Implementing marine ecosystem-based management: lessons from Australia

Abstract Ecosystem-based management (EBM) is now widely accepted as the best means of managing the complex interactions in marine systems. However, progress towards implementing and operationalizing it has been slow. We take a pragmatic approach to EBM. Our simple definition is balancing human activities and environmental stewardship in a multiple-use context. In this paper, we present case studies on the development and implementation of EBM in Australia. The case studies (Australia’s Ocean Policy, the Great Barrier Reef, New South Wales (NSW) marine estate, Gladstone Harbour, and South Australia and Spencer Gulf) span different spatial scales, from national to regional to local. They also cover different levels of governance or legislated mandate. We identify the key learnings, necessary components and future needs to support better implementation. These include requirements for clearly identified needs and objectives, stakeholder ownership, well defined governance frameworks, and scientific tools to deal with conflicts and trade-offs. Without all these components, multi-sector management will be difficult and there will be a tendency to maintain a focus on single sectors. While the need to manage individual sectors remains important and is often challenging, this alone will not necessarily ensure sustainable management of marine systems confronted by increasing cumulative impacts.

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Structural uncertainty in qualitative models for ecosystem-based management of Georges Bank

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/cjfas-2017-0149 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 75 (10) ◽

pp. 1635-1643 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Robert P. Wildermuth ◽

Gavin Fay ◽

Sarah Gaichas

Keyword(s):

Marine Ecosystem ◽

Management Strategies ◽

System Structure ◽

Structural Uncertainty ◽

Georges Bank ◽

Loop Analysis ◽

Ecosystem Based Management ◽

Trade Offs ◽

Qualitative Models ◽

Bank System

Quantitative models for marine ecosystem-based management are often constrained by availability of observations. Uncertainty about the underlying system structure can affect model estimates and conclusions about the consequences of management actions. Qualitative models can augment model development for decision-making and may provide an alternative to quantitative assessments. We apply qualitative loop analysis to assess the sensitivity of management outcomes to structural uncertainty within the Georges Bank social–ecological system. Loop analysis uses defined positive or negative relationships between system components to provide inference about cascading effects of pressures on components of management interest. We compare the sensitivity of outcomes from two management strategies in four model structures of the Georges Bank system that investigate trophic and socioeconomic model uncertainty. We summarize system responses to perturbation and compare these responses with a set of management objectives. Models with complex socioeconomic structure estimated positive outcomes more often but with less reliability than simpler models. Our analyses demonstrated trade-offs among habitat objectives for two management strategies, as well as uncertainty about the reliability of outcomes, contingent on model structure.

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Assessing Changes in Ecosystem Services Provision in Coastal Waters

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11092632 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 2632 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Miguel Inácio ◽

Gerald Schernewski ◽

Dimitra Alkisti Pliatsika ◽

Juliane Benz ◽

René Friedland

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

Case Studies ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Salinity Gradient ◽

Marine Ecosystem ◽

Water Bodies ◽

Historical Background ◽

Assessment Process ◽

Spatial Extent ◽

Trade Offs

Coastal ecosystems are important ecosystem services (ES) suppliers. The degradation of these ecosystems jeopardizes the quality of ES provision. The Biodiversity 2020 Strategy aims at maintaining and restoring ES, although clear guidelines are missing on how to define the state to which ES should be restored. In this respect, synergies between ES assessments and the Water Framework Directive (WFD) exist, but methodological approaches to connect both are lacking. The Marine Ecosystem Services Assessment Tool (MESAT) can overcome this problem. In this study, the tool is applied to semi-open and open coastal water bodies in the Southern Baltic Sea, the Greifswald Bay and Pomeranian Bay. The resulting changes in ES provision confirm the ability of MESAT to be applied in all WFD water body types and a multitude of environmental and anthropogenic gradients. Nevertheless, problems such as data scarcity, spatial extent and historical background of the case studies require adaptations in the assessment process. The spatial extent of all case studies allowed to cover a connected system with a strong environmental (salinity) gradient. Analyzing changes in ES provision in connected systems can help to better understand linkages between ES provision and environmental and anthropogenic stressors as well as trade-offs between ES across water bodies. This information can be further used to support the design of management plans. From the analysis of all MESAT case studies, major factors were identified for the tool to be transfered into a European context, as well as potential problems and solutions. Following the WFD is a strong advantage, which ensures the tool’s transferability to other areas.

