Resources
Current EBM Tool Development and Implementation Funding Opportunities
The Massachusetts Ocean Partnership Issues Requests For Qualifications for Integrated Statewide Ocean Data Network
The Massachusetts Ocean Partnership is a public-private partnership created to advance integrated multi-use ocean management in support of sustainable marine industries and ecosystem stewardship leading to resilient and productive ocean ecosystems in MA waters. The Partnership has issued, through UMASS-Boston, a Request for Qualifications to support development of an integrated statewide ocean data network in collaboration with existing Massachusetts and regional data management efforts and to provide data analysis in support of integrated ocean management planning in Massachusetts’ state waters. Work includes: 1) integrating and synthesizing socioeconomic and environmental data for immediate use in decision-making and for ocean management plan development and 2)assisting MOP in conceptualizing and implementing technical strategies and action steps to link the data network to the development of ecosystem and economic modeling and decision support tools, scenario and tradeoff analyses, and monitoring of environmental indicators necessary to support integrated ocean management planning. The deadline for responses is July 11, 2008. Learn more.
The U.S. Marine Mammal Commission 2008 Funding Opportunity
The U.S. Marine Mammal Commission is seeking proposals for research and related activities that will further the conservation and management goals of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Proposals should be tailored to address either of two focused research topics: (1) Conservation of Critically Endangered Marine Mammal Species or Populations and (2) Indirect Effects of Fisheries on Marine Mammals. Proposals may include ecosystem dynamics modeling studies and field validation of such modeling results. The closing date for applications is July 15, 2008. Learn more.
NASA Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES)- 2008
This U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Research Announcement, entitled Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) – 2008, solicits basic and applied research in support of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD). This NRA covers all aspects of basic and applied supporting research and technology in space and Earth sciences, including, but not limited to: modeling and analysis of SMD science data; development of integrated Earth system models; development of systems for applying Earth science research data to societal needs; and development of applied information systems applicable to SMD objectives and data. The solicitation contains over 50 different proposal opportunities. The document 'Summary of Solicitation' describes the common requirements for all ROSES-2008 proposal opportunities. The documents 'Table 2' and 'Table 3' (starting on Page 36) contain the list of all proposal opportunities and their due dates. Proposal deadlines range from March 2008 to February 2009. Learn more.
FishAmerica Foundation Research Grants
The FishAmerica Foundation Research Projects Committee funds research projects freshwater fisheries habitat restoration, and non-habitat marine and estuarine enhancements that have regional or national implication (not local) with a preference for national model projects. The average research grant is $15,000. Funds are provided for research in the following areas: 1) Fisheries management; 2) Water quality studies; 3) Habitat studies; 4) Stock enhancement studies; 5) Economic impact studies related to sport fishing; 6) Tagging. They do not fund salaries, administration, overhead or travel or monitoring for conservation projects. Additional guidelines may exist when applying for funding through specific FishAmerica Foundation partnership with other organizations and governmental agencies. Applications are accepted year-round. The review period is nine to twelve months. See www.fishamerica.org/grants/index.html for more details. Potential applicants with specific questions about the application process are also encouraged to contact the foundation at (703) 519-9691 or fishamerica@asafishing.org.
Other Sources of Information about Coastal Conservation and Restoration Funding Opportunities
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Restore America's Estuaries Restoration Marketplace Funding Guide
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NOAA Coastal Services Center Information on External Funding Opportunities
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NOAA Restoration Center Information on External Funding Opportunities
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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Habitat Conservation Program Information on Funding Opportunities
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Integrated Approaches to Participatory Development (IAPAD) Funding Opportunities
Resources
Learn more about a variety of resources for using EBM tools, including:
- Funding opportunities for EBM tools use and development
- Technical assistance for using EBM tools
- Meetings and conferences related to EBM tools
- Data sources for EBM tools
- Other resources including specialized tool surveys.
