Functioning coastal and marine ecosystems produce a wide array of benefits to society, including food production, protection from coastal storms, and opportunities for recreation and tourism. Stewardship to ensure continued provision of these benefits requires understanding the connections between ecosystems and the people who are part of them. Brown junior faculty Heather Leslie and Sri Nagavarpu […]
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Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability Fellows NSF recently announced a new fellowship program dedicated specifically to sustainability research and training, known as the SEES Fellows program. The program seeks to address near term sustainability workforce needs by reducing institutional barriers to interdisciplinary research relating to sustainability and giving early career researchers an opportunity to […]
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Sandy Andelman of Conservation International offers a compelling perspective piece, based on more than 20 years in the field, on why conservation scientists need to move away from business as usual, in our science, our communication, and our on the ground action. Download or read the Nature article at http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v475/n7356/full/475290a.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20110721
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See http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/01/24/open-comments-ntl-ocean-policy-strategic-action-plans for more information. The 9 priority objectives of the NOP can be divided into two categories: “How we do business” and “ Special Emphasis”. The first includes Ecosystem-Based Management, Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning, Inform Decisions and Improve Understanding, Coordination and Support, and Ocean Coastal and Great Lakes Observations Mapping and Infrastructure. The […]
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On Monday, June 27 in Exeter, NH the National Ocean Council (NOC) held a regional listening session to solicit feedback regarding the nine priority objectives of the developing National Ocean Policy (NOP), along with the outlines of the related strategic action plans. For more information on these SAPs click here. Read more… The National Ocean […]
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Courtney Mattison’s thesis project was featured in the News section of Science magazine earlier this spring (pdf, p. 4). Mattison, a master’s candidate in environmental studies with an ecology and arts background and member of the Leslie Lab, created a ceramic wall installation modeling a Pacific coral reef for her Masters thesis. During remarks at the […]
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On behalf of its partners, the Northeast Regional Ocean Council is pleased to announce the launch of the Northeast Ocean Data Portal –www.northeastoceandata.org. The data, map viewer, and other tools included with the Northeast Ocean Data Portal are the result of over a year’s worth of extensive effort of multiple organizations with data development experience […]
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The National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, our Coasts, and the Great Lakes prioritizes nine objectives to address some of the most pressing challenges facing these precious resources. The National Ocean Council is overseeing development of strategic action plans for each of the nine objectives. As a first step the National Ocean Council […]
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Natural Capital: Theory and Practice of Mapping Ecosystem Services, by Peter Kareiva, Heather Tallis, Taylor H. Ricketts, Gretchen C. Daily, and Stephen Polasky, Eds. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2011. 391 pp. ************************************************* The taste of fresh strawberries. The sounds of the surf and kids playing on a packed shoreline. Warm sun on your back as you kayak across the bay. These visceral summer experiences, just ahead […]
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Read a recent interview with former Leslie Lab postdoc Sheila Walsh. Sheila’s now an ecosystem-services analyst on The Nature Conservancy’s Analysis Team in Central Science and talks with the interviewer about her emerging research and science application work on ecosystem services. Nice work, Sheila! http://www.conservationgateway.org/news/sheila-walsh-ecosystem-services-biodiversity-dow-collaboration
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