New tools for the spatial management of living marine resources

Until recently, our ability to implement and assess spatial marine management approaches has been limited by a lack of information regarding processes that bind marine ecosystems, including habitat locations, larval and adult movement, trophic interactions, and fisher behavior. However, recent advances in habitat-mapping technologies, genetics, marine microchemistry, animal tracking and numerical modeling have greatly enhanced our knowledge of these processes. Although these advances have yet to be fully integrated into management decisions, they have the potential to revolutionize spatial marine management. Nevertheless, this revolution will require advances in our ability to share and integrate data into models of marine ecosystems.