Managing for a resilient ocean

R. Fujita, J.H. Moxley, H. DeBey, T. Van Leuvan, A. Leumer, K. Honey, S. Aguilera and M. Foley

Marine Policy, 2013, vol. 38, issue C, 538-544

Abstract: Ocean policies around the world increasingly emphasize the importance of maintaining resilient ocean ecosystems, communities, and economies. To maintain and restore the resilience of healthy marine ecosystems in practice, specific management objectives with metrics and a policy framework for how to apply them will be needed. Here we present a concept for doing this, based on evidence that marine ecosystems transition from desirable to less desirable states in response to a number of physical, chemical, and biological drivers. More empirical and synthesis research will be necessary to develop quantitative metrics of resilience and thresholds between ecosystem states for specific ecosystems; however, suggestions are provided here for how to manage for resilience when insufficient data and knowledge are available for quantification. A summary of thresholds for biotic and abiotic drivers of ecosystem state drawn from the literature is also provided as a guide to management.

Keywords: Resilience; Ecosystem services; State change; Thresholds; Indicators (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:marpol:v:38:y:2013:i:c:p:538-544

DOI: 10.1016/j.marpol.2012.05.025

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