TRACK: Sustainability and Resource Management TITLE: Coral Reef Ecosystems and People in The Bahamas: Practical Applications of Biocomplexity Science DATE: Monday, February 20, 2006 TIME: 9:45 AM - 12:45 PM ORGANIZERS: Daniel R. Brumbaugh, American Museum of Natural History; Fiorenza Micheli, Stanford University   PARTICIPANTS:   * = invited, not yet confirmed. Daniel R. Brumbaugh (Speaker), American Museum of Natural History Biocomplexity Science Applied to the Design of Marine Protected Areas Stephen R. Palumbi (Speaker), Stanford University Genetic Views of Reef Connections Across The Bahamas Fiorenza Micheli (Speaker), Stanford University Conservation of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function in Coral Reef Seascapes Kenny Broad (Speaker), University of Miami Human Seascapes: Community Perspectives on Marine Protected Areas Jessica Minnis (Speaker), College of The Bahamas Social and Cultural Dimensions of MPAs Alan Hastings (Speaker), University of California, Davis Putting It All Together: The Theory of MPA Design Beverly J.T. Taylor (Speaker), Ministry of Education, Bahamas Improving the Public Understanding of Marine Ecosystems Livingston Marshall (Speaker), Baker's Bay Golf & Ocean Club Do Science and Policy Mix? Integration in the Marine Environment AVAILABLE ABSTRACTS: No available abstracts. SYNOPSIS: Coral reef ecosystems are in serious decline from multiple threats, putting in jeopardy the services that these ecosystems provide to people. To allow more holistic management of reefs and other sensitive ecosystems, many governments are transitioning to ecosystem-based management, including a greater reliance on marine protected areas (MPAs). MPAs provide important tools within a suite of approaches for marine management, but also pose challenges, such as how to best protect ecosystems while accommodating diverse human uses like fisheries and tourism. Whereas marine tourism frequently contributes more than reef fisheries to a country's Gross Domestic Product, fisheries remain important for subsistence and income, and for supplying some of the demand for seafood among tourists. Together, these and other sectors create diverse pressures and dependencies on coral reef ecosystems. Designing effective MPA networks that support marine ecosystems therefore requires interdisciplinary studies of the complex relationships within and between human and natural marine systems. Focusing on The Bahamas, a country that declared its intention to develop a network of MPAs in 2000, this symposium explores how to understand the coupled natural and human dynamics of this model system. Novel analyses contributing to the holistic design of MPA networks include studies of population connectivity of important marine species, fisheries across seascapes, cultural dimensions of coastal use and management, and theoretical and computational approaches that help to integrate these components. Providing a case study of new directions in the application of interdisciplinary biocomplexity science and the integration of this science within educational and policy arenas, this symposium highlights new opportunities for better ecosystem-based management. Statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the presenters and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF, NOAA, or Department of Commerce.