Year: 2005
Type: editorial
Abstract: Conservation of U.S. coral reefs has been sidetracked by the partial implementation of management plans without clearly achievable goals. Historical ecology reveals global patterns of coral reef degradation that provide a framework for reversing reef decline with ecologically meaningful metrics for success. The authors of this Policy Forum urge action now to address multiple threats simultaneously, because the harmful effects of stressors like overfishing, pollution, poor land-use practices, and global warming are interdependent. Prompt implementation of proven, practical solutions would lead to both short- and long-term benefits, including the return of keystone species and the economic benefits they entail.
Source: Science
Institutions: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Australian National University, James Cook University, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Florida Institute of Oceanography, The University of Queensland
Language: English
Subfield: Ecology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2109399308