Management Plan Review State of the Sanctuary Report Management Functions

Management Functions

A major focus of the Sanctuary is to demonstrate and develop connections - between components of the ecosystem, between human activity and the marine environment, and between a healthy economy and a sound resource base. In developing these connections, the Sanctuary develops programs with numerous partners in four general functional areas:

Resource Protection to influence positive human behavior and activities that promote a healthy ecosystem. This program element focuses on altering or preventing human
activities that may adversely affect Sanctuary resources by promulgating regulations,
providing enforcement or incentives, and drawing upon education and outreach to inform the public. Research and Monitoring to understand how the components of the ecosystem connect to each other, how the biological communities function naturally, how human activities affect the natural system, and how ecosystem changes over time relate to natural perturbations and human-induced factors. This knowledge, taken in context with pertinent socioeconomic information, is crucial to properly inform the management process.

Education and Outreach to connect people who live on land to the offshore
Sanctuary by teaching about the value of a protected ocean ecosystem and how
human activities can affect it. This function explains the nexus between a viable economy and healthy Sanctuary resources. It communicates what individuals, groups and businesses need to understand in order to contribute to effective stewardship.

Program Support to effectively administer project activities and initiatives that facilitate operations and meet the Sanctuary's mission. This function translates administrative capacity into productive outputs and, in addition to program budget, is reliant on organized volunteerism and "Friends"
contributory support.

next section