Marine ecosystem-based management: from characterization to implementation

Over the past decade, policy makers, management agencies, and academic scientists have shown increasing interest in ecosystem-based management (EBM). Yet, the extent that EBM principles, deemed important by scientists, are adopted by managers is still uncertain. Here, we review scientific definitions of EBM and management plans for eight marine and coastal ecosystems to determine if management agencies and academics are approaching EBM in a similar manner. Although the scientific literature outlines specific ecological and social principles of EBM, we find that these details are only loosely incorporated into management plans and actions. Our results indicate that some principles of EBM are being put into practice, but the gap between the scientific literature and management plans suggests that these concepts need to be more effectively translated. Our results also reveal a need for operational tools to make scientific principles easier to put into practice, to further the implementation of EBM.