AN INTEGRATED FRAMEWORK FOR INFORMING COASTAL AND MARINE ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT DECISIONS

Michael A. Reiter (), Gary C. Matlock, John H. Gentile, Mark A. Harwell, Ruth Kelty, John W. Barko, Susan Baker and Geoff Scott
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Michael A. Reiter: Bethune-Cookman University, USA
Gary C. Matlock: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, USA
John H. Gentile: Harwell Gentile & Associates, USA
Mark A. Harwell: Harwell Gentile & Associates, USA
Ruth Kelty: National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, USA
John W. Barko: Barko Environmental, USA
Susan Baker: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, USA
Geoff Scott: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, USA

Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management (JEAPM), 2013, vol. 15, issue 01, 1-22

Abstract: Ecosystem management requires understanding society's goals for an ecosystem and managing for some optimal solution. Unlike terrestrial ecosystem managers, coastal and marine ecosystem management seldom integrates across sectors or scientific disciplines to achieve desired social benefits. An Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (IEA) considers the ecosystem (including humans) as a unit and can assist in setting goals, determining an ecosystem's ability to support ecological processes and society's desires, and predicting the outcome of alternatives. The use of Coupled Ecological-Societal Systems Models utilised within the Integrated Assessment and Ecosystem Management Protocol (IAEMP) allows managers to extend a graphical picture of risk hypotheses to forecast scenarios that can be analysed relative to management goals. Scenarios predicted to meet management goals are evaluated against management constraints to select the "optimal" option for a management action in an adaptive management process. The IAEMP thus helps characterise potential causes of environmental problems, select appropriate response options, and implement and evaluate the selected option, thereby either addressing the concern or improving the ecosystem model for future decisions.

Keywords: Integrated assessment; conceptual modelling; ecosystem management; ecosystem based management; coastal and marine ecosystems; integrated ecosystem assessment; risk assessment; resource management; adaptive management; scenario analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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DOI: 10.1142/S1464333213500038

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