Other Resources
Tool Surveys
PlaceMatters Community Design and Decision Making Tools Database
The National Commission on Science for Sustainable Forestry Decision Support Systems Inventory
NOAA National Marine Protected Areas Center Inventory of GIS-Based Decision-Support Tools for MPAs
USFS Decision Support Systems for Ecosystem Management: An Evaluation of Existing Systems
NetCoast Simulation Models and Modeling Systems Related to Integrated Coastal Zone Management
Environmental Law Institute Watershed Initiatives and Decision Support Tools
EPA Inventory of Environmental Models
Oregon State University Davey Jones' Locker of Marine and Coastal GIS Resources including a Marine and Coastal GIS Software page
NOAA Coastal Services Center Social Science for Coastal Management Website
Other Tool Resources
MESSINA Guide to Integrating the Shoreline into Spatial Policies
Managing European Shoreline and Sharing Information on Nearshore Areas (MESSINA) has developed a Practical Guide "Integrating the shoreline into spatial policies" which provides a synthesis of the results of MESSINA partners' activity devoted to the prototyping of Coastal Geographic Information Systems (GIS) on three coastal sites in Europe. It is intended to help local stakeholders and coastal engineers willing to implement a coastal GIS dedicated to shoreline management with a set of methodologies, tools, best solutions described with their context, cost and limitations. Learn more.
Learning from Case Studies to Advance Decision Support for Ecosystem-based Management: Meeting Summary, Advice & Needs
In October 2006, The Nature Conservancy hosted a group of 35 practitioners and managers to examine case studies where decision support tools have been used to jointly account for objectives in fisheries, coastal hazards, energy, and conservation. These case studies focused on tools, methods and approaches that could advance ecosystem-based management by explicitly accounting for multiple objectives in a decision support framework. This document contains a summary of the meeting focused on the advice and needs for the advancement of tools to inform ecosystem-based management. Learn more.
European Conferences for Integrated Coastal Management and Geo-Information Research
The European Conferences for Integrated Coastal Management and Geo-Information Research (ECO-IMAGINE) is a series of 8 events on the complementarity between integrated coastal management (ICM) and geospatial information (GI) and GIS. Proceedings from past conferences on GI and GIS for ICM (May 13-15, 2004), Coastal Governance, Planning and Design and GI (Nov. 16-20, 2004), Waterfront Management and GI (May 31-June 6, 2005; Nov. 14-18, 2006), Coastal Governance, Planning and Design and GI (Nov. 21-26, 2005), and Building Coastal Knowledge and GI (June 13-17, 2006) are available online. Learn more.
Using Metadata Standards to Achieve Data Interoperability
In June 2006, the Bedford Institute of Oceanography hosted a workshop on Using Metadata Standards to Achieve Data Interoperability for Integrated and Ecosystem-Based Management. The Workshop was organized into three sessions on metadata: Relevance and Application; Discovery and Interoperability; and Authority and Accessibility. Learn more.
GIS and Ocean Mapping in Support of Fisheries Research and Management Conference
In April, 2006, MIT Sea Grant hosted the GIS and Ocean Mapping in Support of Fisheries Research and Management Conference to provide a forum to focus on the use of ocean mapping to support fisheries management and research. Learn more.
Mapping Human Activity in the Marine Environment: GIS Tools and Participatory Methods Workshop
In November-December, 2005, NOAA hosted Mapping Human Activity in the Marine Environment: GIS Tools and Participatory Methods Workshop to develop general design criteria for a practical participatory method or a suite of methods to collect spatial data on human use patterns to inform local and regional MPA planning processes. Learn more.
Workshop on Ecosystem-Based Decision Support Tools for Fisheries Management
In February, 2005, NOAA hosted the Workshop on Ecosystem-Based Decision Support Tools for Fisheries Management to produce an integrated overview and needs assessment of science in support of ecosystem approaches to fisheries. Learn more.
Workshop on GIS Tools Supporting Ecosystem Approaches to Management
In September, 2004, NOAA hosted the Workshop on GIS Tools Supporting Ecosystem Approaches to Management to explore the state-of-the-art and future requirements for GIS tools supporting ecosystem-based fishery management. Learn more.
Technical Assistance
Many organizations offer free or discounted technical support, consulting, training, hardware, or software to groups doing environmental conservation or science work.
