Objectives and principles for successful management and conservation of coral reefs and other tropical marine ecosystems

Abstract

Abstract Coral reefs and other tropical marine ecosystems face catastrophic, accelerating degradation from a well-documented range of human pressures, yet conservation outcomes continue to lag far behind the pace of decline. I here outline a framework for successful management and conservation, consisting of five overall Objectives , and 12 general Principles of good process to achieve those objectives. The five objectives are: (1) Minimise direct, physical destruction of habitats. (2) Implement Marine Protected Areas or reserves to ensure a substantial proportion of area is protected from extractive/damaging activities. (3) Manage fishing (and hunting) outside reserves to protect not only stocks of target species but also habitats, food-webs and by-catch stocks. (4) Prevent/reduce water pollution, especially land-based runoff. (5) Address Climate Change impacts: Reduce CO 2 emissions (mitigation) and maximise ecosystem resilience (adaptation). The principles are: People and Context: (1) The goal is sustainable benefits for both biodiversity and people. (2) Community engagement and stewardship are essential. (3) Learn from others, but management must be appropriate and specific for each place and context. Concepts and Frameworks for good management: (4) Apply concepts of integrated and Ecosystem-Based Management and Marine Spatial Planning. (5) Manage cumulative impacts. (6) Manage for uncertainty: Precautionary and adaptive management. (7) Manage for resilience, both ecological and social-economic. Knowledge, governance and finance: (8) Manage using the best available knowledge/science, especially social and economic information, but do not delay. (9) Compliance is critical, and requires both effective engagement and enforcement. (10) Governance is critical context for effective management. (11) Sustainable and sufficient finance, resourcing and capacity are vital. Solutions: (12) Focus on solutions, not problems. The accelerating rate and scale of pressures on reefs and related ecosystems requires development of further, more active and intervention-focused approaches, but these must be in addition to the approaches above, not alternatives. Indeed, the current situation demands much greater scale and urgency of conservation across all approaches, but most especially the 5 objectives outlined here.