About the EBM Tools Network

The EBM Tools Network is an alliance of EBM tool developers, practitioners, and training providers to develop EBM tools and support their use in EBM implementation in coastal and marine environments and the terrestrial environments that affect them (watersheds).  Network members include ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, Boston University, Brown University, Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, Center for Watershed Protection, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Conservation International, Conservation Planning Institute, Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET), the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, DHI, Duke University, Ecotrust, Environmental Protection Agency, Florida Sea Grant, Intelligent Marine Planning, MarinMap,  Memorial University, National Center for Coral Reef Research, National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS), National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Economics Program/Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, The Nature Conservancy, NatureServe, Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO) Network, Pacific Marine Analysis and Research Association (PacMARA), PlaceMatters, the Sea Around Us Project, University of California at Santa Barbara, University of Queensland , and University of Texas Marine Science Institute, World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

The objectives of the EBM Tools Network are to:

Current and planned Network activities include:

• Maintaining a knowledge base of existing EBM tools
• Providing outreach for existing EBM tools and toolkits
• Assessing tool needs of EBM practitioners and gaps in tool functionality
• Developing software engineering guidelines to promote tool utility, sustainability, and interoperability
• Developing interoperability between tools, both methodological and engineered, to promote multi-objective decision making
• Supporting tool development and maintenance to fill tool needs and increase usability of existing tools
• Providing tools training and toolkits
• Providing support for on-the-ground EBM projects using tools
• Evaluating effectiveness of tool use in projects
• Developing best practices for using tools