The marine environment is complex to conserve and manage. A decision support system helps make sense of this complexity and informs management decisions.

Regional Assessments and Site Selection
This toolkit section focuses on two approaches for decision support: regional assessments and priority site selection using Marxan, which are used to identify how to allocate efforts in conservation and management. They are widely used by many organizations, and they have been extensively peer reviewed (see Resources). They provide a solid basis for decision support in E-BM.

A Guide for Managers and Practitioners
This toolkit serves as a guide for managers and practitioners that need to understand the basis and use of these tools. Links to additional resources are provided for more advanced practitioners.

This section focuses on one primary objective, biodiversity conservation, with a consideration of other human uses. In the case studies, these approaches are extended to demonstrate how to account for multiple objectives such as fishery production and hazard reduction to further advance E-BM.

A Dynamic Toolkit for Decision Support
This toolkit focuses in depth on a few of the commonly-used tools for decision support. Other tools such as the Coastal Vulnerability Assessment Tool and Ecopath are also briefly described. Over time, these and other tools will be described in more depth.

Other E-BM Tools
There are many other decision support tools, which are described at www.ebmtools.org. This site is the hub for the E-BM Tools Network, an alliance of over 150 tool developers, practitioners and trainers who support the development and use of tools for marine E-BM. The site supports a searchable tools database and a learning network. The Nature Conservancy is a member of the Network. This toolkit was developed in response to a Network survey of practitioners and their needs.

Transparent - Input (data) and output (results) are clearly related and understandable.

Flexible - Decision parameters can be changed to evaluate alternate management scenarios.

Credible - The tools, approaches and results are all scientifically reviewed and credible.

Repeatable - If the tools and approaches were used by others they would yield similar results.