Marine Reserves on Tap

 

The Hatfield Marine Science Center’s Science on Tap series is still online.  The upside is that these presentations are available everywhere; the downside is that you have to pour your own.

On Tuesday, Nov. 9, at 6 p.m., the speaker will be Will White, an associate professor in Oregon State University’s Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, based at the Hatfield Marine Science Center. 

His topic is “Marine Reserves:  Essential for conservation or a threat to fisheries?”  He is a particularly significant speaker on this topic, since he is heading up the external review of the state’s marine reserves program which will be presented to the Oregon Legislature, which will decide on re-authorization of our set of five marine reserves in the 2023 session. 

Marine reserves are in the news. Locally, Oregon's decade-old program of five reserves plus additional marine protected areas is up for review. Globally, advocates of '30 x 30' are calling for nations to set aside 30% of ocean waters by 2030, and the Biden Administration has expressed support for the concept.

What are marine reserves, and what are they good for? Advocates for heightened protections (very much including Oregon Shores) point to the need to protect core populations of species, the value of these areas for research leading to better management, and the role that protected areas play in maintaining the resilience of ocean ecosystems in the face of climate change. Detractors argue that reserves unnecessarily lock away valuable fishing grounds, and that healthy fisheries are better sustained with other means. Dr. White will assess the evidence surrounding these issues, and describe the science of marine reserves and how they are assessed. 

To register for this free event, go here. 

 Or call: +1 971 247 1195 Webinar ID: 931 5888 9737