News & Publications

ERG Supports Comprehensive Update of Massachusetts ResilientMass Plan

February 1, 2024

When the Massachusetts State Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan was due for a 5-year update—as required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)—ERG supported the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) in this undertaking, working in collaboration with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA). Because much had changed since 2019, ERG’s support for the Commonwealth included updating all information in the plan and expanding information for many key topic areas, such as human health, environmental justice and equity, critical infrastructure, and natural resources. ERG also integrated new data and information for identifying the highest-priority climate change impacts in Massachusetts; incorporated environmental justice and equity throughout the plan; added data and mapping for environmental justice and other priority populations; integrated new census data; and responded to new FEMA guidance for state hazard mitigation plans. ERG collaborated extensively with MEMA and EEA throughout the process, held a series of working sessions with state agencies, and held drop-in office hours between meetings so that representatives of state agencies could stop by to get questions answered throughout the process. ERG also led engagement with community groups and interested parties in a community meeting series to obtain input on draft state agency actions and through focus groups. The final plan and executive summary were used to launch the ResilientMass Plan, Massachusetts’ climate and hazard program, which focuses on a sustainable “whole-of-community” approach to climate resilience and hazard risk reduction.

Client

Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency

Moving the Needle Forward: Opportunities for Growth in Oregon’s Blue Economy

August 1, 2023

ERG’s Blue Earth Team conducted market analyses for the State of Oregon’s ocean resources and blue economy sectors. This research will inform a coordinated vision, priorities, and actions that can help to shape Oregon’s blue economy and increase overall investments on the Oregon coast.

Our report was presented to the Oregon Legislature in March 2023.

Client

Business Oregon

NEWS: Blue Earth Team Helps Gather and Share Best Practices and Transferrable Strategies for Coastal Resilience Practitioners

May 3, 2022

Coastal resilience strategies are crucial for protecting and enhancing shorelines, communities, and ecosystems—and adapting to a changing climate. ERG recently supported the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s (NFWF’s) yearlong effort to gather and share best practices from coastal resilience practitioners, with the goal of enhancing coastal resilience efforts across the United States. ERG reviewed more than 100 grantee reports and peer-reviewed articles and conducted interviews with 60 resilience practitioners. ERG used the findings from this research to develop Coastal Resilience Success Stories, a series of case studies documenting exemplary coastal resilience projects throughout the country. The case studies describe key challenges and highlight transferable strategies for resilience practitioners, providing an important foundation for future resilience efforts. Featured strategies range from conducting ongoing monitoring of the project site to leveraging resources to build local capacity to testing novel approaches. NFWF and ERG’s work will help enhance the technical capacity of resilience practitioners and decision-makers, in addition to strengthening the overall human and ecosystem impacts of coastal resilience projects.

Client

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

NEWS: Blue Earth Writes Report Assessing Coral Reef Conservation Strategy

December 28, 2021

Coral reefs are diverse ecosystems that function as a habitat for many species and provide crucial services to communities across the globe. ERG’s Blue Earth team recently produced a report for Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Vibrant Oceans Initiative (VOI) assessing the impacts of coral reef conservation efforts and investments inspired by the 2018 50 Reefs study. The 50 Reefs approach evaluates key threats to corals and prioritizes conservation of coral reefs worldwide that have the greatest potential to survive climate change and repopulate surrounding reefs. Blue Earth’s report for VOI found that the 50 Reefs approach helped organizations and conservation investors prioritize 60 coral reef ecosystems across more than 40 countries—and that it is a successful approach for guiding conservation efforts of coral reefs in the future. To compose the report, Blue Earth reviewed documents related to 50 Reefs-inspired conservation efforts, in addition to conducting interviews with 28 informants representing conservation organizations and investors. The strategies highlighted in the report will pave the way for further coral reef conservation in a rapidly changing world.

