Inviting abstracts for IMCC session

[Rebecca Gruby]

Dear colleagues,

We are pleased to invite abstract submissions for an accepted symposium and associated working group at the upcoming International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC8), titled Human Dimensions of Large-Scale Marine Protected Areas: Lessons for BBNJ Implementation. More information about the symposium and working group is provided below so that prospective participants know what to expect. Anyone may submit an abstract and participate in the symposium. However, participation in the focus group will be prioritized for those who present a talk during the symposium, as well as for individuals who are coauthors of related work, in order to support a focused and productive synthesis process.

Information about abstract submission is available here: https://conbio.org/mini-sites/imcc8. The IMCC8 website indicates that abstracts are due May 15.

About the symposium:  The symposium will examine what we have learned from large-scale marine protected areas (LSMPAs) within national jurisdictions and consider how those lessons may translate to the design and implementation of marine protected areas in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) under the BBNJ Agreement. Talks will be organized around an inputs-and-outcomes framework, including governance and design choices, financing and capacity, equity and legitimacy, effectiveness and benefits, and unintended consequences such as displacement and distributional impacts. We welcome abstracts presenting empirical case studies, comparative syntheses, and practitioner or policy perspectives.

About the focus group: The symposium will be followed by a working group focused on developing a co-authored policy brief to inform near-term BBNJ decision-making. Building on the symposium discussions, participants will identify which LSMPA lessons are strongly supported by evidence, assess which are likely to transfer to ABNJ contexts, and translate those insights into policy design considerations and priority research needs.

Please feel free to share this invitation with colleagues who may be interested.

Rebecca Gruby,

On behalf of the symposium organizing team

_______

Rebecca Gruby, Ph.D. 

Robert K. Johnson Endowed Chair in Marine Conservation

Director, Robert K. Johnson Center for Marine Conservation

Professor, Department of Environmental Science and Policy

Rosenstiel School, University of Miami

Lab: Ocean Governance Collaborative