Policy relevance of biogeographic classification for conservation and management of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction, and the GOODS biogeographic classification

This article 1) examines the policy context that created a demand for biogeographic information, 2) describes early national and regional experiences in applying biogeographic classifications, 3) extracts lessons about their usefulness, 4) introduces a broad-scale biogeographic classification for the open ocean and deep seabed called the Global Open Ocean and Deep Seabed (GOODS) biogeographic classification and explains its relevance in this policy context. In so doing it highlights potential uses of biogeographic classifications for the open ocean and deep seabed: these include ecosystem-based management approaches, marine spatial planning and identification of representative networks of MPAs. It also discusses approaches for dealing with problems of uncertainty and connectivity. The article concludes with recommendations for the further development of the GOODS and finer-scale biogeographic classifications.