Client

Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Vibrant Oceans Initiative

NEWS: Development of a Regional Coastal Integrated Information Management System (RCIIMS)

February 22, 2021

There is an urgent need to scale up investments in climate risk and resilience measures for highly vulnerable Caribbean countries and give resource managers and practitioners the tools necessary for incorporating resilience into their planning and development models. To respond to this need, the University of West Indies, Mona – Pilot Program for Climate Resilience hired ERG’s Blue Earth Consultants division to develop the Regional Coastal Integrated Information Management System (RCIIMS). The RCIIMS is an online platform of coastal and marine metadata and supports ongoing national Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR) programs in the six Caribbean PPCR countries (Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines). The RCIIMS provides centralized access to climate-related metadata, informs research and climate analysis, promotes education and awareness, and fosters development of a community of data producers and users across the region. The Blue Earth/ERG team conducted a review of existing datasets and led stakeholder interviews and virtual beta tests to determine requirements for the RCIIMS. The RCIIMS is the first project ERG has implemented using the open Open-Source Data Portal Platform CKAN, which has rich features for open data, data and file stores, geospatial data, metadata and data search, discovery, and visualization.

Client

University of West Indies, Mona - Pilot Program for Climate Resilience

Workforce Development in Aquaculture & Fisheries: Landscape Analysis of Ocean-Related Career Pathways for Leadership & Career Development

August 10, 2020

An educated and trained workforce is critical to ensuring that the aquaculture and fisheries sectors can sustainably adapt to ongoing changes and increasing demand. This workforce must be able to tackle emerging challenges and possess the requisite knowledge and skills to enhance industry sustainability. To better understand career pathway options for the aquaculture and fisheries sectors, the Builders Initiative hired Blue Earth Consultants, a Division of ERG, to complete a landscape assessment of North American (including the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Greater Caribbean) aquaculture and fisheries education and training programs. Blue Earth conducted web-based research and qualitative interviews with representatives from ocean-related businesses and developed recommendations the Builders Initiative could use to strengthen training and career development opportunities. This report, “Workforce Development in Aquaculture & Fisheries,” summarizes findings from the assessment.

Client

The Builders Initiative

NEWS: ERG Supports Award-Winning Climate Action and Resiliency Plan

April 13, 2020

ERG recently helped the City of Alameda, California, develop its Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (CARP) to increase Alameda’s resilience to climate change and ensure a sustainable and healthy environment, society, and economy. The CARP is one of the few adopted climate action plans in the United States to include a social vulnerability analysis. To develop the plan, several ERG offices combined their expertise in geographic information systems; economics; greenhouse gas mitigation; and adaptation to sea level rise, wildfire smoke, heat, drought, and street flooding across all city sectors. Impressed with ERG’s work, the City submitted the CARP for the American Public Works Association (APWA) Northern California Chapter to consider for its 2020 Sustainability Practices Project Award. The CARP won first place and has now been entered into the APWA national awards competition.

Original Publication Name

Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (CARP)

Program Evaluation and Assessment of Small Watershed Grants Program

September 16, 2019

Our evaluation assessed program performance of the Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants Program (SWG) for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Blue Earth Consultants used social, organizational, and biophysical data and measures to investigate potential changes in grantee capacity for project implementation, regional partnerships, and overall project impacts to the Chesapeake Bay bioregion. A final comprehensive report included recommendations for NFWF, the Environmental Protection Agency, and SWG program partners with insights regarding potential changes of grantees’ technical capacity to implement conservation and restoration projects in relation to the recommendations and actions since 2007.

Client

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

In-kind Contributions to Orange County Marine Protected Area Management

May 4, 2019

Blue Earth Consultants conducted a valuation of in-kind contributions made by non-State members of Orange County Marine Protected Area Council (OCMPAC) to marine protected area (MPA) management activities in Orange County. OCMPAC is a leading Community Collaborative created under the California Collaborative Approach, an innovative regional, partnership-based approach in which partners can support agencies in their management of the State’s MPA network. As the California Collaborative Approach continues to develop, there is a need to understand the contribution of the Community Collaboratives to the management and protection of California’s coastal and marine resources. Therefore, Blue Earth worked collaboratively with OCMPAC to develop a definition of in-kind contributions, a calculation framework, and a survey tool to share with partners. Blue Earth conducted interviews with OCMPAC members to gather additional information, then performed data analysis and calculations and summarized results in a memo that OCMPAC shared with MPA management leadership. Through this approach, Blue Earth established a replicable methodology for quantifying the value of in-kind contributions made through local partnerships and collaborations related to conservation and protection of natural resources.