Society for Conservation GIS Listserve
The Society for Conservation GIS (SCGIS) assists conservationists worldwide in using GIS through communication, networking, scholarships, and training. Membership is open to any individual seeking assistance in the achievement of personal or organizational conservation goals. The SCGIS Listserve is an invaluable resource for GIS practitioners to get quick answers to questions from GIS experts from around the world. Learn more.
MARXAN Listserve
MARXAN is the most widely used conservation planning software in the world. The MARXAN listserve provides a forum for MARXAN developers and users to share information and provide support for MARXAN use. Sign-up for the listserve is via the MARXAN home page at www.uq.edu.au/marxan.
ESRI Conservation Program and ESRI Conservation/Geography Grants
The ESRI Conservation Program provides computer technology and training to non-profit organizations and individual projects. Non-profit and non-government organizations working for social justice, environment, indigenous rights or public benefit in any nation or individuals volunteering for these types of groups may apply for a grant. There are no grant cycles or deadlines, and applications can be made at any time. For more information, visit www.esri.com/grant. To receive the current grant guidelines, send a blank email to grant@esri.com. It will auto-email back to you the complete form.
Society for Conservation GIS Global Scholarships
The Society for Conservation GIS (SCGIS) Global Scholarship Program provides partial support to attend two weeks of training in GIS and conservation GIS applications in California and attend the ESRI User Conference and SCGIS Annual Conference. At these two conferences, the scholarship awardees will be able to present results of their work, meet colleagues from all over the world, and learn about the most recent trends in GIS technology. Learn more.
Mappamondo GIS Products, Services, and Training
Mappamondo GIS makes products, services and training available at reduced cost (50%) to non-profit organizations around the world carrying out work on endangered species and environmental conservation using GIS and Remote Sensing technologies. Learn more.
Google Earth Outreach Software and Technical Support
The Google Earth Outreach program supports conservation organizations and other public interest groups interested in using Google Earth for their projects. The program includes free grants of Google Earth Pro to qualified non-profit organizations, online guides, video tutorials, case studies about using Google Earth specifically targeted to the needs of nonprofit organizations, online forums connecting new participants to experienced programmers who can assist in developing Keyhole Markup Language (KML) layers for Google Earth, and a discussion forum where the Outreach team will provide direct technical support. Participating organizations may be highlighted in the Google Earth Outreach Showcase, an online gallery of the most compelling new layers, and a subset of those will be featured in the Global Awareness folder in Google Earth on a rotating basis. Learn more.
Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity (KNB) Data Curation
The Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity (KNB) is an international data repository to facilitate ecological and environmental research. It is accepting nominations on an ongoing basis for the inclusion of particularly valuable ecological data sets within the KNB. Nominations will be evaluated based on quality, potential utility, scope and whether they address critical and/or novel issues. Consideration will also be given to preservation of legacy data based on lifelong research efforts by individuals or institutions. KNB staff will collate and document the selected data sets in the KNB and assist and instruct others interested in contributing their data or metadata. The KNB is committed to making these data more broadly known and accessible throughout the ecological community for perpetuity. They respect and enforce all requested restrictions on data access. Learn more.
