Perceptions and responses of Pacific Island fishers to changing coral reefs

Rassweiler, Andrew; Lauer, Matthew; Lester, Sarah E.; Holbrook, Sally J.; Schmitt, Russell J.; Moussa, Rakamaly Madi; Munsterman, Katrina S.; Lenihan, Hunter S.; Brooks, Andrew J.; Wencélius, Jean; Claudet, Joachim

doi:10.1007/s13280-019-01154-5

Cited by 30 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 42 publications

(43 reference statements)

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“…These feelings show how the ecological context can affect fishers’ subjective well‐being, which may not be apparent in objective measures of ecosystem service change. This echoes an example from French Polynesia that demonstrated the value of perceptions based data for contextualising experiences of change in a person's life (Rassweiler et al., 2020). Previous work in Seychelles had established the cultural importance of reefs for future generations and acquiring and transferring knowledge (Hicks et al., 2014), both of which are implicated in connection to subjective and relational dimensions of well‐being.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 53%

“…This allowed for the fact that (a) fishers may have perceived changes not captured in ecological datasets and (b) that perceptions of what constitutes a noteworthy change for fishers may differ from what constitutes a significant change for ecologists (e.g. Rassweiler et al., 2020) and may therefore not be captured in the ecological data.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Coral reef fishers draw on their ecological knowledge and everyday experiences to inform decision making. If perceived changes in fish catch fall within a range that is considered normal, fishers may choose to not respond (Rassweiler et al., 2020), but if declines are considered severe enough, fishers may choose to fish elsewhere or leave the fishery (Daw et al., 2012). This, in turn, affects what is available for local consumption and how much pressure is put on the ecosystem (Cinner et al., 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This, in turn, affects what is available for local consumption and how much pressure is put on the ecosystem (Cinner et al., 2011). In this way, perception‐based research can complement scientific assessments of change to highlight which changes are meaningful within different social–ecological contexts (Quintas‐Soriano et al., 2018; Rassweiler et al., 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fishers perceptions of ecosystem service change associated with climate‐disturbed coral reefs

et al. 2021

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Understanding ecosystem service change necessitates an understanding of the social and ecological dimensions of ecosystem services and how they contribute to the well‐being of different people. These empirical research gaps persist across the tropics and in coastal environments, posing a challenge for small island states that depend on ecosystem services associated with near‐shore ecosystems like coral reefs. Perception‐based approaches allow for a rapid appraisal of what constitutes ecosystem service change, providing insights into why these changes matter, and how experiences of change differ between individuals. To capture perceptions of change in four ecosystem services associated with coral reefs (habitat, fishery, coastal protection and recreation services), we conducted 41 semi‐structured interviews with coral reef fishers from Seychelles, where reef ecosystems have been severely impacted by climate disturbance. We gathered quantitative and qualitative data to understand (a) if and what changes in reef‐associated ecosystem services have been perceived; (b) if fishers’ characteristics are associated with differences in perceived changes and (c) which changes matter most in fishers’ lives. Using a three‐dimensional approach to well‐being, we sought to identify whether reasons behind the importance of change connect to fishers’ well‐being. There have been noticeable changes across all four ecosystem services investigated. Changes include social, ecological and behavioural dynamics. Every fisher perceived at least one ecosystem service change but fishers who dive/snorkel or work from larger boats perceived a higher number of ecosystem services to have changed. Education, age and participation in snorkelling/diving were associated with fishers who identified changing habitat services as most important, whereas fishers from families with fewer livelihood alternatives and from smaller islands identified changing fishery services as most important. Different aspects of the subjective, relational and material dimensions of well‐being were implicated in why changing services matter. Despite known ecological shifts in reef condition, this research is one of few studies to empirically show how changes across multiple ecosystem services are being perceived. These perceived changes are complex, engage both the social and ecological dimensions of services, and connect in multiple ways to how fishers feel about their lives, their relationships and material well‐being. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 53%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fishers perceptions of ecosystem service change associated with climate‐disturbed coral reefs

et al. 2021

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“…For the purpose of this study, the Project Team developed a list of categories representing a progression of increasing levels of social organisation that have been used by other studies and roughly relate to particular spatial scales [10,80,81]. The Project Team tested the suitability of the categories and amended as necessary using 4 of the benchmark studies listed in Additional file 3: Table S3 [82][83][84][85]. The final list of levels in order of increasing social organisation are: Individual; Household; Village; Community; User groups; Watershed; Sub-regional (island, district etc.…”

