About Ecosystem-Based Management

Some of the key principles of Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) are:

• Integration of ecological, social, and economic goals and recognition of humans as key components of the ecosystem.
• Consideration of ecological- not just political- boundaries.
• Addressing the complexity of natural processes and social systems and using an adaptive management approach in the face of resulting uncertainties.
• Engaging multiple stakeholders in a collaborative process to define problems and find solutions.
• Incorporating understanding of ecosystem processes and how ecosystems respond to environmental perturbations.
• Concern with the ecological integrity of coastal-marine systems and the sustainability of both human and ecological systems.

For additional information about EBM, see the COMPASS Consensus Statement on EBM.