Integrated Ecosystem Assessments (IEA)

NOAA's approach to Integrated Ecosystem Assessments (IEA) offers a way to better manage resources to achieve economic and societal objectives. IEAs provide a sound scientific basis for EBM. They are ?a synthesis and quantitative analysis of information on relevant physical, chemical, ecological, and human processes in relation to specified management objectives? (Levin, et al. 2008, 2009). The resulting analyses, done at scales relevant to management questions, provide resource managers with information to make more informed and effective management decisions. IEAs will provide a more comprehensive science-based decision-making framework for NOAA?s management of coastal and marine ecosystem resources. IEAs bring scientific and technological rigor to resource management decisions by incorporating diverse sources of data, including socioeconomic data, into ecosystem models that evaluate trade-offs between ecosystem and societal goals. The management strategy evaluation tools provided by IEAs will allow managers to make better management decisions by allowing them to weigh trade-offs between uses (e.g., fishing, aquaculture, offshore alternative energy development, recreation, and other ecosystem goods and services) and the socioeconomic implications of management actions. The IEA program draws on the strengths, capabilities, and expertise of multiple program offices within NMFS, OAR, NOS, and NESDIS. NOAA is building a national IEA program that will include eight regions based on US Large Marine Ecosystems. At present there is formal IEA work being conducted to develop and implement IEAs in five regions: California Current, Gulf of Mexico, Northeast Shelf, Alaska Complex and Pacific Islands. The remaining regions (Southeast Shelf, Caribbean, and Great Lakes) will follow as the program grows.