Ecological and socioeconomic strategies to sustain Caribbean coral reefs in a high-CO<inf>2</inf> world

Andersson, AJ; Venn, AA; Pendleton, L; Brathwaite, A; Camp, EF; Cooley, S; Gledhill, D; Koch, M; Maliki, S; Manfrino, C

Ecological and socioeconomic strategies to sustain Caribbean coral reefs in a high-CO<inf>2</inf> world

Andersson, AJ Venn, AA Pendleton, L Brathwaite, A Camp, EF

Cooley, S Gledhill, D Koch, M Maliki, S Manfrino, C

Permalink

Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Regional Studies in Marine Science, 2019, 29
Issue Date:: 2019-05-01

Closed Access

	Filename	Description	Size
	1-s2.0-S2352485518305565-main.pdf	Published Version	2.14 MB	Adobe PDF	View/Open

Copyright Clearance Process

Recently Added
In Progress
Closed Access

This item is closed access and not available.

Full metadata record

Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Andersson, AJ	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Venn, AA	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Pendleton, L	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Brathwaite, A	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Camp, EF https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1962-1336	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Cooley, S	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Gledhill, D	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Koch, M	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Maliki, S	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Manfrino, C	en_US
dc.date.issued	2019-05-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Regional Studies in Marine Science, 2019, 29	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/135799
dc.description.abstract	© 2019 The Authors The Caribbean and Western Atlantic region hosts one of the world's most diverse geopolitical regions and a unique marine biota distinct from tropical seas in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. While this region varies in human population density, GDP and wealth, coral reefs, and their associated ecosystem services, are central to people's livelihoods. Unfortunately, the region's reefs have experienced extensive degradation over the last several decades. This degradation has been attributed to a combination of disease, overfishing, and multiple pressures from other human activities. Furthermore, the Caribbean region has experienced rapid ocean warming and acidification as a result of climate change that will continue and accelerate throughout the 21st century. It is evident that these changes will pose increasing threats to Caribbean reefs unless imminent actions are taken at the local, regional and global scale. Active management is required to sustain Caribbean reefs and increase their resilience to recover from acute stress events. Here, we propose local and regional solutions to halt and reverse Caribbean coral reef degradation under ongoing ocean warming and acidification. Because the Caribbean has already experienced high coral reef degradation, we suggest that this region may be suitable for more aggressive interventions that might not be suitable for other regions. Solutions with direct ecological benefits highlighted here build on existing knowledge of factors that can contribute to reef restoration and increased resilience in the Caribbean: (1)management of water quality, (2)reduction of unsustainable fishing practices, (3)application of ecological engineering, and (4)implementing marine spatial planning. Complementary socioeconomic and governance solutions include: (1)increasing communication and leveraging resources through the establishment of a regional reef secretariat, (2)incorporating reef health and sustainability goals into the blue economy plans for the region, and (3)initiating a reef labeling program to incentivize corporate partnerships for reef restoration and protection to sustain overall reef health in the region.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Regional Studies in Marine Science	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.rsma.2019.100677	en_US
dc.title	Ecological and socioeconomic strategies to sustain Caribbean coral reefs in a high-CO<inf>2</inf> world	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	29	en_US
utslib.for	0502 Environmental Science and Management	en_US
utslib.for	0602 Ecology	en_US
utslib.for	0405 Oceanography	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - C3 - Climate Change Cluster
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	29	en_US

Abstract:

© 2019 The Authors The Caribbean and Western Atlantic region hosts one of the world's most diverse geopolitical regions and a unique marine biota distinct from tropical seas in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. While this region varies in human population density, GDP and wealth, coral reefs, and their associated ecosystem services, are central to people's livelihoods. Unfortunately, the region's reefs have experienced extensive degradation over the last several decades. This degradation has been attributed to a combination of disease, overfishing, and multiple pressures from other human activities. Furthermore, the Caribbean region has experienced rapid ocean warming and acidification as a result of climate change that will continue and accelerate throughout the 21st century. It is evident that these changes will pose increasing threats to Caribbean reefs unless imminent actions are taken at the local, regional and global scale. Active management is required to sustain Caribbean reefs and increase their resilience to recover from acute stress events. Here, we propose local and regional solutions to halt and reverse Caribbean coral reef degradation under ongoing ocean warming and acidification. Because the Caribbean has already experienced high coral reef degradation, we suggest that this region may be suitable for more aggressive interventions that might not be suitable for other regions. Solutions with direct ecological benefits highlighted here build on existing knowledge of factors that can contribute to reef restoration and increased resilience in the Caribbean: (1)management of water quality, (2)reduction of unsustainable fishing practices, (3)application of ecological engineering, and (4)implementing marine spatial planning. Complementary socioeconomic and governance solutions include: (1)increasing communication and leveraging resources through the establishment of a regional reef secretariat, (2)incorporating reef health and sustainability goals into the blue economy plans for the region, and (3)initiating a reef labeling program to incentivize corporate partnerships for reef restoration and protection to sustain overall reef health in the region.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/135799