Introduction to tools to support ecosystem based management of South Florida's coastal resources

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science(NOAA/NCCOS) funded MARES (MARine and Estuarine goal Setting) to address deficiencies and develop scientific consensus and synthesis for ecosystem-based management (EBM) of the South Florida Coastal Marine Ecosystem (SFCME). The overall goal of MARES has been to reach a science-based consensus on the defining characteristics and fundamental regulating processes of a SFCME that is both sustainable and capable of providing the diverse ecosystem services upon which our society depends. MARES brought together natural system and human dimensions scientists from academia, non-governmental organizations, federal, state, and local agencies to study the SFCME. A systematic process was used to develop conceptual infographics, conceptual models, quantitative ecosystem indicators, and decision support tools for EBM.