Marine protected areas (MPAs) are essential for conserving marine biodiversity and supporting ecosystem health. As climate change accelerates, MPA managers are increasingly facing new challenges, from coral bleaching to sea level rise, that require adaptive, forward-looking approaches. To help address these challenges, the Reef Resilience Network has developed new guidance on Climate-Smart management planning that integrates climate considerations into all aspects of MPA planning and decision-making.
During this webinar, John Morrison, Director of Conservation Planning & Measures at WWF-US, introduced the Climate-Smart planning framework, highlighting tools to assess climate risks, manage uncertainty, and integrate climate and conventional threats into a comprehensive planning process. Dr. Annick Cros, Resilience Science Lead for Global Oceans at TNC, built on that foundation by outlining how the Reef Resilience Network’s Climate-Smart framework applies these concepts in practice. She emphasized embedding climate considerations throughout the management planning cycle based on pilot work in The Bahamas. Alyssa Bastian, Parks Planner for the Bahamas National Trust, closed with insights from implementing the framework on the ground. She shared the realities of adapting MPAs to climate change in The Bahamas, including key challenges, lessons learned, and advice for others beginning this work. Thank you to the attendees for your thoughtful questions and resources shared.
Resources
- Climate-Smart Management Planning in The Bahamas Case Study
- Climate-Smart Design for Ecosystem Management: A Test Application for Coral Reefs
- Climate-Smart Conservation Practice: Using the Conservation Standards to Address Climate Change
- Partnership Celebrates Launch of Kanu Ko‘a in Kealakekua Bay | TNC
This webinar is brought to you by the Reef Resilience Network and Blue Nature Alliance, in collaboration with the International Coral Reef Initiative as part of their #ForCoral webinar series. If you do not have access to YouTube, you can download a copy of the recording.
