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IOC and UNESCO Member States’ views on Ocean Sciences for Policy-Making

The Contribution of Science to Solving Issues related to Corals and other Marine Biodiversity Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization. IOC and UNESCO Member States’ views on Ocean Sciences for Policy-Making.

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IOC and UNESCO Member States’ views on Ocean Sciences for Policy-Making

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  1. The Contribution of Science toSolving Issues related toCorals and otherMarine BiodiversityIntergovernmental Oceanographic CommissionUnited Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization

  2. IOC and UNESCO Member States’ views on Ocean Sciences for Policy-Making • Ocean Sciences activities to be policy-relevant and with an emphasis on communicating results to Member States • Scientific underpinnings of marine assessments could provide a focus for policy-relevant applications

  3. Three possible models (non-exclusive) • Coordinating the production of best scientific knowledge for which there is a policy demand • Repackaging best scientific knowledge in a format (content & language) acceptable by and useful to policy-makers • Communicating best available scientific knowledge

  4. 1. Coordinating the production of best scientific knowledge for which there is a policy demand Biogeography of the Deep Sea Benthos: A scheme for delineating large-scale biogeographic provinces of high seas areas Les Watling, Kathy Scanlon, Elva Escobar Briones for the Global Open Oceans and Deep Sea-habitats (GOODS) Expert Panel Mexico City, January 2007

  5. Methods: Review of literature Compilation of bathymetry, hydrography, and organic matter deposition Compilation of unpublished data Mapping of variables to assess areas of major change Production of GIS maps Combine literature information, unpublished data and use of hydrography to estimate province-level biogeographic classification NOTE: Large expanses of ocean have no data for bottom-dwelling species (benthos)

  6. Benthic Habitat Types from Seamounts and Ridges Fine grained sediment, flat, with flow related features Large, single-celled organism with sand house octocoral Anemone

  7. Basalt wall sponges Gorgonian corals

  8. Basalt, pavement, biogenic structure Coral is habitat for brittle stars, worms, and crabs

  9. Lower Bathyal Biogeographic Provinces for depths 800 – 3500 m Province Key: 1, Arctic. 2, North Atlantic Boreal. 3, North Pacific Boreal. 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, subdivisions of the Central Atlantic-Indian-South Australian. 5, Pacific. 6. New Zealand-Kermadec. 7, Cocoplatensis. 8, Nazcaplatensis. 9, Antarctic

  10. Abyssal Biogeographic Provinces for the Depths 3500 – 6500 m Province key: 1, Arctic Basin. 2, North Atlantic. 3, Brazil Basin. 4, Angola and Sierra Leone Basins. 5. Argentine Basin. 6, East Antarctic and Southern Indian. 7, West Antarctic and SE Pacific. 8, Indian. 9, Chile, Peru, and Guatemala Basins. 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, subdivisions of Pacific Basin.

  11. 2. Repackaging best scientific knowledge in a format (content & language) acceptable by and useful to policy-makers The Assessment of Assessmenton the State of the Marine Environment(including socio-economic aspects)

  12. Organization AoA UNGA at its 60th session (2005), adopted resolution 60/30 on oceans and the law of the sea established: • Ad Hoc Steering Group (AHSG) oversees execution of “Assessment of Assessments” (MS representatives appointed by UNGA Chairs, UN agencies FAO, IMO, WMO, ISA, DOALOS, GESAMP) • Two United Nations agencies, (IOC of UNESCO & UNEP) co-lead the process; and • AGroup of Experts (GoE) carry out the “Assessment of Assessments”

  13. Assessment of Assessments GROUP OF EXPERTS • 20 high level independent experts • selected and proposed by UNEP& IOC • nomination endorsed by Ad Hoc Steering Group • all UN regions represented Expertise in : Environmental assessments Oceanography Marine Ecology /Biology/Geology Fisheries Law/ Policy Social sciences • Three expert meetings organized since March 2007

  14. 2007 Survey Report commissioned by UNEP & IOCSummary & Conclusions • Summarizes key considerations for establishing an assessment process • Provides starting pointfor conducting the “AoA" • Highlights patchiness of data • Recognizes gaps and emerging issues • Recommends • New ways to address capacity-building • Need to systematic efforts to fill the information and knowledge gaps • Peer reviewed by GESAMP Supporting Database: www.unep-wcmc/GRAMED 130 entries

  15. AoA 21 Regionsadopted by the Group of Experts 01 Antarctic Ocean 12 North-West Pacific Ocean 02 Arctic Ocean 13 Red Sea & Gulf of Aden 03 Baltic Sea 14 ROPME/RECOFI Area 04 Black Sea 15 South Asian Seas 05 East Asian Seas 16 South-East Pacific Ocean 06 Eastern African Seas 17 Southern Indian Ocean 07 Mediterranean 18 Southern Pacific Ocean 08 North Central Pacific Ocean 19 South-West Atlantic Ocean 09 North-East Atlantic Ocean 20 Western African Seas 10 North-East Pacific Ocean 21 Wider Caribbean Sea 11 North-West Atlantic Ocean

  16. The Assessment of Assessments (AoA)

  17. http://www.unga-regular-process.org Please check the new AoA website

  18. 3. Communicating best available scientific knowledge • Proposal to produce Policy Briefs on a regular basis highlighting state of the art and further research needed for decision-making • Possible topics: Ocean acidification, coral diversity, …

  19. Thank you

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