Climate-Informed Ecosystem Restoration in Marine Protected Areas (CERM) Symposium

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, in coordination and partnership with the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and the Lenfest Ocean Program, will be hosting the CERM Symposium March 25th–March 27th, 2024 in Santa Cruz, California. 

With accelerating rates of change in marine environments, there has been an increasing focus on developing capacities for ecosystem restoration in national marine sanctuaries and other marine protected areas. However, success in enhancing ecosystem resistance and resilience through restoration may become harder to achieve as climate change hastens degradation and complicates management decisions. Proven, as well as innovative, approaches are needed. 

The symposium is meant to convene MPA managers, Indigenous managers and knowledge holders, scientists and academics, restoration practitioners, and other community members to: 

• Deliberate on the implications of climate change for ecosystem restoration in marine protected areas, focusing primarily but not exclusively on kelp and coral ecosystems;
• Share and review research and monitoring needs, examples of work being done, and lessons learned; and, 
• Identify needs for new approaches, technologies, funding sources, and partnerships to advance climate-informed ecosystem restoration.

March 25-27, 2024

Santa Cruz, California