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Giglio VJ, Aued AW, Cordeiro CAMM, Eggertsen L, S Ferrari D, Gonçalves LR, Hanazaki N, Luiz OJ, Luza AL, Mendes TC, Pinheiro HT, Segal B, Waechter LS, Bender MG. A Global Systematic Literature Review of Ecosystem Services in Reef Environments. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 73:634-645. [PMID: 38006452 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-023-01912-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
Ecosystem services (ES) embrace contributions of nature to human livelihood and well-being. Reef environments provide a range of ES with direct and indirect contributions to people. However, the health of reef environments is declining globally due to local and large-scale threats, affecting ES delivery in different ways. Mapping scientific knowledge and identifying research gaps on reefs' ES is critical to guide their management and conservation. We conducted a systematic assessment of peer-reviewed articles published between 2007 and 2022 to build an overview of ES research on reef environments. We analyzed the geographical distribution, reef types, approaches used to assess ES, and the potential drivers of change in ES delivery reported across these studies. Based on 115 articles, our results revealed that coral and oyster reefs are the most studied reef ecosystems. Cultural ES (e.g., subcategories recreation and tourism) was the most studied ES in high-income countries, while regulating and maintenance ES (e.g., subcategory life cycle maintenance) prevailed in low and middle-income countries. Research efforts on reef ES are biased toward the Global North, mainly North America and Oceania. Studies predominantly used observational approaches to assess ES, with a marked increase in the number of studies using statistical modeling during 2021 and 2022. The scale of studies was mostly local and regional, and the studies addressed mainly one or two subcategories of reefs' ES. Overexploitation, reef degradation, and pollution were the most commonly cited drivers affecting the delivery of provisioning, regulating and maintenance, and cultural ES. With increasing threats to reef environments, the growing demand for assessing the contributions to humans provided by reefs will benefit the projections on how these ES will be impacted by anthropogenic pressures. The incorporation of multiple and synergistic ecosystem mechanisms is paramount to providing a comprehensive ES assessment, and improving the understanding of functions, services, and benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinicius J Giglio
- Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará, Campus Oriximiná, PA, Brazil.
| | - Anaide W Aued
- Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Cesar A M M Cordeiro
- Laboratório de Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil
| | - Linda Eggertsen
- Departamento de Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Kaneohe, HI, 96744, USA
| | - Débora S Ferrari
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | | | - Natalia Hanazaki
- Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Osmar J Luiz
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
| | - André L Luza
- Departamento de Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Thiago C Mendes
- Departamento de Biologia Marinha, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brazil
| | - Hudson T Pinheiro
- Centro de Biologia Marinha, Universidade de São Paulo, São Sebastião, SP, Brazil
| | - Bárbara Segal
- Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Luiza S Waechter
- Departamento de Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Mariana G Bender
- Departamento de Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
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Peleg O, Blain C, Shears N. Multi-indicator 'state space' approach to assessing changes in shallow urban reef ecosystem health. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 186:105895. [PMID: 36796113 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.105895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Tracking changes in ecosystem health is an important objective for environmental managers, but is often limited by an understanding of what constitutes a "healthy" system and how to aggregate a range of health indicators into a single meaningful metric. We used a multi-indicator 'state space' approach to quantify changes over 13 years in reef ecosystem health in an urban area that has undergone intense housing development. Based on nine health indicators (macroalgal canopy length and biomass, macroalgal canopy and habitat functional diversity, mobile and predatory invertebrate density and size, total species and non-indigenous species richness), we found that the overall health of the reef community declined at five of the ten study sites. This decline was associated with a large collapse in the gastropod community, a shortening of macroalgal canopies and an increase in the number of non-indigenous species. While the cause of this decline and mechanisms responsible are not fully understood, the decline correlated with an increase in sediment cover on the reefs and warming ocean temperatures over the monitoring period. The proposed approach provides an objective and multifaceted quantitative assessment of ecosystem health that can be easily interpreted and communicated. These methods could be adapted to other ecosystem types to inform management decisions regarding future monitoring, conservation and restoration priorities to achieve greater ecosystem health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ohad Peleg
- Leigh Marine Laboratory, Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland, Leigh, 0985, New Zealand.
| | - Caitlin Blain
- Leigh Marine Laboratory, Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland, Leigh, 0985, New Zealand.
| | - Nick Shears
- Leigh Marine Laboratory, Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland, Leigh, 0985, New Zealand.
