Recreational uses of marine protected areas (MPAs) are expanding rapidly in the United States and around the globe. While promising many benefits to users and the sites, this trend has also raised concerns about the sustainability of increased use and the capacity of most MPAs to manage and facilitate these diverse and often novel activities.

To that end, the U.S. Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee, working with the NOAA MPA Center, has examined this challenge and has developed a suite of recommendations and best practices for managers to consider in addressing this trend.

Priscilla Brooks of the Conservation Law Foundation and Charlie Wahle of the NOAA MPA Center will discuss these topics in a webinar entitled “Building Capacity to Sustainably Manage Increasing Recreational Uses in MPA.” The webinar is co-hosted by the NOAA National MPA Center, OpenChannels.org, and the Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) Tools Network.

EBM Tools Network Webinar and Office Hour Series

The EBM Tools Network Webinar Series highlights key tools and tool use case studies to help practitioners learn about tools quickly and determine their suitability for specific EBM projects. Webinars are held one to three times per month and typically last one hour.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 8, 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Mac®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.6 or newer

Mobile attendees
Required: iPhone®, iPad®, Android™ phone or Android tablet