The importance of considering ecological connectivity in the design of marine protected areas (MPAs) and ecologically coherent networks of protected areas across coasts and oceans has risen in prominence with the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. This short communication highlights key messages emerging from a specialist conference session on marine connectivity by members of the IUCN-WCPA Marine Connectivity Working Group at the Fifth International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC5) in Vancouver in 2023. We consider the importance of spatial and temporal scale, knowledge and data gaps and some of the technological and scientific advances that are generating insights into species movements that can inform the ecologically meaningful design of protected areas for effective conservation of ecosystem integrity, biodiversity and the flow of ecosystem services.

Mote Marine Laboratory (Mote), a private research institute in Florida, USA, has been engaged in research and practice related to the conservation and sustainable use of various marine resources as a residential research institute, part of the local community for over 66 years. Volunteer citizen scientists work with Mote to conduct scallop restoration, environmental monitoring for coral reefs, coral reef restoration using innovative technologies, and tag and release and monitoring of snook, an important local fish resource.

ОЛОН УЛСЫН БАЙГАЛЬ ХАМГААЛАХ ХОЛБОО /IUCN/-НЫ ТУСГАЙ ХАМГААЛАЛТТАЙ ГАЗАР НУТГУУДЫН ШИЛДЭГ ТУРШЛАГУУДААСЭнэхүү "Тусгай хамгаалалттай газар нутгийн (ТХГН) шилдэг туршлагын удирдамж

REMERCIEMENTSNous tenons à souligner l'énorme contribution, au cours des dernières décennies, d'un grand nombre de propriétaires fonciers, de groupes communautaires (y compris des groupes autochtones), d'organismes gouvernementaux, d'administrations locales, d'entreprises et de chercheurs à la restauration des liens dans les paysages, à l'amélioration de la conservation de la biodiversité et à une gestion plus durable des terres.Nous tenons également à remercier les rédacteurs et relecteurs indépendants pour leurs conseils.

This paper provides empirical and experimental assessments of thematic knowledge discourses based on two case studies in the US Virgin Islands and Florida. We utilize a latent semantic indexing analysis over natural language corpus to classify and categorize knowledge categories. We computed TF*IDF scores and associated co-occurrence Jaccard similarity scores to construct semantic knowledge networks. Using network analysis, we computed structural metrics over four composite groups: neighbor-based, centrality, equivalence and position. The analysis show that structural network characteristics of environmental knowledge can exponentially predict associations between knowledge categories. We show that connectivity play a critical role on acquisition, representation, and diffusion patterns of knowledge within local communities. We provide evidence of a global prevalence of a shared knowledge core. We show that core social-ecological attributes of knowledge follow scale-free, power law distributions and stable, equilibrium network structures. We identify two distinct models of bidirectional translation: a bottom-up and a top-down.

The transdisciplinary (TD) approach is a key tool for knowledge translation and circulation among various communities of knowledge, including scientists from different disciplines and non-academic stakeholders from diverse backgrounds, participating collaboratively to address local social-ecological challenges. This chapter analyzes the transdisciplinary approach used by Mote Marine Laboratory, a Florida residential research institute, to achieve collaboration among scientists and local stakeholders for restoring fisheries’ resources and a local environmental icon, the bay scallop. These activities generated knowledge production and integration among stakeholders with different values, interests, and knowledge contributions. The mechanisms of knowledge-based collaboration among diverse stakeholders are discussed along with key strategies used to promote effective interactions and mutual learning among all knowledge holders, from traditional to formal science practitioners.

In an era of climate change, deforestation and massive habitat loss, we can no longer rely on parks and protected areas as isolated 'islands of wilderness' to conserve and protect vital biodiversity. Increasing connections are being considered and made between protected areas and 'connectivity' thinking has started to expand to the regional and even the continental scale to match the challenges of conserving biodiversity in the face of global environmental change. This groundbreaking book is the first guide to connectivity conservation management at local, regional and continental scales.

Many coastal communities across the United States are beginning to plan for climate-related sea level rise. While impacts and solutions will vary with local conditions, jurisdictions which have begun this process seem to pass through three common stages when developing policy for local sea level rise adaptation: l) building awareness about local sea level rise threats, 2) undertaking analyses of local vulnerabilities, and 3) developing plans and policies to deal with these vulnerabilities. The purpose of this paper is to help advance community dialogue and further inform local decision-makers about key elements and steps for addressing climate-related sea level rise. It summarizes the results of a project the Marine Policy Institute (MPI) undertook during 2011-12 to review experiences from fourteen U.S. coastal jurisdictions representing a variety of city, county, and state efforts with sea level adaptation. There are many more initiatives underway than those reflected in this sample, but the “focus jurisdictions” were selected because of the extensive information publically available on their experiences and lessons being learned that could provide insights for coastal communities, especially in Southwest Florida.

This publication aims to advance conceptual thinking and legal understanding about important law and policy tools and options for supporting the connectivity of protected area systems. The legal research and analyses reflected in this paper span international, regional, national and local levels. A range of legal instruments existing in most national legal systems, from conservation and sustainable use laws to land use planning, development control, voluntary conservation and economic instruments are explored. The paper is intended to offer concrete ideas of existing and potential legal tools and approaches that countries can use immediately to initiate priority connectivity conservation actions and to strengthen them progressively. It also is intended to provide a conceptual baseline for future research and case studies to continue to define and develop connectivity conservation law for supporting protected areas and for providing opportunities to address climate change as part of biodiversity conservation agendas.

This publication consists of four parts – the first contains reports on the wildlife legislation of 45 African States. Each report gives a general overview of the existing law, and summarizes the provisions of the legislation dealing with national and international trade. The second part contains bibliographic information on each relevant legal instrument together with an abstract, and the species covered. The third part is structured according to the taxa dealt with in the African national legislations, and refers back to the relevant national text(s), allowing the reader to sum up at a glance the legal status of a particular taxon in Africa. The fourth part contains an alphabetical list of taxa dealt with in part III.