Creating policy is a long process, and much time can be spent debating various perspectives and strategies of management. Successfully enacting these strategies, and converting them into relevant useful policy, is an equally challenging task which must then be engaged. It appears as though many implementations of Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) fail to take this vital second … [Read more...]
Preserving ecosystems or biodiversity?
Both Fernandes et al. and Arkema et al. saw balancing human use with human impact as central to protecting the GBR. The book chapters we read pointed out several instances where biodiversity was reduced in parts of the GBR independent from human impact. One example of this is the spread of the crown-of thorns starfish (pictured below), which kill coral, reducing the structural … [Read more...]
Beyond EBM in the Great Barrier Reef
A new study published in the journal PLOS found that decreasing shark populations are negatively affecting the health of surrounding coral reefs. Top predators like sharks play an important role in marine food webs, and their absence often correlates with a reduction in ecosystem productivity. The picture below shows just how important top predators are in the food web. This … [Read more...]