Open Oceans (OO) Plenary

1. GEF International Waters Science Conference 2012
Bangkok, Thailand – 24 to 26 September 2012
Open oceans science in the GEF
Chris O’Brien
FAO

2. 5

3. Open ocean

4. 10,000 m
200 m
Wikipedia

5. Open ocean: a history of open access
Overfishing of
highly migratory
species
Ocean
fertilization
Extraction of
hydrocarbons
and mineral
exploration
Maritime
shipping Plastics in the
food chain
Marine debris
and pollution
Physical and chemical
changes in ocean waters
IUU Fishing
and multiple threats

6. Rachael Koch

7. IMO

8. IMO

9. Open ocean science
NOAA

10. Open ocean science
• Oceanography
• Climate
• Fisheries
• Seabed mining
• Biodiversity
• Ecosystem research
NOAA

11. The GEF open ocean science activities:
• are few
• answer governance questions
• support other initiatives

12. GEF open ocean science activities:
• species inventories
• modelling ecosystems
• oceanography
• productivity

13. 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

14. The open ocean science activities:
Nothing is ‘off the table’
(if it answers a management question)

15. 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

16. IW Science Instructions:
• Give a synthesis of the science
• Best practice examples
• Reflect on portfolio performance and highlight
key persistent and emerging issues

17. 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.

18. 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)

19. 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

20. Major science needs:
• improving understanding of critical
natural processes
• effective governance

21. IMO

22. Rachael Koch