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Social–environmental drivers inform strategic management of coral reefs in the Anthropocene

Emily S. Darling, Tim R. McClanahan, Joseph Maina, Georgina G. Gurney, Nicholas A. J. Graham, Fraser Januchowski-Hartley Orcid Logo, Joshua E. Cinner, Camilo Mora, Christina C. Hicks, Eva Maire, Marji Puotinen, William J. Skirving, Mehdi Adjeroud, Gabby Ahmadia, Rohan Arthur, Andrew G. Bauman, Maria Beger, Michael L. Berumen, Lionel Bigot, Jessica Bouwmeester, Ambroise Brenier, Tom C. L. Bridge, Eric Brown, Stuart J. Campbell, Sara Cannon, Bruce Cauvin, Chaolun Allen Chen, Joachim Claudet, Vianney Denis, Simon Donner, Estradivari, Nur Fadli, David A. Feary, Douglas Fenner, Helen Fox, Erik C. Franklin, Alan Friedlander, James Gilmour, Claire Goiran, James Guest, Jean-Paul A. Hobbs, Andrew S. Hoey, Peter Houk, Steven Johnson, Stacy D. Jupiter, Mohsen Kayal, Chao-yang Kuo, Joleah Lamb, Michelle A. C. Lee, Jeffrey Low, Nyawira Muthiga, Efin Muttaqin, Yashika Nand, Kirsty L. Nash, Osamu Nedlic, John M. Pandolfi, Shinta Pardede, Vardhan Patankar, Lucie Penin, Lauriane Ribas-Deulofeu, Zoe Richards, T. Edward Roberts, Ku’ulei S. Rodgers, Che Din Mohd Safuan, Enric Sala, George Shedrawi, Tsai Min Sin, Patrick Smallhorn-West, Jennifer E. Smith, Brigitte Sommer, Peter D. Steinberg, Makamas Sutthacheep, Chun Hong James Tan, Gareth J. Williams, Shaun Wilson, Thamasak Yeemin, John F. Bruno, Marie-Josée Fortin, Martin Krkosek, David Mouillot

Nature Ecology & Evolution, Volume: 3, Issue: 9, Pages: 1341 - 1350

Swansea University Author: Fraser Januchowski-Hartley Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1038/s41559-019-0953-8

Abstract

Without drastic efforts to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate globalized stressors, Tropical coral reefs are in jeopardy due to high levels of carbon emissions and other global stressors. In order to strategically manage to ensure global persistence of this ecosystem, we need to identify environme...

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Published in: Nature Ecology & Evolution
ISSN: 2397-334X
Published: Springer Science and Business Media LLC 2019
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa51520
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Abstract: Without drastic efforts to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate globalized stressors, Tropical coral reefs are in jeopardy due to high levels of carbon emissions and other global stressors. In order to strategically manage to ensure global persistence of this ecosystem, we need to identify environmental and socioeconomic factors that support the foundation species of coral reef ecosystems. Here, we compiled coral abundance data from 2,584 Indo-Pacific reefs and evaluated patterns of 21 climate, social and environmental drivers on the ecology of reef coral assemblages. We found that weak thermal disturbances, with longer intervals between these disturbances are associated with high abundances of the vital framework-building corals, as well as slower human population growth, limited access for markets and populations, and lower agricultural cover. We therefore propose of three management strategies (protect, recover or transform) to be followed depending on the following conditions: (1) whether structurally complex corals with high carbonate production rates obtained a proposed threshold of >10% cover of the coral taxa; and (2) reef exposure to severe thermal stress during the 2014–2017 global coral bleaching event. By both identifying the key dimensions of function and threats across multiple spatial scales, our findings can guide management and strategic policy priorities to aid in sustaining a network of functioning reefs in the Indo-Pacific.
College: Faculty of Science and Engineering
Issue: 9
Start Page: 1341
End Page: 1350

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