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History and Accomplishments Marine Conservation Biology Institute was founded in 1996 by Dr. Elliott Norse, the marine and forest conservation biologist who changed conservation two decades ago by defining maintaining biological diversity as conservation's overarching goal. He defined MCBI's goal as advancing the new science of marine conservation biology and promoting cooperation essential to protecting and restoring the Earth's biological integrity. Since then, we held one of the first scientific forums that addressed the threat of bottom trawling to marine life, produced the first ranking of the ecological impacts of commercial fishing gears in the US and the first assessment of deep sea corals in US waters. We have secured protection of marine life by encouraging President Clinton to launch the Marine Protected Areas Center, and played a critical role in President Bush’s proclamation of the world’s largest marine protected area, the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument. We also hosted the first two international symposia on marine conservation biology, published the world’s first text book on marine conservation biology, and more. MCBI Accomplishments: 2007:MCBI opens Hawaii Program Office to build on advocacy efforts for Marine Protected Areas and to spearhead protection of the Hawaiian monk seal 2007: Partnering with the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, MCBI limits trawling in the South Pacific 2007: MCBI hosts symposia on ocean acidification and on the sustainability of deep-sea fishing at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2006: Elliott Norse wins the Nancy Foster Award for Habitat Conservation 2006: MCBI, in cooperation with SkyTruth, National Geographic Society and NOAA, publishes “From Sea to Shining Sea” the first map showing the full extent of the USA 2006: MCBI plays a key role in the establishment of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument 2006: MCBI publishes the first assessment of the status of deep-sea corals of
2005: MCBI releases Marine Priority Conservation Areas: Baja California to the Bering Sea, the first continental-scale vision of the ocean places most important to protect in North America 2005: MCBI publishes the review of the history of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act 2005: MCBI produces Marine Conservation Biology: The Science of Maintaining the Sea’s Biodiversity, the first textbook in this new science 2004: MCBI co-founds the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition to stop trawling on the world’s seamounts 2004: MCBI releases the Scientists’ Statement on Protecting the World’s Deep- Sea Coral and Sponge Ecosystems, signed by 1452 scientists from 69 countries 2003: MCBI publishes a compilation of the Occurrences of Deep-Sea Corals in the Northeast Pacific 2003: MCBI releases Shifting Gears, the first scientific
study comparing the damage from 10 major commercial fishing methods 2002: MCBI produces B2B 1.0 — a CD-ROM of physical, biological, and social data relevant to conservation planning within the Baja California to Bering Sea ecoregion. 2001: MCBI holds the Second Symposium on Marine Conservation Biology in San Francisco 2001: MCBI secures listing of the white abalone, the first marine invertebrate ever listed as an endangered species 2000: MCBI spurs President Clinton to issue Executive Order 13158 on Marine Protected Areas 1999: MCBI organizes a scientist workshop to identify priority areas for conservation in the Gulf of Maine 1999: MCBI plays a key role in phasing out commercial fishing in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska 1998: The journal Conservation Biology publishes 7 scientific papers from MCBI's 1996 bottom trawling workshop 1998: MCBI releases Troubled Waters: A Call for Action [PDF], signed by 1605
scientists from 70 countries 1997: MCBI organizes the First Sympoisum on Marine Conservation Biology in Victoria BC, Canada 1996: MCBI hosts the first scientific workshop on the Effects of Bottom 1996: Marine ecologist Dr. Elliott Norse founds MCBI
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