Client

Orange County Marine Protected Area Council

NEWS: 2018 Coastal Resilience Workshop at UC Irvine

October 15, 2018

Blue Earth Consultants helped organize the fourth annual UC Irvine coastal resilience workshop, Strengthening Coasts for a Resilient Future, in July 2018. The workshop provided opportunities to learn and make new connections with people doing work related to coastal resilience.

UC Irvine has prepared video recordings of the Wednesday evening event and Thursday workshop, which are available on YouTube here:

Full playlist: video link

Individual videos:

• An Evening with Gary Griggs: Coasts in Crisis–Toward a Sustainable 21st Century (video link)
• Welcoming remarks from Associate Chancellor Wendell Brase and Thursday keynote presentation by Dr. Charles Lester (video link)
• Case Studies: Planning for Resilient Coasts (video link): Tinya Hoang, Liam Garland, Chris Helmer, and Dr. Tiffany Wise-West
• Tools for Coastal Resilience (video link): Eric Berman, Dr. Walter Heady, and Eric Hartge
• Case Studies: Implementation in Action (video link): Danielle Boudreau, Carrie Grassi, and Victoria Elema
• Green Infrastructure Solutions (video link): John Rozum, Mary Small, and Dr. Robert Young
• Closing Remarks from Jennifer Phillips (video link)

Original Publication Name

Coastal Resilience 2018

Evaluation of San Francisco Bay Area Conservation Program

April 18, 2017

This report assessed the effectiveness of 47 grants in the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation’s San Francisco Bay Area Conservation Program. In addition, we evaluated 36 “enabling intervention” grants that support collaboration, research, and capacity-building efforts. We found that foundation grants protected or restored over 118,264 acres of threatened and ecologically valuable land in the Bay Area.

Client

Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

State Wildlife Action Plan 2015 Update—Companion Plans

January 3, 2017

We created a set of nine “companion plans” to supplement the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s State Wildlife Action Plan. The companion plan covers nine different sectors, identifying areas where different partners can share staff and financial resources to further shared goals.

Client

California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Revision of Master Plan for Marine Protected Areas

January 3, 2017

We helped the California Department of Fish and Wildlife develop its Master Plan for Marine Protected Areas. Our revision incorporated feedback from marine protected area stakeholders and offered fresh recommendations for charting a clear, understandable management structure.

• California Marine Life Protection Act – 2016 Master Plan for Marine Protected Areas
• 2016 Master Plan for Marine Protected Areas Adopted

Client

California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Resources Legacy Fund

NEWS: Blue Earth Consultants Joins ERG

January 3, 2017

I founded Blue Earth in 2005 to help our clients find creative, long-term solutions for resource protection and preservation. Over the years, we’ve lived by our core values of integrity, partnership, excellence, compassion, and sustainability. On this basis, we’ve done great work from our home base here in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Joining ERG is a natural next step for us. Since 1984, ERG has helped its clients protect the environment, improve worker health and safety, ensure the safety of food and drugs, and develop and implement strategies for sustainability. ERG is committed to a culture of collaboration, respect, and dedication to client service, and, like Blue Earth, ERG has been living that philosophy since the company’s founding.

We would never make this move unless we were convinced that it was a big win for our clients. You’ll be able to access a whole new set of skills–economic modeling, climate science, lifecycle analysis, digital solutions, and laboratory services, to name just a few.

And of course you’ll still get the same world-class service that Blue Earth is known for. We’ll continue to operate as Blue Earth. You’ll still call us at the same number or email us at the same address. It’s everything you’ve always loved about working with Blue Earth–along with an expanded suite of services and expertise to help you reach your goals.