Planet Action Imagery & GIS Grants to Support Local Projects Affected by Climate Change
Planet Action is a non-for-profit collaborative initiative launched in June 2007 by Spot Image, a world leader in satellite imagery. Its purpose is to encourage the Earth Observation industry and geographic information professional communities to help and tackle the climate change related issues. Planet Action grants SPOT Imagery of all types to projects working on locally based conservation issues about or affected by climate change. The projects can include socially-defined issues and a broad range of conservation projects from any or all of the 5 planet action program domains. Any non-profit or non-government organization working for social justice, environment, indigenous rights or public benefit in any nation, or any individual volunteering for these types of groups, may apply for a grant. Learn More
Data Sources
Relevant Data Clearinghouses
- Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure GeoConnections Discovery Portal
- Conservation Commons Conservation Geoportal
- EPA National Coastal Assessment
- EPA Watershed Assessment, Tracking & Environmental ResultS (WATERS)
- Eur-Oceans European Data Portal
- NASA Goddard Space Center Global Change Master Directory
- The National Map
- The National Atlas
- NOAA Coastal Assessment and Data Synthesis System
- NOAA Coastal Services Center Coastal Geospatial Information: Examples of Internet Resources
- NOAA Coastal Services Center Coastal Information Directory
- NOAA Coral Reef Assessment and Monitoring Database
- NOAA Coral Reef Information System (CORIS)
- NOAA EcoGIS Data Sources
- NOAA Fisheries Directory of Coastal and Marine Data Sources
- NOAA Integrated Coral Observing Network
- NOAA National Coastal Data Development Services
- NOAA National Ocean Service Ocean and Coastal Data Explorer
- NOAA Office of Coastal Survey Data
- NOAA West Coast Living Marine Resources Data Atlas
- Ocean Data and Information Network for Africa (ODINAFRICA) African Marine Atlas
- US Geospatial One-Stop
- ReefBase Coral Reef Datasets
- SERVIR MesoAmerican Data Portal
- The Nature Conservancy's Data Directory of Ownership and Leasing of US Coastal Waters
Land Cover, Topographic, Shoreline, and Benthic Habitat Data
- Large Marine Ecosystems Elevation/Bathymetry Data
- National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Prototype Global Shoreline Data
- NOAA Coastal Services Center Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP)
- NOAA Coastal Map and Vector Shoreline Data
- NOAA Coastal Services Center Topographic Data
- NOAA Coastal Services Center Shoreline Data Central
- NOAA Coastal Services Center Benthic Habitat Mapping Website and Data Portal
- USGS Coastal and Marine Geology InfoBank
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory Wetlands Digital Data
- WWF-USGS Hydrosheds Worldwide River Network, and Watershed Boundaries Data
Biological Data
- Globcolour Global Ocean Colour Data
- Large Marine Ecosystems Boundaries Data
- NatureServe Biodiversity Data
- NOAA Fisheries Fisheries Data
- Ocean Biogeographic Information System
- PISCO U.S. West Coast Subtidal and Intertidal Community Surveys and Recruitment Databases
- World Fish Center Fishbase Information System
- World Ocean Database Plankton Data
Physical Oceanographic Data
- Aviso Sea Surface Altimetry Products
- DOE Oak Ridge National Laboratory Ocean Carbon Data
- NASA JPL Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Ocean Color Products
- NOAA National Oceanographic Data Center
- NOAA NODC 4 km AVHRR Pathfinder Project
- NOAA Comprehensive Large Array-data Stewardship System
- Medspiration European Sea Surface Temperature Data
- World Ocean Database Oceanographic Data
Hazard and Contaminant Data
- FEMA Flood Maps
- NOAA Coastal Services Center Storm Information Data Guide
- NOAA National Status and Trends Program Coastal and Marine Contamination Databases
Socioeconomic, Protected Area, and Other Data
- EVRI Environmental Values Reference Inventory
- A Global Map of Human Impacts to Marine Ecosystems
- MPA Global Database of World's Marine Protected Areas
- National Ocean Economics Program Federal Marine Expenditures Data
- National Ocean Economics Program Living Marine Resources Database
- National Ocean Economics Program Market Values Database
- National Ocean Economics Program Non-Market Values Portal
- NOAA Coastal and Ocean Resource Economics Spatial Trends in Coastal Socioeconomics Data
- NOAA Coastal Services Center Ocean Planning Information System (OPIS)
- NOAA MPA Center U.S. Marine Managed Areas Inventory
- NOAA National Weather Service GIS Data
- NOAA Digital Coast Legislative Atlas
- Sonoran Institute Automatic System for Developing Custom Socio-economic Profiles
- UNEP World Commission on Protected Areas World Database on Protected Areas
In addition to existing, formal geospatial datasets, EBM practitioners can develop additional datasets by soliciting expert opinion and local knowledge about coastal and marine resources, coastal communities, and resource use. For additional information about participatory GIS, see the Integrated Approaches to Participatory Development (IAPAD) website
