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| World Conference on Marine Biodiversity | |
|---|---|
| Name | World Conference on Marine Biodiversity |
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Scientific conference |
| Frequency | Triennial |
| Location | Rotating host cities |
| First | 2008 |
| Organizer | International Scientific Committee on Ocean Research |
| Participants | Researchers, policymakers, NGOs |
World Conference on Marine Biodiversity The World Conference on Marine Biodiversity is a periodic international meeting that convenes researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to address biodiversity in marine ecosystems. It brings together participants from institutions such as the United Nations Environment Programme, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, World Wildlife Fund, and European Commission to synthesize science and policy. The conference has influenced initiatives tied to the Convention on Biological Diversity, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Sustainable Development Goal 14, Aichi Biodiversity Targets, and regional agreements like the Barcelona Convention.
The conference serves as a platform linking research from organizations including National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Pew Charitable Trusts, Smithsonian Institution, Natural History Museum, London, and Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute with policy fora such as the Convention on Migratory Species, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, Food and Agriculture Organization, and the World Bank. Themes often intersect with programs at the Global Ocean Observing System, International Maritime Organization, Ocean Biogeographic Information System, and networks like the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and Group on Earth Observations. Collaboration spans universities and labs including Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, University of Barcelona, University of British Columbia, James Cook University, University of Cape Town, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Tokyo, University of Auckland, and University of São Paulo.
The inaugural meetings drew support from funders such as the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Packard Foundation, and European Research Council alongside agencies like Canadian Space Agency and Australian Research Council. Early convenings featured contributions from scholars affiliated with Royal Society, National Academy of Sciences, European Commission Directorate-General for Research, Norwegian Institute of Marine Research, Institute of Marine Research (Norway), Marine Biological Association, Cefas, and Ifremer. The conference evolved through links with initiatives like Global Ocean Commission, Marine Strategy Framework Directive, Oceans and Coastal Coalition, High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, and regional bodies such as the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission and Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission.
Governance has included steering committees drawn from International Union for Conservation of Nature, Society for Conservation Biology, Ecological Society of America, European Marine Board, Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network. Host institutions have included Dalhousie University, University of Lisbon, Xiamen University, University of Bergen, and University of Sydney with administrative support from International Council for the Exploration of the Sea and World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Funding partners have encompassed National Science Foundation, Natural Environment Research Council, French National Centre for Scientific Research, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, and philanthropic actors like Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Notable meetings intersected with sessions from Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, UN Ocean Conference, Our Ocean Conference, Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction negotiations, and specialist gatherings such as the International Marine Conservation Congress, Society for Marine Mammalogy meeting, European Geosciences Union General Assembly, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, and World Parks Congress. Plenary speakers have included scientists associated with Royal Society of Canada, Max Planck Society, Karolinska Institutet, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and leaders from Greenpeace International, Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, and BirdLife International.
Scientific outputs connected to the conference span marine genomics from projects like Census of Marine Life, Global Genome Biodiversity Network, Ocean Sampling Day, and eDNA studies tied to Earth BioGenome Project participants. Ecosystem assessments referenced work by Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, International Coral Reef Initiative, Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, and the Global Seagrass Trajectories Project. Fisheries and bycatch research engaged with Food and Agriculture Organization, International Seafood Sustainability Foundation, Marine Stewardship Council, and academic centers including Monash University, University of British Columbia Fisheries Centre, and University of Washington. Climate-related studies were informed by datasets from NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, European Space Agency, Copernicus Programme, Hadley Centre, and modeling groups at Met Office, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and IPSL.
The conference influenced policy instruments such as the High Seas Treaty negotiations under the United Nations, marine protected areas promoted via Convention on Biological Diversity targets, and regional policy like the Oceans Act (Canada), Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (UK), and EU directives including the Habitats Directive. Outcomes included contributions to marine spatial planning initiatives, support for Blue Carbon accounting in Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change frameworks, and partnerships with World Bank Blue Economy programs and the Global Environment Facility. Conservation NGOs engaged include Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Surfrider Foundation, Marine Conservation Institute, and Wildlife Conservation Society.
Attendees represent universities, government agencies, and NGOs such as United States Geological Survey, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ministry of Environment (Japan), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (Brazil), China Oceanological and Limnological Society, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, National Institute of Oceanography (India), and regional bodies like the Pacific Community and Caribbean Community. Industry stakeholders have included representatives from International Chamber of Shipping, INTERTANKO, World Shipping Council, aquaculture firms linked to Aquaculture Stewardship Council, and technology firms exemplified by Kongsberg Gruppen and Schmidt Ocean Institute.
The conference legacy includes expanded datasets integrated into repositories like Global Biodiversity Information Facility, policy advisories informing Convention on Biological Diversity meetings, and capacity-building programs modeled on collaborations with UNESCO, United Nations Development Programme, Global Island Partnership, IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management, and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. Future directions emphasize synergies with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, deep-sea mining regulation under International Seabed Authority, advancing open data with Open Science Framework, and partnerships with initiatives like Ocean Decade and Global Ocean Observing System to address emerging challenges.
Category:Marine biodiversity conferences