Availability, Credibility and Usefulness of Scientific Evidence in Marine Biodiversity Governance Processes: Stakeholder Perceptions of Scientific Evidence within the EBSA Process

The Convention on Biological Diversity’s (CBD) Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAs) are identified areas of the ocean which are recognised as requiring further levels of protection due to their special ecological or biological characteristics. The identification and designation of EBSAs are based on specific scientific criteria adopted at the CBD’s ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (Annex I, decision IX/20). This research employs a mixed-questionnaire technique, to investigate EBSA regional workshop attendee’s perceptions of the scientific evidence used in the EBSA process (i.e. the process of identifying and describing suitable marine areas). The analysis uses quali-quantitative methodologies to explore the perceived availability, credibility, and usefulness of scientific evidence, as well as the impact of national capacity and other factors that may influence the outcomes of the EBSA process and other international biodiversity governance processes that rely on scientific input.