Section: Data Coding Strategymentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial and temporal scales of coral reef fish ecological research and management: a systematic map protocol

et al. 2021

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Background Coral reefs are rapidly changing in response to local and global stressors. Research to better understand and inform the management of these stressors is burgeoning. However, in situ studies of coral reef ecology are constrained by complex logistics and limited resources. Many reef studies are also hampered by the scale-dependent nature of ecological patterns, and inferences made on causal relationships within coral reef systems are limited by the scales of observation. This is because most socio-ecological studies are conducted at scales relevant to the phenomenon of interest. However, management often occurs across a significantly broader, often geopolitical, range of scales. While there is a critical need for incisive coral reef management actions at relevant spatial and temporal scales, it remains unclear to what extent the scales of empirical study overlap with the scales at which management inferences and recommendations are made. This systematic map protocol will evaluate this potential scale mismatch with the goal of raising awareness about the significance of effectively addressing and reporting the scales at which researchers collect data and make assumptions. Methods We will use the Collaboration for Environmental Evidence (CEE) systematic mapping guidelines to identify relevant studies using a framework-based synthesis to summarise the spatial and temporal scales of coral reef fish ecology research and the scales at which management inferences or recommendations are made. Using tested predefined terms, we will search for relevant published academic and grey literature, including bibliographic databases, web-based search engines, and organisational websites. Inclusion criteria for the evidence map are empirical studies that focus on coral reef fish ecological organisation and processes, those informing management interventions and policy decisions, and management documents that cite coral reef research for management decision-making. Study results will be displayed graphically using data matrices and heat maps. This is the first attempt to systematically assess and compare the scales of socio-ecological research conducted on coral reef systems with their management.

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Spatial covariation in nutrient enrichment and fishing of herbivores in an oceanic coral reef ecosystem

Holbrook

Wencélius

Dubel

et al. 2022

Ecological Applications

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Both natural and anthropogenic stressors are increasing on coral reefs, resulting in large-scale loss of coral and potential shifts from coral-to macroalgae-dominated community states. Two factors implicated in shifts to macroalgae are nutrient enrichment and fishing of reef herbivores. Although either of these factors alone could facilitate establishment of macroalgae, reefs may be particularly vulnerable to coral-to-algae phase shifts in which strong bottom-up forcing from nutrient enrichment is accompanied by a weakening of herbivore control of macroalgae via intense fishing. We explored spatial heterogeneity and covariance in these drivers on reefs in the lagoons of Moorea, French Polynesia, where the local fishery heavily targets herbivorous fishes and there are spatially variable inputs of nutrients from agricultural fertilizers and wastewater systems. Spatial patterns of fishing and nutrient enrichment were not correlated at the two landscape scales we examined: among the 11 interconnected lagoons around the island or among major habitats (fringing reef, mid-lagoon, back reef) within a lagoon. This decoupling at the landscape scale resulted from patterns of covariation between enrichment and fishing that differed qualitatively between cross-shore and long-shore directions. At the cross-shore scale, nutrient enrichment declined but fishing increased from shore to the crest of the barrier reef. By contrast, nutrient enrichment and fishing were positively correlated in the long-shore direction, with both increasing with proximity to a pass in the barrier reef. Contrary to widespread assumptions in the scientific literature that human coastal population density correlates with impact on marine ecosystems and that fishing effort declines linearly with distance from the shore, these local stressors produced a complex spatial mosaic of reef vulnerabilities. Our findings support spatially explicit management involving the control of anthropogenic nutrients and strategic reductions in fishing pressure on herbivores by highlighting specific areas to target for management actions.

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Perceptions and responses of Pacific Island fishers to changing coral reefs

Cited by 30 publications

References 42 publications

Fishers perceptions of ecosystem service change associated with climate‐disturbed coral reefs

Fishers perceptions of ecosystem service change associated with climate‐disturbed coral reefs

Spatial and temporal scales of coral reef fish ecological research and management: a systematic map protocol

Spatial covariation in nutrient enrichment and fishing of herbivores in an oceanic coral reef ecosystem

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