1. Tana Worcester Centre for Science Advice Maritimes Region, Canada Ecosystem-Based Management on the Eastern Scotian Shelf. ESSIM

2. The ESSIM Area …a shared commitment to work together for our ocean and our future…

3. ESSIM Objectives Governance Human Use Ecosystem Maintain: Biodiversity Productivity Habitat

4. Ecosystem Objectives Conserve community diversity and habitat integrity. Protect and recover species-at-risk. Prevent introduction & spread of invasive species. Maintain a healthy trophic structure.

5. Lessons Learned  Broad objectives can be useful.  Should be relevant across a range of scales and activities.  Dialogue between science, managers and stakeholders is essential.  Objectives will evolve over time.  Don’t get bogged down in semantics!

6. Surficial GeologyBenthic Disturbance Scope for Growth Habitat Characterization

7. Cod Blue Whale Clams / Scallops Corals Ecologically Significant Species and Areas

8. Lessons Learned  Ecosystem characterization is useful in developing scientific understanding.  It is also time and resource intensive.  How will it be used for management?  e.g., development of an ecosystem model to be used in scenario testing?  e.g., development of a decision-support tool for conflict resolution?  e.g., used in MPA network design?

9. Drilling, Cables, Waste Seismic Noise Shipping Impact Analysis

10. Lessons Learned  Lots of information available on the impacts of specific activities – still work to be done.  Cumulative effects are harder to monitor, map and evaluate.  GIS can be a helpful tool for impact analysis and decision-making, but need better georeferencing of human activities.  Need indicators that apply across a variety of activity types.

11. Indicators and Reference Points

12. Lessons Learned  Long-time series data are a valuable resource – use what you have.  Determine what types of information managers actually use to make decisions.  Trends or rates of change can be useful when limits and thresholds aren’t known.  Weight of evidence approach can provide a strong basis for decisions.  However, theory/modelling is also required.

13. DFO Maritimes Science Role  Provision of chemical, physical and biological data.  Oceanographic modelling.  Research on impacts: aquaculture, fisheries (by-catch, benthic impacts), oil and gas.  Data management.