Summary
On Tuesday, 26 April 2016, SBSTTA 20 plenary continued consideration of ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs), with a contact group being established to discuss proposed national EBSA information curators and an ad hoc technical expert group (AHTEG). Delegates then addressed other items on marine and coastal biodiversity, namely: biodiversity and acidification in cold-waters areas; addressing impacts of marine debris and anthropogenic underwater noise on marine and coastal biodiversity; and marine spatial planning and training initiatives.
In the afternoon and evening, SBSTTA 20 plenary addressed synthetic biology, with a contact group being established, and invasive alien species. The contact groups on EBSAs and on synthetic biology met in the evening.
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web updates from the 20th Meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice and the 1st Meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has produced a summary and analysis of both meetings which is available in HTML and PDF format.
SBSTTA delegates consider marine and coastal biodiversity
Presentation on biodiversity and acidification in cold-water areas by Murray Roberts, Heriot-Watt University, UK
Kristina Gjerde, IUCN