Individual Publications

Big Ocean Political Table

The Big Ocean Political Conditions Table was designed to support management assessment and decision-making processes. Its purpose is to help improve site management (or co-management), increase durability, enhance collaboration between partners and stakeholders, and better recognize and uplift rights holders. The document simple tool comes with instructions and is considered a "living document." Big Ocean will make changes as a broader spectrum of practitioners and communities uses it, and the political landscape for marine protection and global environmental threats continues to evolve. 

The table is currently only available in English and Spanish. A French version of the document is coming soon!

Click here to Download in English.

Click here to Download in Spanish.

Learn more about the table’s creation.

Global Guidelines
In 2017, at the fourth International Marine Protected Area Conference, Large-Scale Marine Protected Areas: Guidelines for Design and Management was launched to much fan fair as it had taken four years to produce. The guidelines provide a starting point; they complement current resources for MPA managers. Composed of four chapters, the publication is targeted at anyone involved in supporting Large-Scale MPAs (LSMPAs). “Almost like a recipe book, it allows people to take bits that suit their situation,” said Jon Day, Senior Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University, and former director at the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. “These guidelines can help achieve a solid foundation to build upon for the next decade, and the case studies provide examples of protected area design and management”. Click here to download.

LSMPA Research Agenda
Since its inception in 2010, Big Ocean has aimed to improve global marine management by increasing our collective understanding through sharing information, expertise, and resources. To facilitate these efforts, Big Ocean managers and scientists gathered at a three-day Think Tank, held in conjunction with the 25th International Congress for Conservation Biology, in December 2011. The Think Tank produced a framework for a shared research agenda, published in 2013, that addresses the unique scientific needs and challenges of large-scale MPAs. Click here to download.

Funding Marine Protection at Scale
A growing body of evidence suggests that, in addition to key factors such as governance, management capacity, and stakeholder engagement, adequate finance is critical to the long-term success of MPAs and other area-based conservation and management approaches. This publication, co-produced by Conservation International, Starling Resources, and Big Ocean, provides the status of funding for LSMPAs, the mechanisms currently available, plus a summary of challenges and recommendations. Click here to download.

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