This document provides an overview of large marine ecosystems (LMEs) and efforts to implement ecosystem-based management (EBM) of LMEs. It notes that LMEs produce 80% of global fisheries catches and contribute $12.6 trillion annually to the global economy. The document outlines the five module assessment approach used for LMEs, including productivity, fish/fisheries, pollution, socioeconomics, and governance. It discusses how the Global Environment Facility has provided $6.01 billion since 1994 to support EBM planning and implementation projects in 22 LMEs. The LME approach is now the cornerstone of the GEF's ocean management strategy.

1. LARGE MARINE ECOSYSTEMS:
MEGAREGIONAL BEST PRACTICES
for LME ASSESSMENT and
MANAGEMENT
Workshop convened at GEF – IWC8
Negombo, Sri Lanka
May 9, 2016
Kenneth Sherman, NOAA
LME Program
Andrew Hudson, UNDP
Water and Ocean Governance Programme
1

2. 2
Large Marine Ecosystems are Naturally Formed
Coastal Ocean Management Areas

3. 3

4. 80% OF THE WORLD’S FISHERIES CATCHES ARE
PRODUCED IN 66 LARGE MARINE ECOSYSTEMS
4

5. Courtesy of Villy Christensen, UBC, Fisheries Centre
5

6. ESTIMATED
SOCIOECONOMIC VALUE
OF LMEs
Goods and Services Contribute
$12.6 Trillion Annually to the
Global Economy
Costanza et al. , NATURE, Vol. 287/ 15 May 1997
6

7. 5 MODULES WITH INDICATORS
7

8. 8
• 1992 Rio “Prevent, reduce, and control degradation
of the marine environment so as to maintain and
improve its life support and productive capacities”
• 2002 Johannesburg “Encourage the application by
2010 of the ecosystem approach”
• 2012 Rio +20 “We therefore commit to protect and
restore the health, productivity, and resilience of
oceans and marine ecosystems….”
Ecosystem Based Management of LMEs
Supported by Agreed Upon Coastal Ocean
Goals of 3 UN Environmental Summits

9. 9
Innovative Fusion Between Natural
Science (Productivity, Fish & Fisheries, Pollution &
Ecosystem Health) metrics
and
Social Science (Socioeconomics, Governance) metrics
Integrated with the
GEF Supported TDA – SAP Project
Implementation Process
GEF – LME Project Pathway to Science
Supported United Nations’ EBM Practice
Requires

10. 10
The 15 Fastest
Warming
LMEs (1982-
2006
Fusion Between LME Theory and
LME - Assessment and Management
TO EBM Practice
5 Modules
Productivity
Fish &
Fisheries
Pollution &
Ecosystem
Health
Socioeconomic
Governance
Integrated
via TDA SAP
Practice
Process

11. 11
LMEs are Global Centers of
Effort to Introduce Ecosystem
Based Management (EBM)
Practices in Support of
Sustaining Coastal Ocean
Goods and Services

12. 12
ARCTIC
NORTH AMERICA
EUROPE
SOUTH AMERICA
ASIA
AFRICA
ANTARCTIC
GLOBAL MEGAREGIONAL LME
NETWORKS

13. 13
Arctic Council Actions and LMEs
Reference Document PAME May 2013 & LME Volumes/Journals ICES
Faroe Plateau LME Aleutian Islands LME
Iceland Shelf and Sea LME West Bering Sea LME
Greenland Sea LME Northern Bering-Chukchi Seas LME
Norwegian Sea LME Central Arctic Ocean LME
Barents Sea LME Beaufort Sea LME
Kara Sea LME Hudson Bay Complex LME
Laptev Sea LME Newfoundland-Labrador Shelf LME
East Siberian Sea LME Canadian High Arctic-North LME
East Bering Sea LME Greenland LME
MEGAREGIONAL LME NETWORK
ARCTIC LMEs