I can’t wait to start introducing you to some of our new colleagues!

Tegan

Report on a Tool to Assess Effectiveness of the Annual Marine Outreach and Education Virgin Islands Style Workshops

February 25, 2016

We analyzed the effectiveness of a NOAA Fisheries project to improve the accuracy of community-level fishery reports in the U.S. Virgin Islands. We reviewed Fisheries’ monitoring and evaluation efforts, synthesizing our findings in a report. The report describes the development and implementation of the evaluation methodology and tool, the results of the evaluations completed by fishers, Blue Earth staff observations during the workshops, and recommendations for changes or improvements to the fisher registration and workshop processes.

Client

NOAA Fisheries

The California Collaborative Approach: Marine Protected Areas Partnership Plan

April 1, 2015

We facilitated the development of the partnership plan for California’s marine protected area network. The plan establishes a framework for managing marine protected areas and guides interactions across different jurisdictions and sectors. Our team helped synthesize the research and respond to comments from stakeholders. We also created a public-facing executive summary to help communicate goals to non-specialists.

Client

Resources Legacy Fund, California Ocean Protection Council

State Wildlife Action Plan: 2015 Update

April 1, 2015

As part of the decennial update of its State Wildlife Action Plan, we evaluated the effectiveness of California’s existing plan. We assessed progress and results of the plan, analyzed project spending, explored the effectiveness of state government involvement, described challenges in implementation, and recommended areas of improvement. We compiled our findings into a full report for technical implementers and an executive summary for non-technical decision-makers.

• Executive Summary for the California State Wildlife Action Plan: Implementation Evaluation 2004–2014
• The California State Wildlife Action Plan: Implementation Evaluation 2004–2014

Client

California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Ascent Environmental

Regional Monitoring and Evaluation Plan for Eastern Caribbean Marine Ecosystems

April 16, 2014

We assembled and facilitated an external team to develop a regional marine protected area monitoring and evaluation plan for five Eastern Caribbean countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent. The final report includes background research, findings, and recommendations for the plan.

Client

The Nature Conservancy, The World Bank

Assessing Key Elements for Successful MPA Implementation and Translating Lessons Learned to Oregon MPA System

March 12, 2014

We assessed the status and needs of key elements for effective marine protected area system implementation in Oregon. Our report outlines five key elements: 1) legal framework, 2) strong management plan, 3) operational capacity, 4) social capital, and 5) long-term financial sustainability. It also identifies key stakeholders, explores their roles, and suggests opportunities for linking marine reserve implementation to other ocean and coastal resource policy and management issue areas.

Client

David and Lucile Packard Foundation

NEWS: Blue Earth Goes to Sydney

December 9, 2013

We joined our strategic partner, Coastal Quest, to present findings from our research on private and public ocean conservation donors around the world, on our exploration of sustainable financing for two marine protected areas in St. Lucia, and on key elements for implementing successful MPA networks. The talks took place at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s 2014 World Parks Congress in Sydney, Australia. The Congress, held once every 10 years, hosts delegates from around the world who will share their work on marine and terrestrial parks and inform discussions among international delegates to set recommendations for protected area priorities over the coming decade.

NEWS: Our Work Featured in MPA News

April 7, 2013

Our work was highlighted in the May/June 2013 issue of MPA News–Global News and Analysis on Marine Protected Areas. The issue shares five key elements for the effective implementation of MPA (marine protected area) networks and large MPAs identified in a study supported by the Resources Legacy Fund Foundation to inform MPA network implementation efforts in California.

