There was a need to collaborate between stakeholders and secure the resources to carry out specific field activities like the monitoring and evaluation of coral reef nurseries, which cannot be carried out solely by the public or the private sector indenpendently. In the DR, an agreement between the CDRC (Dominican Coastal Restoration Consortium) and the Ministry of Environment was signed so that the CDRC could lead the monitoring and evaluation of every coral nursery in the country, with the technical support of the Ministry. 

In order to carry out the monitoring and evaluation of coral nurseries, the CDRC created a specific manual. 

In order to understand the current and potential situation of maritime uses and activities in the Azores, an extensive sector analysis was elaborated, including nine sectors. For each maritime sector identified in the region, a sector briefing was done. Each sector briefing includes information relating to its characterization, the relevant legal framework, current and potential spatial distribution, a SWOT analysis, an analysis of interactions (with other sectors, with the environment and land-sea interactions), as well as an analysis of pressures resulting from different drivers of change (e.g. climate change, demographic changes and blue growth policies). This work involved an extensive collection of information, both through literature review and collected from stakeholders during the engagement process.

There is a growing consensus about the need for and possibility of directing research and innovation efforts towards achieving conservation using eco-friendly technologies.

The Institute uses technology for development mainly for facilitating key processes in the communities and addressing climate change. However, there is consultation with the communities and indigenous peoples, as they are the ones who have the last word when implementing these projects. 

The Mamirauá Institute provides scientific knowledge inputs to local communities and this is relayed to communities and indigenous peoples, applying Conservation Area governance processes. 

This knowledge arises from 4 lines of action:

1. Environmental education
2. Environmental protection
3. Strengthening the community
4. Communication within the community 

The production of knowledge seeks to create medium and long-term solutions.

In the Dominican Republic, coral reef restoration became a popular alternative to try to safeguard this ecosystems. At the beginning, it started to grow rapidly lacking control and causing many nurseries to become abandoned. This concern triggered the creation of the Dominican Coastal Restoration Consortium (CDRC), a Multi-Stakeholder Partnership that works with along with the Ministry of Environment monitoring coral nurseries all over the country and leading the  nursery evaluations, as well as steering the restoration initiatives in the DR. 

The foundation of any SeaSketch project is geospatial information (maps) displayed as map services. There are no minimum data requirements. You can begin working with whatever you've got. Maps may be published as Esri REST Services (e.g., with ArcGIS Server or ArcGIS online) and open source mapping services (e.g., WMS, WMTS) and then imported into SeaSketch. Example maps include administrative boundaries (e.g., EEZ, territorial sea, existing MPAs), seafloor habitats, bathymetry, human uses, etc.

The maps you choose to include as Data Layers in SeaSketch depend on the goals of your process. If you are planning for marine protected areas, shipping lanes and aquaculture sites, you may want navigational charts, habitat maps, the distribution of fishing activities and other layers that may be used to guide users in the design of their plans. Protected areas are only meaningful if they effectively protect certain habitats, shipping lanes minimize collision and maximize efficiency, aquaculture sites are located in certain depth zones, etc. On a case-by-case basis, you will need to evaluate what data need to be viewed as maps, and what subset of these data need to be analysed.

SeaSketch is designed to be used primarily for collaborative planning. We've focused on Marine Spatial Planning, but the software can be used for terrestrial planning as well. Furthermore, the software is intended to help generate ocean zoning solutions. If these zones are to have a meaningful impact, such as conservation or benefits to the blue economy, there needs to be buy-in to the planning process by the host government institutions. If zones developed in SeaSketch are not legally adopted, they are less likely to have the desired effect. 

In most cases, SeaSketch is used to support large-scale planning efforts where governments have mandated the establishment of a marine spatial plan and where broad stakeholder involvement is essential. In these cases, SeaSketch must be licensed by a lead agency or partner. SeaSketch may be used to visualize geospatial data as map services, collect to information via surveys, sketch and discuss plans. If plans are to be evaluated using analytics, geoprocessing services and reports must be developed in our lab. Note that a free license is available for educational institutions to use SeaSketch for strictly educational purposes.

In January 2022, we will release the next version of SeaSketch which will be entirely free and open source. Just as with the current version, many of the features within SeaSketch may be configured with minimal knowledge of or experience with GIS. The analytics and reports will be run on lambda and encoded using programming languages such as Javascript. Owners of projects may, therefore, set up their own SeaSketch project – from beginning to end – without intervention from our lab. It should be noted, however, that the geoprocessing and reporting framework, though free and open source, will require significant programming experience.

The governance structure has been officially established through the signature of a Programme Agreement by all the institutional stakeholders that operate in various capacities for the management and conservation of the site and its buffer zone: the Liguria Region, the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism, the Cinque Terre National Park, the Municipality of Porto Venere - Regional Natural Park of Porto Venere, and the Municipalities of Levanto (withdrawn in 2019 from the UNESCO office), Monterosso al Mare, Pignone, Riomaggiore, La Spezia, Vernazza, Beverino, Riccò del Golfo.

The Agreement defines the role of stakeholders and establishes the following structure (BB4):

• Coordination Committee ensuring that effective management is in place
• Community of buffer zone Municipalities coordinating objectives, problems, and activities relating to the buffer zone
• Technical-administrative work group responsible for implementing the Management Plan
• Technical Secretary supporting committees and working groups
• Consulting Committee (advisory role)
• UNESCO site office, which acts as site manager for the site and carries out joint site promotion activities and ensures the smooth running of the technical-administrative board.