Making Marine Science Matter

The IMCC will be an interdisciplinary meeting that will engage natural and social scientists, managers, policy-makers, and the public. The goal of the IMCC is to put conservation science into practice through public and media outreach and the development of science-based deliverables (e.g., policy briefs, blue ribbon position papers) that will be used to drive policy change and implementation.

Major themes and cross-cutting issues that will be addressed include:

Major Themes

• Global Climate Change
• The Land-Sea Interface
• Ecosystem-based Management
• Poverty and Globalization

Cross-cutting issues encompass topics of global relevance and importance to marine conservation that relate to the major themes.  

Cross-cutting issues

• Marine Protected Areas  
• Education, Outreach and Capacity Building
• Governance Arrangements
• Fisheries and Aquaculture
• Economics

We anticipate that cross-cut issues will result in proposals on a variety of sub-topics.  Potential topics include but are not limited to:  networks and system development, MPA and MPA network monitoring and evaluation, high seas impacts, ocean resource use and planning, international instruments and trans-boundary relations, human/animal impacts, ecological impacts of ocean acidification, technology, stakeholder involvement, indigenous issues, improving public ocean knowledge, incorporating traditional and local knowledge into decision making, and valuing marine ecosystem services.

This meeting will serve as the 2nd International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC2) and will maintain the scope and vision of IMPAC1 (held in Geelong, Australia in October 2005).

Confirmed Plenary Talks:

May 20: Dr. Daniel Pauly: Professor and Director, Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia

May 21: Dr. Ratana Cheunpagdee: Canada Research Chair in Natural Resource Sustainability and Community Development, Memorial University

May 22: Dr. Rod Fujita: Senior Scientist at Environmental Defense in Oakland, California

May 23: Dorothy Childers: Program Director, Alaska Marine Conservation Council

May 24: Alexandria Cousteau: Earth Echo International

Dr. Ransom A. Myers Memorial Lecture:

Will be held at the evening final banquet:

Dr. Callum Roberts, Environment Department, University of York