16 November 2012: An international meeting on marine and coastal biodiversity was held in Brest, France, on 13-14 November, 2012, as a contribution to the UN Decade for Biodiversity (2011-2020), with a focus on interactions between the development of marine territories and biodiversity.

The meeting was organized by the urban community of Brest, in partnership with the Regional Council of Brittany and the General Council of Finistère, under the patronage of the Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. Elected representatives and technicians of local authorities, international organizations, managers of protected areas, representatives of NGOs and associations, scientists and experts from maritime territories participated. The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) presented the tools, conventions and projects currently used by IOC for managing and protecting marine and coastal biodiversity, including the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS). OBIS is an open, shared online database and tool on the biodiversity, geographic distribution and abundance of marine life.

Participants were briefed on the World Ocean Assessment (WOA), a UN process for global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment, including socioeconomic aspects. They also discussed several tools available to manage and protect coastal and marine biodiversity, such as marine protected areas. [UNESCO Press Release] [Meeting Website] [CBD Event Website]