Original Publication Name

MPA News

NEWS: Our Work Featured in Marine Ecosystems and Management

April 7, 2013

Marine Ecosystems and Management (MEAM) features news and analysis on ocean planning and ecosystem-based management. The June/July 2013 issue shares highlights of our work with Rare. We found eight key ingredients for sustainable fisheries management:

• Multiple management tools
• Transparent processes
• Adequate fisher capacity to participate
• Incentives for fishers to participate
• Good collaboration across all participant groups
• Strong monitoring plans
• A realistic timeframe for results
• Sustainable financing

Original Publication Name

Marine Ecosystems and Management

Investing In Our Oceans: Insights for Building Lasting Marine Conservation Funding Initiatives

April 7, 2013

We distilled an earlier report into a glossy summary examining 20 large-scale ocean conservation strategic funding initiatives from the government and foundation sectors. The study was the first to example how foundation and government donors determine and implement their ocean conservation initiatives.

Client

Coastal Quest, The Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation

Meta-Analysis of the Banking Sector Approach to Ecosystem Services

January 15, 2013

We examined the extent to which banks consider the environmental impacts of their financing activities and assessed whether–and, if so, to what extent–banks proactively finance projects with positive effects on natural resources and ecosystems. We analyzed three bank types–commercial/state-owned, investment, and multilateral/bilateral–identifying best practices at leading banks and their best practices and documenting emerging trends. We also identified barriers and challenges as well as opportunities, and recommended possible incentives and levers for encouraging banks to weigh the environmental impact of their financing activities.

• The Banking Sector & Ecosystem Services: A Meta-Analysis Executive Summary
• The Banking Sector & Ecosystem Services: A Meta-Analysis

Client

Coastal Quest, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

Measuring Nature's Balance Sheet of 2011 Ecosystem Services Seminar Series

January 9, 2013

We produced a website and brochure marketing a seven-session ecosystem services seminar series that we developed for Coastal Quest and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

• Website
• Measuring Nature’s Balance Sheet

Client

Coastal Quest, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

From Design to Action: Key Elements and Innovations for Effective Marine Protected Area Network Implementation: Lessons From Successful Case Studies

January 6, 2013

We examined 10 case studies to identify five common elements in successful marine protected area networks. We then compared those elements to California’s statewide network, and offered recommendations based on applying the lessons of other projects to strengthen California’s efforts. We published our recommendations in two formats: a detailed report for technical leads and a summary brochure for non-technical stakeholders.

• Report: From Design to Action
• Brochure: From Design to Action

Client

Resources Legacy Fund Foundation

Strategic Visioning and Development of Donor Marketing Collateral

December 16, 2012

We created a marketing brochure for OneReef documenting the organization’s achievements and pitching its future plans. OneReef used the document for fundraising from current and prospective donors.

Client

OneReef

Institutional Design Assessment and Evaluation for Geospatial Information Management to Inform the California Ocean Protection Council

July 12, 2012

An effective digital information portal needs a good technical infrastructure. But such products more often stand or fall on the human infrastructure–the governance and relationships that go into managing shared data. We evaluated examples of successful, multi-institutional portals to identify best practices for the California Ocean Protection Council’s coastal and marine geospatial data information management system. We recommended evaluation criteria and surfaced important but easily overlooked management processes.

Client

Resources Legacy Fund

Organizational Assessment, Strategic Business Plan, and Identification of Fundraising Opportunities

January 16, 2012

The West Coast boasts a diverse coastal and ocean ecosystem, but it also faces key threats including climate change and cumulative impacts from recreational and commercial uses of the ecosystem. We developed a “living” strategic plan to help guide the West Coast Ecosystem-Based Management Network’s efforts to protect those resources. The document outlines the network’s core competencies and documents the theory of change that governs the strategy as well as the logic model that underlies its processes for measuring success.

Client

West Coast Ecosystem-Based Management Network

Gulf of California Regional Science Integration Assessment

January 15, 2012

We performed a comprehensive assessment of the needs and opportunities for integrating scientific research into environmental decision-making throughout the Gulf of California. The resulting article identifies gaps in existing institutional arrangements and recommends ways to improve the two-way connection between science and decision-making.

Client

Coastal Quest, Walton Family Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation

Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning (CMSP) Background Document and Recommendations for five-Year Strategic Plan

July 12, 2011

We developed a background document that analyzes the institutional, policy, scientific, and technical context for taking action on CMSP in California. This document provides information for managers, policy makers, and stakeholders on the California current status of coastal and ocean governance and the needs and opportunities to further the discussion and potential for CMSP.

