Operationalizing resilience for adaptive coral reef management under global environmental change

Anthony, Kenneth R.N., Marshall, Paul A., Abdulla, Ameer, Beeden, Roger, Bergh, Chris, Black, Ryan, Eakin, C. Mark, Game, Edward, Gooch, Margaret, Graham, Nicholas A.J., Green, Alison, Heron, Scott F., van Hooidonk, Ruben, Knowland, Cheryl, Mangubhai, Sangeeta, Marshall, Nadine, Maynard, Jeffrey A., McGinnity, Peter, McLeod, Elizabeth, Mumby, Peter J., Nyström, Marcus, Obura, David, Oliver, Jamie, Possingham, Hugh P., Pressey, Robert L., Rowlands, Gwilym P., Tamelander, Jerker, Wachenfeld, David, and Wear, Stephanie (2015) Operationalizing resilience for adaptive coral reef management under global environmental change. Global Change Biology, 21 (1). pp. 48-61.

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Abstract

Cumulative pressures from global climate and ocean change combined with multiple regional and local-scale stressors pose fundamental challenges to coral reef managers worldwide. Understanding how cumulative stressors affect coral reef vulnerability is critical for successful reef conservation now and in the future. In this review, we present the case that strategically managing for increased ecological resilience (capacity for stress resistance and recovery) can reduce coral reef vulnerability (risk of net decline) up to a point. Specifically, we propose an operational framework for identifying effective management levers to enhance resilience and support management decisions that reduce reef vulnerability. Building on a system understanding of biological and ecological processes that drive resilience of coral reefs in different environmental and socio-economic settings, we present an Adaptive Resilience-Based management (ARBM) framework and suggest a set of guidelines for how and where resilience can be enhanced via management interventions. We argue that press-type stressors (pollution, sedimentation, overfishing, ocean warming and acidification) are key threats to coral reef resilience by affecting processes underpinning resistance and recovery, while pulse-type (acute) stressors (e.g. storms, bleaching events, crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks) increase the demand for resilience. We apply the framework to a set of example problems for Caribbean and Indo-Pacific reefs. A combined strategy of active risk reduction and resilience support is needed, informed by key management objectives, knowledge of reef ecosystem processes and consideration of environmental and social drivers. As climate change and ocean acidification erode the resilience and increase the vulnerability of coral reefs globally, successful adaptive management of coral reefs will become increasingly difficult. Given limited resources, on-the-ground solutions are likely to focus increasingly on actions that support resilience at finer spatial scales, and that are tightly linked to ecosystem goods and services.

Item ID: 38901
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1365-2486
Additional Information:

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Funders: National Environmental Research Program (NERP), Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA), Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), International Union for the Conservation of Nature , National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Date Deposited: 11 May 2015 01:40
FoR Codes: 05 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 0502 Environmental Science and Management > 050299 Environmental Science and Management not elsewhere classified @ 100%
SEO Codes: 96 ENVIRONMENT > 9603 Climate and Climate Change > 960301 Climate Change Adaptation Measures @ 100%
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