Management questions for science

Proceedings

9th International Coral Reef Symposium.

Bali, Indonesia

23-27 October 2000. Vol.2

The International Tropical Marine Ecosystems Management Symposium (Itmems): Management questions for science R.A. Kenchington' and J.S. Baldwin. ' ABSTRACT This paper presents an analysis of the information needs identified by participants at the International Tropical Marine Ecosystems Management Symposium (ITMEMS) in Townsville in November 1998. These needs provide a substantial agenda for ecosystem and natural resource managers, scientists and the management of scientific programs. It is important to continue studies which help to explain phenomena which occur over large areas and long time scales. There is a continuing need for research into the mechanisms whereby human activities cause impacts on species and communities of coral reefs and related ecosystems. Of particular importance is research to develop effective management responses, to prioritise the needs and feasibilities for management and to measure the effectiveness of the measures applied. Keywords Coral reefs, Tropical marine environment management, Capacity building, Lessons learned, Research and monitoring needs

have since reaffirmed the priority needs threatening the ecological integrity of coral reefs and associated ecosystems.

Introduction

Symposium Approach

Coral reefs around the world are in serious decline. The International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) was established in order to stop and reverse the global degradation to coral reefs and associated ecosystems. The ICRI partnership and approach thus far has been to draw attention to the plight of coral reefs and mobilize governments and a wide range of other stakeholders in order to improve management practices, increase capacity ' and political support, and share information on the health of these ecosystems. The first ICRI global workshop on coral reef management was held in Dumaguete City, Philippines from 29 May to 2 June 1995. This set in place a strategy for subsequent action under ICRI, including endorsement of a Call to Action and development of a Framework for Action (ICRI 1995). The purpose of the Call to Action was, and remains, to mobilise governments and the wide range of other stakeholders whose coordinated vigorous and effective actions are required to address the threats to reefs. The Framework for Action calls for action in four major areas: • Integrated management; • Capacity building; • Research and monitoring; and • Review. In the two years following the first global workshop, regional ICRI workshops were held in the Caribbean/Tropical Americas (ICRI 1995), South Asia 1996) and East Asia (UNEP 1996), South Pacific (SPREP 1996), Eastern Africa/westem Indian Ocean (UNEP 1998) and Middle East (NOAA 1998). National ICRI workshops and a World Bank conference on coral reefs

The first International Tropical Marine Ecosystems Management Symposium (ITMEMS) was convened in Townsville, Australia in November 1998 to give effect to the ICRI strategic action requirement for periodic review (performance evaluation) of the extent and success of ICRI implementation (ITMEMS 1999). The specific objectives of ITMEMS were: •

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To review actions taken to date on a global and regional basis to implement the objectives of ICRI as outlined in the Call to Action and Framework for Action; To identify gaps in the global approach of ICRI to stop the degradation of coral reefs and related ecosystems; To provide direction for the future implementation of ICRI; and To share experiences and lessons amongst coral reef managers and policy makers of recent developments in the conservation and sustainable use of coral reefs and related ecosystems.

The symposium stnicture was designed to meet the particular needs of managers with responsibilities for coral reefs, related ecosystems and natural resources. After an overview of reef status, 8 workshops addressed case studies sharing experience from the regions in addressing major management issues: • Fisheries and Protected Areas • Pollution Control • Protected Areas and the Private Sector • Tourism and Protected Areas

Centre for Marine Policy and Law. University of Wollongong, Locked Bag 8812, South Coast Mail Centre, entail : kenchington@nctspeed com.eu ' Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Po Box 1379, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia 735

NSW 2521,

Australia richard,

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Destructive Fishing Practices and Collecting Methods Coastal Development Coral reef Assessment and Monitoring Protected Areas

It was clear that there would be substantial overlap or commonality in the lessons learned and the recommendations from the workshops. They were therefore followed by 4 working groups which sought to draw together the lessons from the case studies in four cross-cutting fields of activity: • • • •

Integrated Management Coordination and Linkages Stakeholder Partnerships and Community participation Public Awareness and Education Data and Information for Management

The issues and questions for science were addressed mainly in the workshop on data and information for management. There was a specific attempt to focus on identifying the managers information needs rather than on the scientific options and strategies for meeting those needs which are closer to some of the purposes of this 9th International Coral Reef Symposium. Working group on data and information for management The working group session started with presentations on a number of monitor programs (Hodgson, Woodley, Rubens, Werner and Allen, in ITMEMS 1999). The group then discussed and developed lists drawing on the information in the presentations and on relevant lessons and recommendations from the earlier workshops. An edited form of these lists, including some key lessons and recommendations relevant to. science from other sessions, is presented below. Lessons Learned from Past Experiences • • •

