Coggan, Anthea, Shultz, Tracy, Dyer, Michelle, Stone-Jovicich, Samantha, Newlands, Maxine, Belgnaoui, Clemence, and Dean, Angela (2026) Putting the 'socio' in socio-ecological: Strengthening Great Barrier Reef adaptive management through evolving and elevating the role of social sciences. Marine Policy, 195. 107288.

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Abstract

The Great Barrier Reef (the Reef) is a globally significant socio-ecological system, where human wellbeing is deeply intertwined with ecological health. An adaptive management approach underpins, and shapes coordinated management of the Reef, in the face of spatial, temporal, and stakeholder diversity combined with rapidly changing climactic conditions. Social science, specifically human dimensions research, is essential for effective adaptive management of this marine environment. To examine how human dimensions research is currently applied in Reef adaptive management, and to identify barriers and enablers to its effective integration, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 Reef managers and social science practitioners. Overall, findings reveal increasing value placed on human dimensions research but also an uncertainty surrounding its application and significance beyond supporting biophysical science. We recommend that understanding the current challenges and the future opportunities for human dimensions to be a key player in management decision making, can be understood through a systems lens. Specifically, we suggest that shifting Reef adaptive management, from a rigid, solution-oriented hard systems approach to a more flexible, soft systems style has the potential to enable human dimensions research to move beyond contextual support for biophysical information to meaningful contributions shaping management processes and outcomes. We demonstrate the benefits of soft systems thinking for enhancing the influence of human dimensions research in environmental decision-making and adaptive management by linking empirical insights with governance literature. We conclude with recommendations to further support this transition, aiming to strengthen the resilience and inclusivity of Reef management in the face of accelerating environmental pressures.

Item ID:	94079
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1872-9460
Keywords:	Great Barrier reef, Systems, Human dimensions, Adaptive management
Copyright Information:	© 2026 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).
Date Deposited:	01 Oct 2026 05:27
FoR Codes:	41 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 4104 Environmental management > 410404 Environmental management @ 100%
SEO Codes:	18 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT > 1805 Marine systems and management > 180599 Marine systems and management not elsewhere classified @ 50% 28 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 2801 Expanding knowledge > 280111 Expanding knowledge in the environmental sciences @ 50%
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