What is NOAA’s Integrated Ecosystem Assessment?
NOAA’s Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (IEA) is an approach that engages scientists, stakeholders, and managers to integrate all components of an ecosystem, including human needs and activities, into the decision-making process so that managers can balance trade-offs and determine what is more likely to achieve their desired goals. This approach provides the science necessary to carry out Ecosystem-Based Management and is a key part of NOAA’s ecosystem science enterprise.