Creating a new ocean policy
Prof. Leslie provided public comment to the U.S. Ocean Policy Task Force during their ‘East Coast’ public meeting, held last month in Providence, Rhode Island. Her comments focused on the importance of building on the local and state-level innovations in ecosystem-based management already underway, and in ensuring that marine spatial planning proceeds in a way that is true to the spirit of the draft ocean policy and enables integrated, forward-looking ocean management takes cumulative impacts into account and maintains the full suite of ecosystem services provided by coastal and ocean systems. For more on ecosystem-based management, see Prof. Leslie’s recent book, Ecosystem-Based Management for the Oceans .
The U.S. Ocean Policy Task Force is accepting comment on draft ocean policy at http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives/oceans/