Anthony KR et al. (2015), Operationalizing resilience for adaptive coral ...

ECB-ART-43607

Glob Chang Biol 2015 Jan 01;211:48-61. doi: 10.1111/gcb.12700.

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Operationalizing resilience for adaptive coral reef management under global environmental change.

Anthony KR , Marshall PA , Abdulla A , Beeden R , Bergh C , Black R , Eakin CM , Game ET , Gooch M , Graham NA , Green A , Heron SF , van Hooidonk R , Knowland C , Mangubhai S , Marshall N , Maynard JA , McGinnity P , McLeod E , Mumby PJ , Nyström M , Obura D , Oliver J , Possingham HP , Pressey RL , Rowlands GP , Tamelander J , Wachenfeld D , Wear S .

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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.

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Genes referenced: LOC100893907 LOC115923516 LOC583082

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	Fig 2. System diagram outlining the functional linkages within the operational adaptive resilience-based management (ARBM) framework, consisting of a management and research component (left box, A–G) and the stressors/activities/drivers and conditions of the social-ecological systems (right box, H–K). The system is dynamic as information flowing from the ecological and social systems is used to update objectives and specific decisions to intervene and manage drivers, activities or stressors influencing resilience processes.
	Fig 3. Two-dimensional conceptual representation of system behaviour for the four environmental scenarios and resilience categories (a–d) in Fig.1, and management actions needed to improve system condition and resilience under mild and severe climate change and ocean acidification. Solid lines represent stable equilibria (basins of attraction) and the dashed line the unstable equilibrium (threshold). Grey arrows indicate perturbations or environmental changes that do not represent immediate risks. Red arrows are perturbations that can potentially lead to an unwanted phase shift or reinforce an already low (or degraded) ecosystem state, and green arrows are resilience-based management actions (see also text). The lengths of arrows indicate the severity of disturbances (press or pulse), propensity for recovery or efficacy of efforts needed to move the system to the safe side of a threshold. The grey areas represent the conditions where a pulse-type disturbance may trigger a phase shift. The figure is modified from Figs1 and 2 in Scheffer et al. (2001). Thresholds for regime shifts under ocean warming and acidification are guided by model simulations using GBR corals (Anthony et al., 2011).

References [+] :

Bellwood, Confronting the coral reef crisis. 2004, Pubmed