Client

California Ocean Protection Council

Evaluation of the Upper Gulf of California Legacy Program

January 16, 2011

We created a two-page summary report documenting our in-depth evaluation of the Sonoran Institute’s Upper Gulf of California Legacy Program. We offer key recommendations for strengthening the program.

Client

The Sonoran Institute

New York Seascape Strategic and Fundraising Plan Development

January 16, 2011

We created internal and external outreach materials to help the Wildlife Conservation Society implement the strategic and fundraising plans we created for the organization. The briefing book and fact sheet explain the Society’s focus on restoring populations of threatened marine species and on providing legal protection for critical wildlife habitats in the New York area.

• New York Seascape Program: A Commitment to Ocean Conservation Briefing Book
• New York Seascape Program: A Commitment to Ocean Conservation Fact Sheet

Client

Wildlife Conservation Society

Ocean Conservation Strategic Funding Initiatives: A Study of Successes and Lessons Learned

December 30, 2010

Our study synthesizes portfolio-scale lessons learned from 20 government and private foundation strategic grant-making programs for ocean conservation. The study identified successful strategies and key ingredients to achieve sustainable ocean conservation and management outcomes. Blue Earth Consultants also produced a synthesis document for the Packard Foundation on the past decade of ocean conservation, with impacts and lessons learned, to help improve the effectiveness of the Foundation’s Conservation and Science Program coastal and ocean grant-making.

Client

David and Lucile Packard Foundation

Reflections on a Decade of Fostering Positive Change for the Oceans

December 17, 2010

We analyzed a decade of the Foundation’s ocean conservation grants, documenting accomplishments, outlining challenges, and distilling lessons learned. We closed the report with a competitive analysis, showing the Foundation’s unique place within the ocean and coastal grant-making landscape. Our recommendations helped the Foundation refine its programs and focus its resources on areas where it was uniquely qualified to help.

Client

David and Lucile Packard Foundation

Oregon Institutional Arrangements Assessment and Science Integration Recommendations

July 22, 2010

We analyzed four model case studies for different institutional arrangements of nearshore research and management. Our final report offered recommendations for Oregon’s Nearshore Research Task Force, an institution created by Oregon’s state legislature. The Task Force used our report to recommend a long-term funding and coordination strategy for implementing science-based, nearshore policies to the Governor and the Emergency Board of the State of Oregon and developed the Oregon Ocean Science Trust in 2013.

Client

Nearshore Research Task Force, Oregon State University Sea Grant

Global Marine Fisheries Strategy, 19 Large Marine Ecosystem Assessment, Case Study Presentation, and NGO/Funder Database Creation

July 12, 2010

We conducted interviews and a literature review to identify priorities and opportunities for funding marine fisheries conservation on a global scale, and developed a database of nongovernmental organizations and funders in 19 large marine ecosystems to assess capacity and needs. We turned our findings into a series of case studies that highlight effective projects, innovative approaches, and opportunities for private donors to improve marine fisheries and biodiversity conservation.

Client

John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

Campaigns Strategy and Feasibility Assessment

April 19, 2010

We developed a memo outlining the key ingredients of a successful marine Pride/Fisheries Fellow Campaign Cohort within the Gulf of California and Mesoamerican Marine Regions. The memo documents findings from our analysis of 33 case studies of successful conservation projects that address fisheries or tourism threats at a local, state, or regional scale.

Client

Rare

Sustainable Forestry Partnership and Funding Opportunities, Outreach Strategy and Materials Development, Africa

January 24, 2010

We examined potential partner organizations for the Global Environment Fund, which focuses on biodiversity and conservation, sustainable economic development and micro-enterprise, and health and HIV across nine countries in Africa. As part of that effort, we develop a marketing and outreach brochure to help the Fund recruit partners to support its $200 million sustainable forestry fund.

