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Description:
Author(s):
Maynard, J. A., Lewis, K., Brown, J., Ahmadia, G.
Title:
Assessing the relative resilience of the coral reefs of St. Croix, USVI
Publication Date:
2014
Institution:
Marine Applied Research Center; Cornell University; The Nature Conservancy; World Wildlife Fund
Page(s):
20
Abstract:
"Coral reefs are dynamic systems that have evolved to be naturally resilient, recovering from disturbances if the processes that support recovery are intact. The natural resilience of reefs is now being challenged because reefs are under unprecedented pressure from increasing disturbance frequencies associated with climate change and from anthropogenic stress. Managers and conservationists seek to support reef resilience, which requires targeting actions to reduce stress and support recovery processes. This report describes an assessment of the relative resilience of reef sites near St. Croix, USVI based on key resilience indicators, such as herbivore biomass and coral diversity. The resultant rankings for sites and assessment of all sites as having high, medium or low relative resilience can aid with targeting management actions. Expected follow-on actions include: identifying potential sites for future MPAs and defending existing MPAs, prioritizing sites for coral transplantation to support recovery and communication and engagement with stakeholders and the public. Resilience has been hugely popular in the conservation community as a conceptual framework but there are very few examples of operationalizing resilience into decision-support for managers. This report is thus a critically important example others can learn from and is unique in two important ways. The analysis was conducted as desktop-only by compiling a range of existing data; there are many datasets on coral reef condition around the world that could be analyzed using the approach described here. Secondly, the highly consultative and collaborative process used is a model for scientist-manager interactions that has strengthened inter-agency relationships and will maximize uptake of the analysis outputs."
Electronic Access:
Notes:
Funded by the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program-The Nature Conservancy cooperative agreement NA09NOS4190173
Funding Organizations:
NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program
The Nature Conservancy
Grant Number(s):
NA09NOS4190173
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