Photo: IUCN
In total, the world’s coastal oceans are divided into 66 LMEs, each defined by unique undersea topography, current dynamics, marine productivity, and food chain interactions. Taken together, LMEs provide direct services estimated at near US$3 trillion each year. However their continued degradation threatens human health, food security and economic development.
The LME approach is a regional framework and a science-informed process, to measure the changing state of LMEs and address issues such as fish stock depletion, habitat degradation, coastal pollution and nutrient over-enrichment. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) LME project portfolio aims to improve international ocean governance and progress sustainable development goals such as restoring and maintaining fish stocks, reducing pollution, and creating marine protected areas.
IUCN’s outreach effort on Large Marine Ecosystems is part of the GEF LME:LEARN project, which works to generate knowledge and build capacity, harness public and private partnerships, and support south-to-south as well as north-to-north learning. The LME hub , under development, aims to provide information about individual LME projects and progress so far, including management guidelines and toolboxes, educational material and general information about LME habitats, key species, important fisheries and other environmental services they provide.
IUCN has worked with Google Earth to produce a Voyager story to illustrate the world of Large Marine Ecosystems in the context of humpback whale migration.