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Edgar GJ, Stuart-Smith RD, Heather FJ, Barrett NS, Turak E, Sweatman H, Emslie MJ, Brock DJ, Hicks J, French B, Baker SC, Howe SA, Jordan A, Knott NA, Mooney P, Cooper AT, Oh ES, Soler GA, Mellin C, Ling SD, Dunic JC, Turnbull JW, Day PB, Larkin MF, Seroussi Y, Stuart-Smith J, Clausius E, Davis TR, Shields J, Shields D, Johnson OJ, Fuchs YH, Denis-Roy L, Jones T, Bates AE. Continent-wide declines in shallow reef life over a decade of ocean warming. Nature 2023; 615:858-865. [PMID: 36949201 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05833-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Human society is dependent on nature1,2, but whether our ecological foundations are at risk remains unknown in the absence of systematic monitoring of species' populations3. Knowledge of species fluctuations is particularly inadequate in the marine realm4. Here we assess the population trends of 1,057 common shallow reef species from multiple phyla at 1,636 sites around Australia over the past decade. Most populations decreased over this period, including many tropical fishes, temperate invertebrates (particularly echinoderms) and southwestern Australian macroalgae, whereas coral populations remained relatively stable. Population declines typically followed heatwave years, when local water temperatures were more than 0.5 °C above temperatures in 2008. Following heatwaves5,6, species abundances generally tended to decline near warm range edges, and increase near cool range edges. More than 30% of shallow invertebrate species in cool latitudes exhibited high extinction risk, with rapidly declining populations trapped by deep ocean barriers, preventing poleward retreat as temperatures rise. Greater conservation effort is needed to safeguard temperate marine ecosystems, which are disproportionately threatened and include species with deep evolutionary roots. Fundamental among such efforts, and broader societal needs to efficiently adapt to interacting anthropogenic and natural pressures, is greatly expanded monitoring of species' population trends7,8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham J Edgar
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
- Reef Life Survey Foundation, Battery Point, Tasmania, Australia.
| | - Rick D Stuart-Smith
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
- Reef Life Survey Foundation, Battery Point, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Freddie J Heather
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Neville S Barrett
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Emre Turak
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Hugh Sweatman
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Michael J Emslie
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Danny J Brock
- Marine Science Program, Department for Environment and Water, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Jamie Hicks
- Marine Science Program, Department for Environment and Water, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Ben French
- Marine Science Program, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Susan C Baker
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | | | - Alan Jordan
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, Nelson Bay, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nathan A Knott
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, Nelson Bay, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Peter Mooney
- Reef Life Survey Foundation, Battery Point, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Antonia T Cooper
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
- Reef Life Survey Foundation, Battery Point, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Elizabeth S Oh
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - German A Soler
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Camille Mellin
- The Environment Institute and School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Scott D Ling
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Jillian C Dunic
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - John W Turnbull
- University of Sydney, SOLES, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Paul B Day
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
- Reef Life Survey Foundation, Battery Point, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Meryl F Larkin
- National Marine Science Centre, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Yanir Seroussi
- Underwater Research Group of Queensland, Yeerongpilly, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jemina Stuart-Smith
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Ella Clausius
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Tom R Davis
- Fisheries Research, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Joe Shields
- Reef Life Survey Foundation, Battery Point, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Derek Shields
- Reef Life Survey Foundation, Battery Point, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Olivia J Johnson
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Yann Herrera Fuchs
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Lara Denis-Roy
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Tyson Jones
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Amanda E Bates
- Biology Department, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Tebbett SB, Bellwood DR, Johnson ER, Chase TJ. Occurrence and accumulation of heavy metals in algal turf particulates and sediments on coral reefs. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 184:114113. [PMID: 36099683 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Algal turfs form a critical interface on coral reefs that interacts with several key ecosystem processes. While we know these turfs have a remarkable propensity to accumulate sediments, which can have a range of ecosystem impacts, their role as sinks for heavy metals remains largely unexamined. Here we quantified the concentration of 15 metals in algal turf sediments from Lizard Island and Orpheus Island on the Great Barrier Reef, and specifically explored how the loads of arsenic, cobalt, iron and lead were related to turf length. Metal composition differed markedly between the two islands, with the composition at Orpheus Island suggesting closer links to terrestrial sediment sources. Furthermore, metal loads increased significantly with turf length, suggesting that longer turfs can accumulate these pollutants on reefs. Given that algal turfs are a crucial component of herbivorous/detritivorous trophic pathways, this could represent a key juncture at which these metals enter food chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sterling B Tebbett
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia.
