Discussant(s): William Heyman - Texas A&M University Introducer(s): Dawn J. Wright - Oregon State University Session Description: This session is a follow-up to the highly successful AAG sessions of 2008 entitled "Marine Geomorphology as a Determinant for Essential Life Habitat: An Ecosystem Management Approach to Planning for Marine Reserve Networks." Here we continue to present and critically examine the growing body of data suggesting that the underlying geology and geomorphology of marine environments dictates the location of critical life habitat for a variety marine species. The broad implications of these findings suggest that geomorphology might be used as a proxy for (or at least help to identify) critical life habitat for marine species, and thus serve to advance the application of ecosystem-based management (EBM) to the design of marine reserve networks. Our goal once again is to bring together a group of scholars working on this and related issues, and to further advance collaboration between scientists and marine managers towards more efficient conservation and management of marine systems.
Discussion topics include:
- essential benthic habitat and geomorphology
- marine GIS and/or remote sensing for the purposes of integrating geomorphology and biology, including the development and validation of seafloor/seabed classification schemes
- applications for marine reserve network design
