2024
Marine ecosystem-based management (EBM) is recognized as the best practice for managing multiple ocean-use sectors, explicitly addressing tradeoffs among them. However, implementation is perceived as challenging and often slow. A poll of over 150 international EBM experts revealed progress, challenges, and solutions in EBM implementation worldwide. Subsequent follow-up discussions with over 40 of these experts identified remaining impediments to further implementation of EBM: governance; stakeholder engagement; support; uncertainty about and understanding of EBM; technology and data; communication and marketing. EBM is often portrayed as too complex or too challenging to be fully implemented, but we report that identifiable and achievable solutions exist (e.g., political will, persistence, capacity building, changing incentives, and strategic marketing of EBM), for most of these challenges and some solutions can solve many impediments simultaneously. Furthermore, we are advancing in key components of EBM by practitioners who may not necessarily realize they are doing so under different paradigms. These findings indicate substantial progress on EBM, more than previously reported.
Author
J. B. Haugen
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
J. S. Link
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
K. Cribari
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
A. Bundy
Bedford Institute of Oceanography
M. Dickey-Collas
Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
ICES
H. M. Leslie
University of Maine
J. Hall
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA)
E. A. Fulton
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
University of Tasmania
J. J. Levenson
U.S. Department of the Interior
D. M. Parsons
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA)
University of Auckland
Ida-Maja Hassellöv
Chalmers, Mechanics and Maritime Sciences (M2), Maritime Studies
E. Olsen
Norwegian Institute of Marine Research
G. S. DePiper
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
R. R. Gentry
Florida State University
Nature Conservancy
D. E. Clark
Cawthron Institute
R. E. Brainard
1stMission LLC
D. Mateos-Molina
University of Murcia
Emirates Nature-WWF
A. Borja
Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA)
S. Gelcich
Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
M. Guilhon
German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ)
N. C. Ban
University of Victoria
D. Pedreschi
Marine Institute Ireland
A. Khan
African Development Bank
R. Chuenpagdee
Memorial University of Newfoundland
S. I. Large
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
O. Defeo
University of the Republic
L. Shannon
University of Cape Town
Sarah Bailey
Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (GLLFAS)
A. Jordan
University of Tasmania
A. L. Agnalt
Norwegian Institute of Marine Research
NPJ Ocean Sustainability
2731426X (eISSN)
Vol. 3 1 7Driving Forces
Sustainable development
Subject Categories (SSIF 2025)
Business Administration
Earth and Related Environmental Sciences
DOI
10.1038/s44183-024-00041-1