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Knowledge Gaps Identified • Lack of global awareness of the value of coral reefs • Inadequate information for measuring land-based sources of pollution • Inadequate information basis for international actions on transboundary marine issues • Lack of global knowledge of catastrophic events • Inadequate global knowledge of status of reefs • Inadequate institutional capacity for using data and information for management • Poor coordination and integration of regional information networks • Inadequate research directed toward management needs • Lack of socioeconomic information for management • Inadequate awareness of the value of socioeconomic information • Lack of monitoring tools for local communities • Inadequate knowledge of the impacts of resource use • Inadequate performance indicators for management • Inadequate capability to determine management success Priority Actions Required •

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Knowledge is important in empowering communities in managing resources. Management information should integrate bio physical, social and economic data. I mproved institutional capacity is important to use information effectively in many regions, nations and sites. Community participation in research and monitoring plays an i mportant role in empowering the community. It is important to integrate different levels and types of monitoring activities (scientists, managers, stakeholders). Respond to change by using adaptive management and, in the absence of information, use the best science available upon which to base decisions Research into cumulative impacts requires further development Research is needed on threshold levels for sustainable harvesting Research is needed to understand variability at large scales of space and time

Management should be informed by performance indicators. Baseline studies and monitoring of marine resources provide verification of the effectiveness of MPAs.

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Increase global awareness of the value of, and threats to, coral reefs to the same level of awareness of tropical rainforests. Focus habitat assessments also on tropical marine ecosystems other than coral reefs, such as seagrasses, mangroves and saltmarshes. Develop appropriate monitoring programs that focus on effectively measuring indicators of ecosystem change. Develop cost effective methods for monitoring use, access and impacts Improve the transfer of user-friendly information to managers and users in an appropriate language and ti mely manner. for Strengthen institutional capacity using information by providing training programs and essential resources, such as computers and field equipment. Establish compatible and comparable regional information networks to share and store data. Use case studies to illustrate where scientific information has been used to influence management decisions. Conduct cross-disciplinary training to facilitate mutual understanding and sharing of the knowledge of disciplines among natural scientists, social scientists and managers.

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Link socioeconomic information with biophysical information, including traditional knowledge, as an essential part of ecosystem-based management. Develop quick, simple, inexpensive tools that allow local communities to monitor their own resources. Articulate the reasons for long-term monitoring to politicians and funding agencies using examples of best monitoring practice. Review and evaluate global experiences of the effectiveness of tropical marine ecosystem restoration. Design outcome-based performance indicators for ecosystem management. Specify measurable management targets that can be evaluated through outcome-based performance indicators.

Discussion The combination of lessons, gaps and recommendations contains a number of themes which may help to clarify the elements of a research portfolio to address the needs of management. Using terminology borrowed from human health management six elements may be discerned • • • • • •

Describing and monitoring condition - "vital signs" Identification of the cause or causes of unsatisfactory condition - "diagnosis" Development of treatments to remove causes or alleviate impacts Case management, risk assessment and triage to apply and achieve best treatment outcomes within available means Performance evaluation of the effectiveness of treatment or management Extension, demonstration and communication of outcomes.

The history of reef research as tracked through the proceedings of the International Coral Reef Symposia shows that science has been the major player in describing coral reefs and related ecosystems and identifying localised and widespread deterioration. Similarly, literature citations such as those in Salvat (1987) show a history of studies on human impacts on coral reefs over more than three decades. Many of the causes of reef deterioration relate to land management and land based sources of marine pollution or to the operational impacts of shipping. Understanding of mechanisms, toxicities and impacts should define the performance requirements for acceptable discharges. Beyond this the development of management treatments is less of a field for coral reef science. To the extent that causes of deterioration relate to unmanaged or mismanaged fishing and collecting there is a key management agenda for coral reef science. There is now a substantial history of ichthyology of coral reefs and related ecosystems. The issue now is to apply the lessons of this history to the management of fisheries in those ecosystems. Fisheries management research has, to date,

