Sustaining the World's Large Marine Ecosystems

Seitzinger and Lee (2008) who, based on a business as usual (BAU) modeling
scenario, estimate a potential doubling of nutrient loading into LMEs around the
globe by 2050. The LME briefs demonstrate the utility of a generic ecosystembased
approach that uses comparable time series indicators for each of the 5
modules to serve as the basis for assessing changing conditions among the
world’s LMEs.
Outreach and educational uses of the UNEP LME Report: By identifying the
impacts of ecosystem drivers of alteration such as nutrient over-enrichment,
pollution, over-fishing, and global warming, the UNEP LME report serves as a
useful scientific reference as well as an educational and outreach document. The
information is both quantitative and comparative, with lessons to be learned from
comparing the marine geography, LME productivity, fish and fisheries, pollution
and ecosystem health, socioeconomics, and governance conditions between and
amongst the 64 LMEs. The briefs pertaining to the 16 LMEs for which the GEF
has funded projects provide further detail on their progress in turning the corner
to recover depleted fisheries, reduce coastal pollution, and restore damaged
habitats.
The report is intended for use by educators, scientists, resource managers and
the general public. The entire report can be downloaded from the LME website
at: www.lme.noaa.gov/. To obtain a hard copy of the UNEP LME Report, please
contact: NOAA Large Marine Ecosystem Program, Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett,
RI 02882, USA. Tel: +1 401 782-3211; FAX: +1 401 782-3201. Emails:
Kenneth.Sherman@noaa.gov, MC.Aquarone@ noaa.gov.
References
Levin SA, Lubchenco J. 2008. Resilience, robustness, and marine ecosystem-based
management. BioScience 58(1): 27-32.
Lubchenco J. 1994. The scientific basis of ecosystem management. Framing the context,
language, and goals. In: Zinn J, Corn ML, editors. Ecosystem Management Status and
Potential: 103 rd Congress, 2d Session, Committee Print. U.S. Government Printing
Office, Superintendent of Documents. 33-39.
Pauly D, Alder J, Booth S, Cheung WWL, Close C, Sumaila UR, Swartz W, Tavakolie A, Watson
R, Wood L, and others. 2008. Fisheries in large marine ecosystems. Descriptions and
diagnoses. In: Sherman K, Hempel G, editors. The UNEP Large Marine Ecosystems
Report: A Perspective on Changing Conditions in LMEs of the World’s Regional Seas.
Nairobi: UNEP.
Seitzinger S. and R. Lee. 2008. Land-based Sources of Nutrients to Large Marine Ecosystems.
In: Sherman K, Hempel G, editors. The UNEP Large Marine Ecosystems Report: A
Perspective on Changing Conditions in LMEs of the World’s Regional Seas. Nairobi:
UNEP.
Sherman K, Belkin I, Friedland KD, O’Reilly J, Hyde K. 2009. Accelerated warming and emergent
trends in fisheries biomass yields of the world’s large marine ecosystems. Ambio 38(4):
215-224. [note: expanded version in UNEP LME Report 2008]
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