14. 14
United States – EBM-NOP, ICES/PICES,
LME Volumes/Journals
Northeast US Continental Shelf LME
Southeast US Continental Shelf LME
Gulf of Mexico LME
California Current LME
Gulf of Alaska LME
East Bering Sea LME
Aleutian Islands LME
Northern Bering-Chukchi Seas LME
Beaufort Sea LME
West Bering Sea LME
Caribbean Sea LME
Insular Pacific-Hawaiian LME
NORTH AMERICAN LMEs

15. 15
Canada - Arctic Council and LME Volumes,
NAFO-ICES, PICES
Scotian Shelf LME
Newfoundland-Labrador Shelf LME
Hudson Bay Complex LME
Canadian High Arctic-North Greenland LME
Canadian Eastern Arctic-West Greenland LME
Beaufort Sea LME
Gulf of Alaska LME
NORTH AMERICAN LMEs (cont.)

16. 16
LME Volumes/Journals, ICES-HELCOM
North Sea LME
Celtic-Biscay Shelf LME
Iberian Coastal LME
(GEF) Baltic Sea LME
(GEF) Black Sea LME
Norwegian Sea LME
Barents Sea LME
EUROPEAN LMEs

17. 17
Latin American LMEs - LME Volumes/Journals
(GEF) Gulf of Mexico LME
(GEF) Caribbean Sea LME (MOU)
(GEF) North Brazil Shelf LME
East Brazil Shelf LME
South Brazil Shelf LME
Patagonian Shelf LME
(GEF) Humboldt Current LME
Pacific Central-American LME
Gulf of California LME
LATIN AMERICAN LMEs

18. 18
African LMEs - Volumes/Journals,
BCLME Commission, RFOs, African Caucus
(GEF) Canary Current LME
(GEF) Guinea Current LME
(GEF) Benguela Current LME
(GEF) Somali Coastal Current LME
(GEF) Agulhas Current LME
(GEF) Red Sea LME
(GEF) Mediterranean Sea LME
AFRICAN LMEs

19. 19
Asian LME - LME Volumes/Journals, PICES,
NOWPAP, RFOs
(GEF) Yellow Sea LME
East China Sea LME
(GEF) South China Sea LME
(GEF) Indonesian Sea LME
(GEF) Sulu Celebes Sea LME
(GEF) Bay of Bengal LME
(GEF) Gulf of Thailand LME
North Australian Shelf LME
Northeast Australian Shelf LME
West-Central Australian Shelf LME
ASIAN LMEs

20. 20
Asian LME - LME Volumes/Journals, PICES,
NOWPAP, RFOs
Northwest Australian Shelf LME
East-Central Australian Shelf LME
Southeast Australian Shelf LME
Southwest Australian Shelf LME
Northwest Australian Shelf LME
New Zealand Shelf LME
Kuroshio Current LME
Oyashio Current LME
Sea of Japan/East Sea LME
Okhotsk Sea LME
Arabian Sea LME
ASIAN LMEs (cont.)

21. 21
Initial Commission for
Ecosystem Based Management
of Antarctic Marine Living Resources
(CCAMLR)
Meet regularly to assess changing ecological
conditions affecting living marine resources
from an ecosystem perspective
ANTARCTIC LME

22. 22
1995-2014 $3.15 billion
2014-2018 $2.86 billion
Total EBM/LME
support to developing
countries $6.01 billion
From Theory to Practice
GEF Financial Support For Planning &
Implementing EBM Goals in LMEs

23. 22 LMEs with GEF-Supported EBM
Projects since 1994
23

24. 24
“Today the LME approach is the
cornerstone of the GEF strategy for ocean
and coastal conservation, and the GEF is
the leading global funding source for
transboundary water systems.”
From Coast to Coast: Celebrating 20 Years of Transboundary Management of
Our Shared Oceans, Chapter 1 Sustaining the World’s Large Marine Ecosystems
(2015). GEF, Washington, DC. 178 p. ISBN 978-92-808-6068-9.