'%Healthy Reefs for Healthy People - A Guide to Indicators of Reef Health and Social Well-being in the Mesoamerican Reef Region%'%by Melanie McField and Patricia Kramer%

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E C O S Y S T E M ST R U C T U R E I N D I C AT O R S

C OMMUNIT Y STRUCTURE

Conservation Objective

Restore benthic community composition such that the relative abundance of corals and other calcifying

organisms are sufficient to maintain reef accretion; minimize human activities that encourage macroalgal

overgrowth; and minimize human activities that diminish reef rugosity or fish abundance.

Threats

Main threats include loss of habitat and nursery areas, overfishing, marine and watershed pollution,

coral disease and bleaching, direct human impacts such as boat groundings, hurricanes, and global

climate change. Nutrient enrichment threatens to increase algal and sponge abundance at the expense

of corals.

Management Actions

Reduce coral mortality caused by human activities (e.g., discharge of untreated sewage).

Increase protection for key herbivorous fishes.

Reduce illegal fishing and overfishing of commercial species.

Strictly limit and control other destructive practices (e.g., marine dredging).

Investigate opportunities to restore or enhance reef structure (e.g., restore damaged reefs,

re-introduce herbivores, enhance coral-recruitment habitat, restore water quality and larval

corridors).

WWF-Canon/Anthony B. Rath