Examining the Big Questions of Ocean Management
- Stephanie moderated the panel.
SeaPlan, in collaboration with COMPASS, hosted a panel discussion on May 21st in Boston that highlighted recent developments from SeaPlan’s ecosystem services
tradeoff pilot study. An audience of more than 50 gathered to hear Dr. Crow White (University of California – Santa Barbara) and Dr. Les Kaufman (Boston University) present the latest tools to help illuminate the tradeoffs inherent in ocean resource management. Panelists John Weber (Northeast Regional Ocean Council), Joel Whitman (Global Marine Energy) and Bill Adler (MA Lobstermen’s Association) offered provocative observations from their sectors’ perspectives, as panelists and attendees engaged in a dialogue around challenging questions like what economic models and data sets are appropriate, and how can a tradeoffs framework inform societal goal setting?
- Crow White presented pilot study results.
SeaPlan’s pilot study in Massachusetts Bay engaged two research teams to demonstrate the value of assessing economic and ecological tradeoffs in managing ocean uses. Dr. White recently published his team’s work in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and Dr. Kaufman announced a forthcoming paper on his team’s launch of a cloud-based, ecosystem services tradeoff model user interface. SeaPlan has posted the presentations at www.SeaPlan.org and will make a video of the event available in a few weeks.
- Panelist from left to right: Dr. Les Kaufman, Dr. Crow White, John Weber, Joel Whitman, and Bill Adler.