Coral reefs are facing events of severe bleaching and physical destruction due to human coastal development, as well as the effects of unmanaged tourism, including anchoring, fish feeding, marine litter and diver contact. Their resilience depends on effective management. We take a look at how resilience-based management is being adopted in major reef regions around the world to secure the foundations for sustainable development and adapt to global warming.

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The Importance of Coral Reefs 

Coral reefs are among the most valuable ecosystems on the planet. Besides containing one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth, coral reefs protect coastlines from the damaging effects of wave action and tropical storms, are a source of nitrogen and other nutrients for marine food chains, assist in nitrogen and carbon fixing and are a source of income for millions of people around the world. They also play an important role in generating the sand and rubble that maintain islands and cays. 

Resilience-based management plans focus on the processes essential to coral’s ability to survive the impacts of global warming. Key strategies to include in these plans include identifying and protecting reef areas that are naturally resistant to climate change impacts, reducing sources of pollution that increase sensitivity of corals or increase their susceptibility to disease, preventing damage to reefs through poor boating practices or destructive fishing, preventing overfishing of herbivorous fish and restoring places of ecological priority following stress events. 

The Threats to Coral Reefs

Macroalgae and herbivorous fish populations should also be closely monitored. Macroalgae, such as seaweed, is known to poison corals and reduce or halt the settlement and survival of juvenile corals. Herbivorous fish, such as parrotfish and surgeonfish, reduce or eliminate macroalgae from coral reefs and facilitate the growth of reef corals. Increasing the diversity of herbivorous fish and other functional fish groups can indirectly drive coral reef recovery. 

Studying the trajectory of algal growth over time allows researchers to determine the success or failure of strategies to manage herbivory or other factors that contribute to algal growth and the success of reef corals. 

While coral animals are incredibly fragile (just one knock from the fin of a careless diver or snorkeller could cause coral breakage that takes many months, or even years, to recover from), they have proven to be resilient; healthy coral that is free from stress has a better chance of recovery, whereas coral that experiences stress will recover slowly, if at all. 

For example, while coral cover in Bonaire, an island in the Caribbean, suffered extensive damage following a hurricane and a coral bleaching event, corals have recovered to pre-bleaching levels less than a decade later due to effective resilience management.

Sustainable Management of Coral Reefs

Several factors contributed to its management success. The island developed its diving and hotel industries early and they have become Bonaire’s economic engine, above industries such as fishing. Additionally, the most economically valued fishing targeted fish other than coral reef dwelling fish. These factors mean that relatively few people in Bonaire depend on reef fish for food, allowing the fish to thrive. 

While addressing global threats poses a huge challenge, there are many things that can be done on a grassroots level. Therefore, focusing on reducing these direct threats- which can make corals more vulnerable to larger-scale stressors- is key. 

The Reef-World Foundation is a conservation NGO aiming to improve environmental practices across the marine tourism industry. The charity coordinates the Green Fins initiative globally in partnership with the UN Environment Programme. Green Fins focuses on helping diving and snorkelling businesses, as well as individual tourists, reduce their negative impact on coral reefs and other marine environments and provides the only internationally recognised environmental standards for diving and snorkelling.

Green Fins works to measurably reduce direct threats to coral reefs such as diver contact, anchoring, fish feeding, marine litter and chemical discharge, amongst others. Not only does this type of well-managed tourism protect coral reefs- leaving them healthier, more resilient to climate change impacts and more effective at their ecosystem services- but also presents an economic opportunity, creating food and sustainable employment for millions of people around the world. 

Sam Craven, Programmes Manager at Reef-World, has been involved in the implementation of the initiative for many years. Achieving conservation impact, for Sam and her team, is all about collaboration; whether that be with governments, marine tourism operators or individual dive guides and tourists. She explains: “More often than not, marine conservation is less about ‘saving the sea’ and more about managing people’s impact on the sea.” She continues: “Science alone doesn’t change the world; it’s how you use it that counts.” 

