Transcript Chris O`Brien, Regional Coordinator, Bay of Bengal

Open oceans science in the GEF
Chris O’Brien
FAO
GEF International Waters Science Conference 2012
Bangkok, Thailand – 24 to 26 September 2012
5
Open ocean
200 m
Wikipedia
10,000 m
Open ocean: a history of open access
and multiple threats
Ocean
fertilization
Maritime
shipping
Plastics in the
food chain
Physical and chemical
changes in ocean waters
Marine debris
and pollution
IUU Fishing
Overfishing of
highly migratory
species
Extraction of
hydrocarbons
and mineral
exploration
Rachael Koch
IMO
IMO
Open ocean science
NOAA
Open ocean science
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Oceanography
Climate
Fisheries
Seabed mining
Biodiversity
Ecosystem research
NOAA
The GEF open ocean science activities:
• are few
• answer governance questions
• support other initiatives
GEF open ocean science activities:
• species inventories
• modelling ecosystems
• oceanography
• productivity
The open ocean science activities:
Global sustainable fisheries management and
biodiversity conservation in the areas beyond
national jurisdiction
•
basic ecological and biological data collection (incl
bycatch)
•
risk assessments of critical habitats
•
technological development of electronic compliance
techniques and bycatch mitigation
•
social and economic analyses
The open ocean science activities:
Nothing is ‘off the table’
(if it answers a management question)
The open ocean science activities:
Nothing is ‘off the table’
(if it answers a management question)
but high cost of ocean research and long term
commitments may limit GEF participation
IW Science Instructions:
• Give a synthesis of the science
• Best practice examples
• Reflect on portfolio performance and highlight
key persistent and emerging issues
IW Science Instructions:
key persistent and emerging issues
• climate change, acidification and atmospheric
change
• life history, ecology and conservation of
transboundary stocks
• multiple stressors, tipping points and resilience
of coupled social ecological systems.
Emerging issues
Its not about the type of the science !
Its about dry issues:
• ensure the ProDoc and TDAs science is comprehensive
and interpreted correctly (scientific rigour)
• better coordinate and integrate the scientific activities
of the different agencies involved
• improve the communication of scientific outputs to
policymakers and managers
• Ensure essential information is collected analysed and
used (ocean indicators)
Emerging issues
• Adjust administration to encourage:
 focal area funds to be combined
 Contracts with ‘other’ bodies
 support to agencies that undertake the
required/desired programmes of work
 beneficiaries to fund indicators science as part of
their cofinancing
Major science needs:
• improving understanding of critical
natural processes
• effective governance
IMO
Rachael Koch