mainly addressed the issues of identifying, and harvesting stocks of useable target species. To achieve sustainable management there is, however, a substantial need for research into the impacts and consequences of fishing as they relate to the broader topics of ecosystem processes, community dynamics and particularly to non-target species. Reef science has contributed to the development of materials and practices for the management of recreation and tourism, particularly through the development of educational materials and guidelines for operators and visitors to coral reefs. Typically a manager is faced with a number of problems but limited resources so that not all problems can be addressed immediately. An area of particular interest in which reef science may be able to make. contribution is the development of case management or triage strategies. To respond to pressures for treatment of situations which are so acute that there is little prospect for success may involve failure to address less obvious but treatable situations and so prevent those becoming acute. In such circumstances the need is for an objective method involving key decision criteria to identify the problems and circumstances which are amenable to effective: treatment so that resources can be used to best effect. The area of management performance evaluation is one that is attracting increasing attention from science. In part this is being addressed through more coherent monitoring and reporting of the condition of reefs and related ecosystems providing an overall indicator of management performance. Of growing interest is the science of establishing both acceptable conditions for impacts and indicators for the performance and sustainability of specific activities within or affecting ecosystems. The key questions are:. • •

Are the management conditions being implemented or complied with? and Is the condition of the managed system remaining within sustainable limits?

Most coral reef conferences are predominantly conferences about reef science. To some extent this reflects the traditional role of conferences in the cultures of science and environment management. To address this, a deliberate feature of ITMEMS, made possible with the support of ICRI partners and donors was the significant representation and active participation of coral reef managers and decision makers from developing countries. The intention was to develop a clear view of management priorities and to be in a position to provide feedback to a number of forums concerned with the future of coral reefs including this International Coral Reef Symposium. ITMEMS delegates heard case studies of the science of coral reefs, particularly monitoring, being adapted and refined to enable its application at the community level and providing information for management decision making within the resourcing framework available to those communities. The need to make science available

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to developing communities is now even stronger if we are to heed the warning signs now being posted on potential impacts of resource depletion and global warming. Most coral reefs occur in the shallow seas of developing countries but the issue is particularly acute within small island developing states. A serious challenge for science is to tailor research monitoring and the development of management methods to the needs and capacities of communities without compromising the rigour of the methodology used. The final area to address is effective communication of the results and management implications of scientific research to managers and communities which use or have impacts upon reefs and related ecosystems. Here the key questions are: • • • •

What are the implications of scientific findings?; So what?: What should be done?; and What can be done ?

There is increasingly a vast amount of data and considerable analysis accessible through electronic websites. The reader is directed to a number of current websites dealing with coral reef management including ITMEMS (http://www.gbrnpa.gov.au/icri/secretariat/it mems), the ICRI Secretariat (http://www.icriforum.org) and general ICRI matters (http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/icri/ icri.html). The challenge is to distil the significance and the key points of these data to make them available for managers who have limited time to search for information and who may have unreliable electronic access. There is active discussion of holding a second Marine Ecosystems Management International Symposium in 2002. For that symposium would be of great benefit to have a succinct statement of the major findings and management implications of research presented at this 9th International Coral reef Symposium. Conclusion The management information needs identified at ITMEMS provide a substantial agenda for managers, scientists and the managers of scientific programs. It is

important to continue to monitor the condition of coral reefs and related ecosystems at scales of space and time to address the extent and probable significance of changes. There is a continuing need for research into the mechanisms whereby human activities cause impacts on species and communities of coral reefs and related ecosystems. Of particular importance is research to develop effective management responses, to prioritise the needs and feasibilities for management , to measure the effectiveness of the measures applied and communicate the results. References ICRI (1995) Partnership building and framework development - Final Report: The International Coral Reef Initiative Workshop, Siliman University, Dumaguete City , Philippines 29 May - 2 June 1995. United States Department of State, Washington DC. ITMEMS (1999) (Kenchington R A, Dight I J and Baldwin J eds) International Tropical Marine Ecosystems Management Symposium Proceedings. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, Queensland, Australia. NOAA (1998) Report of the Middle East Seas Regional Strategy Workshop for the International Coral Reef Initiative. Aqaba, Jordan 21-25 September 1997. US National Ocean Service, Silver Spring, Maryland USA. Salvat B (ed) (1987) Human impacts on coral reefs: facts and recommendations. Antenne Museum E.P.H.E., French Polynesia SPREP (1996) International Coral Reef Initiative Pacific Regional Workshop: Suva Fiji 27 November I December 1995. SPREP, Apia, Western Samoa. UNEP (1996) Report of the. International Coral Reef Initiative Regional Workshop for the East Asian Seas, Den Pasar Bali 18 -22 March 1996 UNEP Bangkok, Thailand UNEP (1996) Report of the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) Western Indian Ocean and Eastern African Regional Workshop Mahe, Seychelles 29 March - 2 April 1996 UNEP Nairobi, Kenya

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