An agreed science case for a strategic management plan for the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the North Atlantic

SEMPIA II meeting, Sintra, November 2-4^th, 2016

printable programme

The meeting follows a preparatory meeting in Horta, Azores, in June 2015 and should generate

1. A report of the meeting including an agreed science case for a strategic management plan for the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the North Atlantic, including Part I: Application of the precautionary approach in the design of APEIs  Part 2: a science case for Areas at Risk of Serious Harm
2. A plan for the writing of a zero draft management plan for the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the North Atlantic

The report of the meeting will be sent to the LTC in time for its February meeting. The intention is that a zero draft will be prepared for the July meeting of the LTC. 

Day 1   2^nd November

The first part of day 1 will be a catch up to bring everyone up to speed on what has happened since the last meeting in Horta.  Discussion should be kept to clarification questions with general discussion to follow later.

09.10 - 09.20        Introduction  Phil Weaver

09.20 - 09.40        Design principles overview and lessons from the CCZ EMP   Craig Smith

09.40 - 10.00        Top-down habitat mapping applied to the MAR  Kerry Howell

10.00 - 10.20        Connectivity issues on the North Atlantic MAR  Heiko Stuckas/ Ron Etter

10.20 -10.40         Discussion

COFFEE

11.10 - 11.30        Fracture zone faunas  Andrey Gebruk

11.30 - 11.50        How to include ecosystem services and climate change into the strategic management plan  Lisa Levin

11.50 - 12.10        Spatial assessment approaches and alternatives for the mid-Atlantic Ridge   Pat Halpin

12.10 - 12.40        Scientifically Based Design Criteria for the North Atlantic MAR - update from the Lisbon workshop July, 2016  Telmo Morato / Cindy Van Dover / Daniel Dunn

12.40 - 13.00        Discussion

LUNCH

14.15 - 14.30        Comments on the regional strategic management approach by the ISA  (TBC)

14.30 - 14.40        Pros and cons of the design options described in the Lisbon workshop  Ron Etter/Craig Smith

14.40 - 15.00        Results of the workshop on VMEs  Matt Gianni

15.00 - 15.30        Discussion

TEA

15.30 - 17.30        Plenary discussions

The discussions will continue on Day 2 and into Day 3 and if there is time they will lead into writing groups for the reports.

The discussions should tackle

1. Further discussion of banded APEIs based on the Lisbon report aiming to finalise and agree the science case
2. Areas at Risk of Serious Harm (these can be regarded as comparable to VMEs). 

We should also tackle how to accommodate existing licence blocks into the management plan.

Breakout groups may be set up if and when suitable topics arise but the initial intention is for all discussion to be held in plenary.

Day 3 (Friday 4^th November) will end at 15.00