- Guidance
User guide: Tools for ecosystem-based management
The purpose of this guide is to help resource managers, kaitiaki and others to identify appropriate tools, developed and/or used by the Sustainable Seas Challenge, for ecosystem-based management (EBM) in Aotearoa.
Rojas-Nazar UA, Cornelisen C, Hall J (October 2023)
EBM is a holistic approach to managing human activities that ensures ecosystem health. Informed decision-making using an EBM approach draws on extensive scientific and cultural knowledge, which in turn is facilitated using a range of tools from simple decision frameworks to complex numerical models.
In this guide, the word ‘tool’ refers to resources that support the implementation of EBM, including guidelines, frameworks, and numerical and conceptual models.
Examples range from the Aotearoa Cumulative Effects (ACE) framework for collaborative management of cumulative effects to Atlantis, a whole of ecosystem model capable of simulating ecological responses to different stressors and management actions.
To help navigate these tools, we have compiled basic descriptor information that explains where and how they can be applied within the context of EBM, practical requirements around their use and application, expert contacts, and links to further information.
A total of 17 tools developed and/or used by Sustainable Seas are categorised based on their main feature or use type:
- Numerical models
- Monitoring tools
- Decision-making tools
- Participatory process tools