Second Global Conference on Large Marine Ecosystems

Qingdao, PR China — The 2nd Global Conference on Large Marine Ecosystems, to be held on 11-13 September at Qingdao, PR China, will focus on assessment and management methodologies for ecosystem-based approaches to the recovery and sustainability of marine resources, and methodologies for analyzing changing states of LMEs, and LMEs at risk from climate change. The Conference will also provide a unique opportunity to interact with young Chinese scientists and with Conference participants from countries of the Pacific Rim.The Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) approach to the assessment and management of marine resources was first introduced in 1984, and the first international LME Conference was held in 1990 in Monaco. Since the mid-1990s, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), in partnership with several UN agencies, has supported 110 economically developing coastal countries with start-up funding at a level of $1.8 billion and the participation of 7000 experts and partners to apply LME assessment and management methods in 16 LME projects directed to the recovery and sustainability of marine resources and their environments in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. The Conference will examine the scientific advances made in ecosystem assessment by LME projects around the globe and gauge the progress of the 16-GEF-funded LME projects in achieving the targets put forward at the 2002 World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg. Conference papers and posters are invited on each of the 10 themes outlined below, including the theoretical background of the LME approach and its present and future role in marine science.The Conference is convened by Dr. Kenneth Sherman (NOAA/USA) and by Professor Qisheng Tang (Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute and Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao, China). It is sponsored by the Chinese Government, by Chinese science agencies, by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), by the IUCN, and by 5 UN agencies. Conference themes include assessment and management methodologies for ecosystem-based approaches to the recovery and sustainability of marine resources, and methodologies for analyzing changing states of LMEs, and LMEs at risk from climate change. The Conference also provides a unique opportunity to interact with young Chinese scientists and with Conference participants from countries of the Pacific Rim.The conference themes are:The Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) Approach to Assessment and Management Marine Resources: Theory and BackgroundPractical implementation of the Ecosystem Approach in LMEsAssessment and Monitoring of LMEs and Development of Indicators and their ApplicationState of Environment and Ecosystem Information Systems in LMEsIntegrating Socioeconomics, Science and Governance in LMEsDeveloping International Partnerships in Science and Management in LMEsChanging States of LMEs in Regional Seas: a Global PerspectiveLMEs at Risk: Adaptation to Climate ChangeComplementarity among LME Assessments, GOOS-GEOSS and GLOBECToward an LME networkFor more information about the conference, please see http://www.lme.noaa.gov.