| | - David R Bellwood
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Erin R Johnson
- Department of Geography and the Environment, Villanova University, 800 E. Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA 19085, United States of America
| | - Tory J Chase
- Department of Geography and the Environment, Villanova University, 800 E. Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA 19085, United States of America
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Fraser KM, Lefcheck JS, Ling SD, Mellin C, Stuart-Smith RD, Edgar GJ. Production of mobile invertebrate communities on shallow reefs from temperate to tropical seas. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201798. [PMID: 33352078 PMCID: PMC7779515 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary productivity of marine ecosystems is largely driven by broad gradients in environmental and ecological properties. By contrast, secondary productivity tends to be more variable, influenced by bottom-up (resource-driven) and top-down (predatory) processes, other environmental drivers, and mediation by the physical structure of habitats. Here, we use a continental-scale dataset on small mobile invertebrates (epifauna), common on surfaces in all marine ecosystems, to test influences of potential drivers of temperature-standardized secondary production across a large biogeographic range. We found epifaunal production to be remarkably consistent along a temperate to tropical Australian latitudinal gradient of 28.6°, spanning kelp forests to coral reefs (approx. 3500 km). Using a model selection procedure, epifaunal production was primarily related to biogenic habitat group, which explained up to 45% of total variability. Production was otherwise invariant to predictors capturing primary productivity, the local biomass of fishes (proxy for predation pressure), and environmental, geographical, and human impacts. Highly predictable levels of epifaunal productivity associated with distinct habitat groups across continental scales should allow accurate modelling of the contributions of these ubiquitous invertebrates to coastal food webs, thus improving understanding of likely changes to food web structure with ocean warming and other anthropogenic impacts on marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. M. Fraser
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Taroona, Tasmania 7053, Australia
| | - J. S. Lefcheck
- Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network, MarineGEO, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, MD 21037, USA
| | - S. D. Ling
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Taroona, Tasmania 7053, Australia
| | - C. Mellin
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Taroona, Tasmania 7053, Australia
- The Environment Institute and School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - R. D. Stuart-Smith
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Taroona, Tasmania 7053, Australia
| | - G. J. Edgar
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Taroona, Tasmania 7053, Australia
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Abstract
The natural environment is constantly under threat from man-made pollution. More and more pharmaceuticals are recognized as emerging pollutants due to their growing concentration in the environment. One such chemical is ibuprofen which has been detected in processed sewage. The ineffectiveness of water methods treatment currently used raises the need for new remediation techniques, one of such is photodegradation of pollutants. In the present study, zinc(II) and copper(II) phthalocyanines were grafted onto pure anatase TiO2 nanoparticles (5 and 15 nm) to form photocatalysts for photodecomposition of ibuprofen in water. The nanoparticles were subjected to physicochemical characterization, including: thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analysis and particle size measurements. In addition, they were assessed by means of electron spin resonance spectroscopy to evaluate the free radical generation. The materials were also tested for their photocatalytic activity under either UV (365 nm) or visible light (665 nm) irradiation. After 6 h of irradiation, almost complete removal of ibuprofen under UV light was observed, as assessed by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. The reaction kinetics calculations revealed that the copper(II) phthalocyanine-containing nanoparticles were acting at a faster rate than those with zinc(II) derivative. The solutions after the photoremediation experiments were subjected to Microtox® acute toxicity analysis.
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Denis-Roy L, Ling SD, Fraser KM, Edgar GJ. Relationships between invertebrate benthos, environmental drivers and pollutants at a subcontinental scale. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 157:111316. [PMID: 32658681 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Marine ecosystems are structured by an array of natural and anthropogenic drivers, their diverse influences varying between different community types and across space. We assessed consistency in variation in composition and richness for three communities (macro- and meio-faunal communities associated with macroalgae, and soft-sediment infaunal communities) across natural and pollution gradients at the subcontinental scale of southeastern Australia. Community structure varied with natural environmental factors (temperature, wave exposure) and, to a lesser extent, pollutant loads (catchment effects, heavy metals, hydrocarbons and nutrients) across 43 sites spanning 2700 km. The community types showed differing sensitivities to pollutants: algal macrofauna was most strongly associated with hydrocarbon pollution and nutrient loading; algal meiofauna with heavy metals and nutrients; and infauna with catchment effects and nutrients. Different taxonomic resolutions were needed to detect significant pollution relationships for the three community types, indicating that monitoring programmes are most effective if pollutant- and fauna-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Denis-Roy
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, 15-21 Nubeena Cres, Taroona, Tasmania 7053, Australia; Marine Environment and Resources MSc (University of the Basque country, University of Southampton, University of Liège and University of Bordeaux), Plentzia Marine Station (PiE-UPV/EHU) Areatza Pasealekua, 48620 Plentzia, Spain.
