Optimizing coral reef recovery with context-specific management actions at prioritized reefs

Marine Gouezo; Katharina Fabricius; Peter Harrison; Yimnang Golbuu; Christopher Doropoulos

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113209

Optimizing coral reef recovery with context-specific management actions at prioritized reefs

J Environ Manage. 2021 Jul 15:295:113209. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113209. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Marine Gouezo¹, Katharina Fabricius², Peter Harrison³, Yimnang Golbuu⁴, Christopher Doropoulos⁵

Affiliations

¹ Palau International Coral Reef Center, PO Box 7086, Koror, Palau; Marine Ecology Research Centre, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia. Electronic address: mgouezo@gmail.com.
² Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB 3, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia. Electronic address: k.fabricius@aims.gov.au.
³ Marine Ecology Research Centre, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia. Electronic address: Peter.Harrison@scu.edu.au.
⁴ Palau International Coral Reef Center, PO Box 7086, Koror, Palau. Electronic address: ygolbuu@picrc.org.
⁵ CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, St Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia. Electronic address: Christopher.Doropoulos@csiro.au.

PMID: 34346392
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113209

Abstract

Assisting the natural recovery of coral reefs through local management actions is needed in response to increasing ecosystem disturbances in the Anthropocene. There is growing evidence that commonly used resilience-based passive management approaches may not be sufficient to maintain coral reef key functions. We synthesize and discuss advances in coral reef recovery research, and its application to coral reef conservation and restoration practices. We then present a framework to guide the decision-making of reef managers, scientists and other stakeholders, to best support reef recovery after a disturbance. The overall aim of this management framework is to catalyse reef recovery, to minimize recovery times, and to limit the need for ongoing management interventions into the future. Our framework includes two main stages: first, a prioritization method for assessment following a large-scale disturbance, which is based on a reef's social-ecological values, and on a classification of the likelihood of recovery or succession resulting in degraded, novel, hybrid or historical states. Second, a flow chart to assist with determining management actions for highly valued reefs. Potential actions are chosen based on the ecological attributes of the disturbed reef, defined during ecological assessments. Depending on the context, management actions may include (1) substrata rehabilitation actions to facilitate natural coral recruitment, (2) repopulating actions using active restoration techniques, (3) resilience-based management actions and (4) monitoring coral recruitment and growth to assess the effectiveness of management interventions. We illustrate the proposed decision framework with a case study of typhoon-damaged eastern outer reefs in Palau, Micronesia. The decisions made following this framework lead to the conclusion that some reefs may not return to their historical state for many decades. However, if motivation and funds are available, new management approaches can be explored to assist coral reefs at valued locations to return to a functional state providing key ecosystem services.

Keywords: Context-specific management; Coral reef; Disturbance; Hybrid; Novel; Prioritization; Recovery.