The Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) Tools Network, co-coordinated by NatureServe and OCTO (Open Communications for the Ocean), is a source of information and training for planning and management tools for coastal-marine ecosystem-based management, marine protected area and marine spatial planning, and integrated land-sea planning. Its mission is to promote healthy ecosystems and communities by increasing the knowledge and capacity of coastal-marine practitioners to apply tools that help incorporate ecosystem-based thinking into management decisions.

The EBM Network is a 8,000⁺ member network of coastal, marine, and other conservation and management practitioners working to promote healthy ecosystems and communities through the use of tools that help incorporate ecosystem considerations into management.

EBM tools are methods and software that help practitioners incorporate scientific and socioeconomic information into decision making. They can help develop models of ecosystems, generate scenarios illustrating the consequences of different management decisions on natural resources and the economy, and facilitate stakeholder involvement in planning processes.

The network is currently focusing on tools for:

• Climate change vulnerability assessment and adaptation planning.
• Ecosystem-based coastal and marine spatial planning.
• Integrated land-sea planning to minimize the impacts of land use on coastal and marine environments.

The EBM Tools Network's series of webinars highlights key tools and tool-use case studies to help practitioners learn about tools quickly and determine their suitability for specific projects. Webinars are held one to three times per month and typically last one hour. Users can also sign up for the EBM Tools Network listserve, an interactive discussion list that allows practitioners to ask questions and share information about tools and methods that can be used for improving coastal and marine conservation and management.

The EBM team can also help plan, develop, and conduct training events in EBM tools, ranging from half-day events to multi-day training workshops anywhere in the world. They can provide as much or little help as is desired, including:

• Assist in scoping the topics and tools of interest,
• Identifying specific tools and trainers,
• Planning agendas and assisting with logistics,
• Full turn-key event production, and
• NatureServe's EBM Team can also provide half-day to in-depth training in their integrated land-sea planning toolkit, configured for regional needs and conditions.