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Maximising net benefits through biodiversity as a primary land use

Environment and Development Economics ◽

10.1017/s1355770x99220153 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 203-236 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

BRIAN WALKER

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Southern Africa ◽

Resource Use ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Collaborative Work ◽

Multiple Use ◽

Conventional Agriculture ◽

Trade Offs ◽

Management Advice ◽

Ecologically Sustainable

In many developing regions of the world conventional agriculture is failing to meet the needs of people and at the same time is becoming progressively less ecologically sustainable. It is proposed that in a number of these regions, both overall economic development and the welfare of the inhabitants would improve if the primary form of land use was based on multiple use of those regions' natural biological resources, rather than continuing the practice of replacing or displacing them with marginal forms of agriculture. Testing this proposition, and then (if appropriate) effecting it, requires answers to a number of ecological, economic and management questions, in particular to do with: identifying those regions where biodiversity use has high potential the appropriate spatial scales for planning and management compatible combinations of different types of resource use ecological and economic trade-offs between different resource use enterprises how to arrive at the most efficient form of resource use sustainable levels of biodiversity harvest resource use decisions in relation to ecological drivers (such as climate and fire) institutional and regulatory structures that dictate current resource use. These questions, it is proposed, should form the basis of an international 'virtual' institute, composed of three Biodiversity Centres, one each in Latin America, southern Africa and Southeast Asia. Examples of multiple use, such as of wildlife in southern Africa, are used to illustrate the potential, and the management scale and other issues involved. If the development of this form of land use is to succeed, it will require technical and management advice and, in many cases, removal of 'perverse incentives' that prevent a change to the more economically and ecologically sustainable form of land use. From the beginning, the emphasis in the proposed centres would be on collaborative work involving governments, landowners and resource-based industries.

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Local disease–ecosystem–livelihood dynamics: reflections from comparative case studies in Africa

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rstb.2016.0163 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 372 (1725) ◽

pp. 20160163 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Melissa Leach ◽

Bernard Bett ◽

M. Said ◽

Salome Bukachi ◽

Rosemary Sang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Case Studies ◽

One Health ◽

Cultural Practices ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Patch Dynamics ◽

Well Being ◽

Valley Fever ◽

Humid Forest ◽

Trade Offs ◽

Ecosystem Interactions

This article explores the implications for human health of local interactions between disease, ecosystems and livelihoods. Five interdisciplinary case studies addressed zoonotic diseases in African settings: Rift Valley fever (RVF) in Kenya, human African trypanosomiasis in Zambia and Zimbabwe, Lassa fever in Sierra Leone and henipaviruses in Ghana. Each explored how ecological changes and human–ecosystem interactions affect pathogen dynamics and hence the likelihood of zoonotic spillover and transmission, and how socially differentiated peoples’ interactions with ecosystems and animals affect their exposure to disease. Cross-case analysis highlights how these dynamics vary by ecosystem type, across a range from humid forest to semi-arid savannah; the significance of interacting temporal and spatial scales; and the importance of mosaic and patch dynamics. Ecosystem interactions and services central to different people's livelihoods and well-being include pastoralism and agro-pastoralism, commercial and subsistence crop farming, hunting, collecting food, fuelwood and medicines, and cultural practices. There are synergies, but also tensions and trade-offs, between ecosystem changes that benefit livelihoods and affect disease. Understanding these can inform ‘One Health’ approaches towards managing ecosystems in ways that reduce disease risks and burdens. This article is part of the themed issue ‘One Health for a changing world: zoonoses, ecosystems and human well-being’.

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Progress in integrating natural and social science in marine ecosystem-based management research

Marine and Freshwater Research ◽

10.1071/mf17248 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 70 (1) ◽

pp. 71 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

K. A. Alexander ◽

A. J. Hobday ◽

C. Cvitanovic ◽

E. Ogier ◽

K. L. Nash ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Sciences ◽

Social Science ◽

Marine Ecosystem ◽

Human Dimensions ◽

Management Research ◽

Marine Systems ◽

Ecosystem Based Management ◽

Holistic Management ◽

Social Ecological ◽

Collective Experience

Climate change, in combination with population growth, is placing increasing pressure on the world’s oceans and their resources. This is threatening sustainability and societal wellbeing. Responding to these complex and synergistic challenges requires holistic management arrangements. To this end, ecosystem-based management (EBM) promises much by recognising the need to manage the ecosystem in its entirety, including the human dimensions. However, operationalisation of EBM in the marine environment has been slow. One reason may be a lack of the inter-disciplinary science required to address complex social–ecological marine systems. In the present paper, we synthesise the collective experience of the authors to explore progress in integrating natural and social sciences in marine EBM research, illustrating actual and potential contributions. We identify informal barriers to and incentives for this type of research. We find that the integration of natural and social science has progressed at most stages of the marine EBM cycle; however, practitioners do not yet have the capacity to address all of the problems that have led to the call for inter-disciplinary research. In addition, we assess how we can support the next generation of researchers to undertake the effective inter-disciplinary research required to assist with operationalising marine EBM, particularly in a changing climate.

