Observing and Understanding How the Ocean Moves Organisms Together and Apart

Our ability to observe and model the physical ocean has improved dramatically in recent decades. Some of the hundred year old questions of biological oceanography can now be answered. This presentation will review technological advances in ocean observing and tie this capability to developments in ocean modelling applied to the consideration and design of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). What have we learned about how populations are connected in the ocean and how can we use this ability to improve the efficacy of MPA Networks particularly in the context of climate change? What are the limitations of our understanding and how much confidence can we provide to the design of MPA networks?