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Restoration as a meaningful aid to ecological recovery of coral reefs

Lookup NU author(s): Dr James Guest, Emeritus Professor Alasdair Edwards, Dr Adriana Humanes Schumann

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Abstract

Restoration supports the recovery of ecological attributes such as cover, complexity, and diversity to slow the areal decline of natural ecosystems. Restoration activity is intensifying worldwide to combat persistent stressors that are driving global declines to the extent and resilience of coral reefs. However, restoration is disputed as a meaningful aid to reef ecological recovery, often as an expensive distraction to addressing the root causes of reef loss. We contend this dispute partly stems from inferences drawn from small-scale experimental restoration outcomes amplified by misconceptions around cost-based reasoning. Alongside aggressive emissions reductions, we advocate urgent investment in coral reef ecosystem restoration as part of the management toolbox to combat the destruction of reefs as we know them within decades.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Suggett DJ, Guest J, Camp EF, Edwards AJ, Goergen L, Hein M, Humanes A, Levy JS, Montoya-Maya PH, Smith DJ, Vardi T, Winters RS, Moore T

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: npj Ocean Sustainability

Year: 2024

Volume: 3

Online publication date: 02/04/2024

Acceptance date: 08/03/2024

Date deposited: 19/02/2025

ISSN (electronic): 2731-426X

Publisher: Springer Nature

URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44183-024-00056-8

DOI: 10.1038/s44183-024-00056-8

Data Access Statement: No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.

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