An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century - California Ocean ...

Figure 3.1 Large Marine Ecosystems Correspond to Natural FeaturesChukchiSea LMEBeaufortSea LMEGulf ofAlaska LMEEastern BeringSea LMEInsular Pacific-Hawaiian LMECaliforniaCurrent LMENortheastU.S. LMESoutheastU.S. LMEGulf ofMexico LMECaribbeanLMETen large marine ecosystems (LMEs) have been identified for the United States. These LMEs areregions of the ocean starting in coastal areas and extending out to the seaward boundaries ofcontinental shelves and major current systems. They take into account the biological and physicalcomponents of the marine environment as well as terrestrial features such as river basins andestuaries that drain into these ocean areas.Source: University of Rhode Island Environmental Data Center, Department of Natural Resources. (Accessed January 2004).While determining appropriate new boundaries is necessary to move toward ecosystem-basedmanagement, it is also important to maintain sufficient flexibility to manage onboth larger and smaller scales when necessary. For example, air pollution problems mustbe dealt with on national and even international levels, while certain water pollutionissues may need to be addressed on a small-scale watershed level. Managers should beable to adapt to the scale of different activities and the ecosystems they affect.Aligning Decision Making within Ecosystem BoundariesThe current political and issue-specific delineation of jurisdictional boundaries makes itdifficult to address complex issues that affect many parts of the ecosystem. Economicdevelopment in a coastal area may fall under the jurisdiction of several local governments,and natural resource management under the jurisdiction of one or more states, while pollutioncontrol and environmental monitoring of the same area may be overseen by severalfederal agencies. Yet water, people, fish, marine mammals, and ships flow continuallyacross these invisible institutional borders.Ecosystem-based management can provide many benefits over the current structure.The coordination of efforts within a specific geographic area allows agencies to reduceduplication and maximize limited resources. It also provides an opportunity for addressingconflicts among management entities with different mandates. Less obvious, butequally important, ecosystem-based management may engender a greater sense of stewardshipamong government agencies, private interests, and the public by promoting identificationand connection with a specific area.64 A N O CEAN B LUEPRINT FOR THE 21ST C ENTURY