Climate change-related coral mortality is unavoidable, but local management actions can improve conditions for regrowth and rehabilitation. Yet, while management schemes should be seen as essential components of mitigating coral reef mortality, major reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions is vital for securing a sustainable future for coral reefs and those who depend on them. 

This is Part One of “Improving the Resilience of Coral Reefs.” Read Part Two here.

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For those of us who are reducing our intake of single-use plastic, reusing plastic items and recycling wherever possible, it can be frustrating when companies don’t seem to be playing their part, or are merely using the issue as a marketing tool. Nature and oceans especially are paying the price. However, there is an industry that is rallying against the problem of plastic pollution.

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Are we fighting a losing battle when it comes to plastic? Chloe Harvey, Director at The Reef-World Foundation doesn’t think so. “While the distressing impact of plastic pollution is something I see with a heavy heart,” she said, “I do have hope.” Her positivity stems from the “forward-thinking knowledge exchange across the [scuba diving] industry.” 

what is being done to stop plastic pollution?

The diving industry has been tackling the plastic pollution problem head-on for decades, with many enterprises integrating socio-environmental initiatives as part of their business plan. The reason for this can perhaps be best summed up in the words of Sylvia Earle, an American marine biologist, who once explained that scuba divers and surfers are often among the strongest ocean conservation advocates “because they’ve spent time in and around the ocean, and they’ve personally seen the beauty, fragility, and even the degradation of our planet’s blue heart.” For companies in the marine tourism industry, seeing the beauty of our ocean day in and day out – as well as the damage being done by humans – motivates them to take real action to protect our underwater ecosystems. 

Collective action is in the works. Hundreds of businesses across the scuba industry pledged to join an initiative called Mission 2020. Set up by Fourth Element, a diving gear retailer, the initiative is encouraging companies to make significant changes to their business models to better protect the ocean; particularly when it comes to eradicating single-use plastics.

Jim Standing from Fourth Element acknowledges the high costs of ‘going green’ but stresses the importance of improving environmental practices anyway. “Frankly, we have to do it,” he told delegates at the ADEX dive show in Singapore in 2019. “If we don’t,” he continued, “the future is incredibly stark.” That’s why, even though some changes might carry an associated cost, Fourth Element has accepted some of the kickback of making their processes more expensive in a bid to protect the ocean. 

As part of Mission 2020, Fourth Element has committed to eliminating single-use plastic packaging from its products by 8 June 2020 (World Oceans Day). The company is already using cardboard or cassava starch packaging for its products and doesn’t use any plastic bags or tags. Additionally, its new Thermocline wetsuit range is made from ghost fishing nets recovered from the ocean. For Jim and his team, manufacturers and businesses across the diving supply chain should lead the way by adapting their business models until consumers have no choice but to be green. 

Blue O Two, a tour company that provides scuba diving holidays, is also involved in the initiative. According to Managing Director Alyson Tyler, the company has pledged: “Our fleet vessels will be single-use plastic free by the end of 2019. We pledge to minimise pollution on our boats and in our worldwide offices, achieving this whilst educating yet also respecting local communities.” Single-use plastics have already been removed from Blue O Two’s Red Sea fleet; equating to over 60,000 bottles each year. While removing single-use plastics across the entire fleet will be a challenge, the company is working with Reef-World to find ways of improving even further through its Green Fins initiative. 

Similarly, Explorer Ventures Liveaboard Fleet is working towards the elimination of single-use plastics onboard its Caribbean vessels. It’s also helping Reef-World establish protocols specifically designed to improve global environmental policies for liveaboards. Rachel Huber, from Explorer Ventures, explained why this is so important for them: “As divers, people on the ‘front line’ we understand we have an obligation and a responsibility to act as stewards of our oceans and environment, so that future generations will be able to enjoy nature as we do,” she said. 

Value alignment across the industry has multiple benefits. Countries of all sizes and from across the world can join in. Disparate initiatives can achieve higher aggregate impact if more businesses increase awareness amongst diver communities, and share best practices on how to tackle the plastic menace from both a prevention and clean up standpoint. 

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