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The Nexus Concept Integrating Energy and Resource Efficiency for Policy Assessments: A Comparative Approach from Three Cases

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su10124860 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 4860 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Floor Brouwer ◽

Lydia Vamvakeridou-Lyroudia ◽

Eva Alexandri ◽

Ingrida Bremere ◽

Matthew Griffey ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Case Studies ◽

Policy Design ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

National Level ◽

Feedback Loops ◽

Comparative Approach ◽

Low Carbon ◽

Environmental Pressures ◽

Use Of Resources ◽

Trade Offs

As the world increasingly runs up against physical constraints of energy, land, water, and food, there is a growing role for policy to reduce environmental pressures without adversely affecting increases in prosperity. There is therefore a need for policy makers to understand the potential trade-offs and/or synergies between the uses of these different resources, i.e., to encompass the water–energy–food–land nexus for policy and decision making, where it is no longer possible to ignore the limitations in land availability and its links to other natural resources. This paper proposes a modelling approach to help to assess various policies from a nexus perspective. The global macro-econometric model (E3ME) explores a low-carbon transition through different sets of energy and climate policies applied at different spatial scales. The limitations of the E3ME model in assessing nexus interactions are discussed. The paper also argues and offers an explanation for why no single traditional or classic model has the potential to cover all parts of the nexus in a satisfactory way, including feedback loops and interactions between nexus components. Other approaches and methodologies suitable for complexity science modelling (e.g., system dynamics modelling) are proposed, providing a possible means to capture the holistic approach of the nexus in policy-making by including causal and feedback loops to the model components. Based on three case studies in Europe, the paper clarifies the different steps (from policy design towards conceptual model) in modelling the nexus linkages and interactions at the national and regional levels. One case study (The Netherlands) considers national low-carbon transitions at national level. Two other case studies (Latvia and southwest UK) focus on how renewable energy may impact the nexus. A framework is proposed for the generic application of quantitative modelling approaches to assess nexus linkages. The value of the nexus concept for the efficient use of resources is demonstrated, and recommendations for policies supporting the nexus are presented.

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Imaging Spectroscopy for Conservation Applications

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs13020292 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 292

Author(s):

Megan Seeley ◽

Gregory P. Asner

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Decision Making ◽

Case Studies ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Imaging Spectroscopy ◽

Remote Sensing Data ◽

Decision Makers ◽

High Spectral Resolution ◽

Conservation Areas ◽

Broad Array

As humans continue to alter Earth systems, conservationists look to remote sensing to monitor, inventory, and understand ecosystems and ecosystem processes at large spatial scales. Multispectral remote sensing data are commonly integrated into conservation decision-making frameworks, yet imaging spectroscopy, or hyperspectral remote sensing, is underutilized in conservation. The high spectral resolution of imaging spectrometers captures the chemistry of Earth surfaces, whereas multispectral satellites indirectly represent such surfaces through band ratios. Here, we present case studies wherein imaging spectroscopy was used to inform and improve conservation decision-making and discuss potential future applications. These case studies include a broad array of conservation areas, including forest, dryland, and marine ecosystems, as well as urban applications and methane monitoring. Imaging spectroscopy technology is rapidly developing, especially with regard to satellite-based spectrometers. Improving on and expanding existing applications of imaging spectroscopy to conservation, developing imaging spectroscopy data products for use by other researchers and decision-makers, and pioneering novel uses of imaging spectroscopy will greatly expand the toolset for conservation decision-makers.

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Using Deliberative Democracy for Better Urban Decision-Making through Integrative Thinking

Urban Science ◽

10.3390/urbansci5010003 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 3

Author(s):

Janette Hartz-Karp ◽

Dora Marinova

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Case Studies ◽

Deliberative Democracy ◽

Decision Makers ◽

Capital City ◽

City Region ◽

Multiple Sources ◽

Trade Offs ◽

Urban Issues ◽

Sustainability Challenges

This article expands the evidence about integrative thinking by analyzing two case studies that applied the collaborative decision-making method of deliberative democracy which encourages representative, deliberative and influential public participation. The four-year case studies took place in Western Australia, (1) in the capital city Perth and surrounds, and (2) in the city-region of Greater Geraldton. Both aimed at resolving complex and wicked urban sustainability challenges as they arose. The analysis suggests that a new way of thinking, namely integrative thinking, emerged during the deliberations to produce operative outcomes for decision-makers. Building on theory and research demonstrating that deliberative designs lead to improved reasoning about complex issues, the two case studies show that through discourse based on deliberative norms, participants developed different mindsets, remaining open-minded, intuitive and representative of ordinary people’s basic common sense. This spontaneous appearance of integrative thinking enabled sound decision-making about complex and wicked sustainability-related urban issues. In both case studies, the participants exhibited all characteristics of integrative thinking to produce outcomes for decision-makers: salience—grasping the problems’ multiple aspects; causality—identifying multiple sources of impacts; sequencing—keeping the whole in view while focusing on specific aspects; and resolution—discovering novel ways that avoided bad choice trade-offs.

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