| | - Scott D Ling
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, 15-21 Nubeena Cres, Taroona, Tasmania 7053, Australia
| | - Kate M Fraser
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, 15-21 Nubeena Cres, Taroona, Tasmania 7053, Australia
| | - Graham J Edgar
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, 15-21 Nubeena Cres, Taroona, Tasmania 7053, Australia
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Todd PA, Heery EC, Loke LHL, Thurstan RH, Kotze DJ, Swan C. Towards an urban marine ecology: characterizing the drivers, patterns and processes of marine ecosystems in coastal cities. OIKOS 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.05946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peter A. Todd
- Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, Dept of Biological Sciences, National Univ. of Singapore 16 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117558
| | - Eliza C. Heery
- Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, Dept of Biological Sciences, National Univ. of Singapore 16 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117558
| | - Lynette H. L. Loke
- Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, Dept of Biological Sciences, National Univ. of Singapore 16 Science Drive 4 Singapore 117558
| | - Ruth H. Thurstan
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Exeter Penryn UK
| | - D. Johan Kotze
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, Univ. of Helsinki Lahti Finland
| | - Christopher Swan
- Dept of Geography & Environmental Systems, Univ. of Maryland Baltimore County Baltimore MD USA
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Strain EMA, Morris RL, Bishop MJ, Tanner E, Steinberg P, Swearer SE, MacLeod C, Alexander KA. Building blue infrastructure: Assessing the key environmental issues and priority areas for ecological engineering initiatives in Australia's metropolitan embayments. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 230:488-496. [PMID: 30340122 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.09.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Revised: 08/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Ecological engineering principles are increasingly being applied to develop multifunctional artificial structures or rehabilitated habitats in coastal areas. Ecological engineering initiatives are primarily driven by marine scientists and coastal managers, but often the views of key user groups, which can strongly influence the success of projects, are not considered. We used an online survey and participatory mapping exercise to investigate differences in priority goals, sites and attitudes towards ecological engineering between marine scientists and coastal managers as compared to other stakeholders. The surveys were conducted across three Australian cities that varied in their level of urbanisation and environmental pressures. We tested the hypotheses that, relative to other stakeholders, marine scientists and coastal managers will: 1) be more supportive of ecological engineering; 2) be more likely to agree that enhancement of biodiversity and remediation of pollution are key priorities for ecological engineering; and 3) identify different priority areas and infrastructure or degraded habitats for ecological engineering. We also tested the hypothesis that 4) perceptions of ecological engineering would vary among locations, due to environmental and socio-economic differences. In all three harbours, marine scientists and coastal managers were more supportive of ecological engineering than other users. There was also greater support for ecological engineering in Sydney and Melbourne than Hobart. Most people identified transport infrastructure, in busy transport hubs (i.e. Circular Quay in Sydney, the Port in Melbourne and the Waterfront in Hobart) as priorities for ecological engineering, irrespective of their stakeholder group or location. There were, however, significant differences among locations in what people perceive as the key priorities for ecological engineering (i.e. biodiversity in Sydney and Melbourne vs. pollution in Hobart). Greater consideration of these location-specific differences is essential for effective management of artificial structures and rehabilitated habitats in urban embayments.
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Affiliation(s)
- E M A Strain
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science, 19 Chowder Bay Rd, Mosman, NSW, 2088, Australia; Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia; National Centre for Coasts and Climate and School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia.
| | - R L Morris
- National Centre for Coasts and Climate and School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - M J Bishop
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science, 19 Chowder Bay Rd, Mosman, NSW, 2088, Australia; Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - E Tanner
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science, 19 Chowder Bay Rd, Mosman, NSW, 2088, Australia; School of Geosciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - P Steinberg
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science, 19 Chowder Bay Rd, Mosman, NSW, 2088, Australia; Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - S E Swearer
- National Centre for Coasts and Climate and School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - C MacLeod
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
| | - K A Alexander
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia; Centre for Marine Socioecology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7014, Australia
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