Client

Global Environment Fund

Technical Facilitation and Science Integration of the California Dungeness Crab Task Force

January 17, 2010

These documents recap our work to help the California Dungeness Crab Task Force craft a sustainable management plan for the fishery.

• California Dungeness Crab Task Force Report #1
• California Dungeness Crab Task Force Report #2
• Record of the Proceedings: California Dungeness Crab Task Force
• Dungeness Crab Task Force Situational Analysis
• Dungeness Crab Task Force: Additional Materials

Client

California State Coastal Conservancy, California Ocean Protection Council

"Big Think" Report

January 17, 2010

Our team helped the Center for Ocean Solutions develop the “Big Think” document, a discussion paper on existing and new ocean conservation strategies.

Client

Center for Ocean Solutions

Private Sector Roundtable on Ecosystem Services and Environmental Markets for the Katoomba Group

January 16, 2010

This memo recapped findings from a one-day roundtable with ocean-related industry leaders. We designed and facilitated the workshop, which focused on strategies for funding high-value ecosystem services projects in coastal and marine areas.

Client

Forest Trends

Pacific Ocean Initiative Ocean Threats, Impacts and Solutions Literature Review, Online Library, and Monthly Blog Article

December 17, 2009

We synthesized 3,400 scientific articles and grey literature to build this report for the Center for Ocean Solutions. From this research, we distilled key threats to the health of the Pacific Ocean and identified possible actions to address those threats. The synthesis formed the basis for the Pacific Ocean Scientific Consensus Statement, an agreement among 380 scientists that helps set research agendas.

• Pacific Ocean Synthesis: Scientific Literature Review of Coastal and Ocean Threats, Impacts, and Solutions
• Executive Summary for Pacific Ocean Synthesis: Scientific Literature Review of Coastal and Ocean Threats, Impacts, and Solutions

Client

Center for Ocean Solutions

Operational and Programmatic Support

January 17, 2009

Our operational support to the California Ocean Science Trust included producing various research and outreach materials. One example: the Trust’s 2009 annual report.

Client

California Ocean Science Trust

Marine Protected Area Data Portal Design and Briefing Book

January 17, 2009

We supported a user needs assessment to refine requirements for a data portal–an online system to manage information on marine protected area monitoring. After the assessment, we developed a briefing book summarizing a (much longer) report on the assessment’s findings.

Client

California Marine Protected Area Monitoring Enterprise

Evaluation of Working Group Effectiveness and Recommendations for Improvement

January 17, 2008

We assessed the APEC Marine Resources Conservation Working Group (MRCWG), reviewing the goals, objectives, and priorities of the MRCWG and identifying challenges and opportunities. Our report recommends improvements, explores the feasibility of merging MRCWG with the APEC Fisheries Working Group, and highlights best practices from relevant stakeholder groups.

Client

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation

White Paper on Ocean Institutions Creating Change

January 16, 2007

Our white paper for the Resources Legacy Fund Foundation suggests ways to integrate expert knowledge, scientific research, and data more effectively into policy and management of coastal and ocean resources. The paper also recommends ways that the Foundation can more effectively increase collaboration between the researchers who produce knowledge and data and the decision-makers who use it.

Client

Resources Legacy Fund Foundation

California Marine Life Protection Act Initiative, Adaptive Management, Monitoring and Evaluation Framework

March 3, 2005

California’s Marine Life Protection Act establishes a set of marine protected areas and specifies that they employ “adaptive management,” a technique that requires learning from current experience to improve processes. We designed California’s Adaptive Management, Monitoring, and Evaluation Framework. The framework outlines processes and roles for adaptive management, recommends data collection procedures, and suggests areas where the state will need to improve its institutional capacities.

Client

Resource Legacy Fund Foundation

California Marine Life Protection Act Initiative Central Coast Regional Profile

January 16, 2005

Our background paper on California’s Central Coast Region supported the development of a marine protected Area, have compiled information and data on the biological, oceanographic, and socioeconomic conditions of the region and assessed existing governance profiles and structures.

Client

Resources Legacy Fund Foundation