WWF to host MPA Webinar

MPAs have been an integral component of local, national, and international strategies for fisheries management and biodiversity conservation for decades, yet many aspects of MPA implementation and impacts remain uncertain.  WWF is hosting a one-day international symposium on November 5, where we will review knowledge of Marine Protected Areas as a foundation for both science-based policy and policy-relevant science.

As the conservation community strives to ensure ecological and social effectiveness of MPAs, WWF will promote a robust discussion on what works, what doesn’t and why.  We will host leading scholars and practitioners in the field to both provide insights for conservation action and identify gaps in areas requiring further research. We will delve into and illuminate areas of uncertainty on three major topics: 1) ecological frontiers such as spillover, connectivity, and MPAs for pelagic species; 2) social frontiers, such as the role of governance in implementation and socioeconomic impacts of MPAs; and 3) opportunities to push the frontiers of MPA science through impact evaluation and other novel research methods.

The symposium will provide state-of-the-art scientific information on a core marine conservation strategy, and result in follow-up papers and policy briefs summarizing key insights, knowledge gaps, and rules of thumb for moving forward despite those gaps.

For registration details and more information please visit: http://www.worldwildlife.org/science/fellowships/fuller/fuller-symposium-2010.html