Publication Details
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Biogeographic assessments: A framework for information synthesis in marine spatial planning
Author(s): Caldow, C., M.E. Monaco, S.J. Pittman, M.S. Kendall, T.L. Goedeke, C. Menza, B.P. Kinlan, and B.M. Costa
NCCOS Center: CCMA
Center Team: Biogeography
Name of Publisher: Elsevier
Publication Type: Journal Article
Journal Title: Marine Policy
Date of Publication: 2015
Reference Information: (51):
423-432
Extent of Work: 9 pp.
Abstract: This paper presents the Biogeographic Assessment Framework (BAF), a decision support process for
marine spatial planning (MSP), developed through two decades of close collaborations between
scientists and marine managers. Spatial planning is a considerable challenge for marine stewardship
agencies because of the need to synthesize information on complex socio-ecological patterns across
geographically broad spatial scales. This challenge is compounded by relatively short time-frames for
implementation and limited financial and technological resources. To address this pragmatically, BAF
provides a rapid, flexible and multi-disciplinary approach to integrate geospatial information into
formats and visualization tools readily useable for spatial planning. Central to BAF is four sequential
components: (1) Planning; (2) Data Evaluation; (3) Ecosystem Characterization; and (4) Management
Applications. The framework has been applied to support the development of several marine spatial
plans in the United States and Territories. This paper describes the structure of the BAF framework and
the associated analytical techniques. Two management applications are provided to demonstrate the
utility of BAF in supporting decision making in MSP.
Availability: Online.
Related Attachment: Download file (.pdf)
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