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USING INDICATORS TO ADDRESS MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS

Effective monitoring programs require realistic expectations about what types of management questions can

and cannot be answered by indicator data. Examples of some common questions that managers can address

with the indicators presented in this guide are shown in Table 9.b.

Table 9.b. Important Management Questions That Can Be Answered with Monitoring Data

Ecosystem Structure (S)

Have we been able to increase focal species abundance on any scales?

Biodiversity

Which species (or functional groups) are facing the most rapid declines?

Has the decline in coral species resulted in loss of reef habitat for fish?

Community Structure

Which groups within the reef community (fish, corals, etc.) are faring better or worse over time?

Is water quality declining or improving in my area?

Abiotic

Do we have correlations between abiotic variables and community structure? If so, which correlations

are strongest?

Can we identify hotspots of habitat loss (and then address them)?

Habitat Extent

Are losses occurring on local or regional scales?

Ecosystem Function (F)

Reproduction &

Is there a decline in reproductive success of key species or groups?

Recruitment

Is there an outbreak of coral disease or bleaching in any given time or area(s)?

Coral Condition

Have any such outbreaks resulted in higher than average mortality?

Reef Accretion &

Is the decline in coral condition reducing reef structure?

Is the rate of bioerosion increasing over time or in areas with poorer water quality?

Bioerosion

Is there higher herbivory inside `no-take zones,' and is this correlated with higher coral cover and lower

Herbivory

macroalgal cover?

Drivers of Change (D)

Tourism & Coastal

How much habitat is being altered or loss due to coastal development?

Which segments of the tourism industry are adopting sustainable tourism and coastal development

Development

practices?

How prevalent are contaminants in reef ecosystems?

Land Use & Agriculture

Have agroindustries reduced their use of pesticides and fertilizers after adopting better management

practices?

How is the production of seafood changing over time?

Fishing

Are declining populations of commercial species correlated with any measurable declines in reef

structure or function?

Are the frequency, intensity and resulting mortality of bleaching events increasing over time?

Global Climate Change

Can we identify reef areas that are less prone to bleaching or are more resilient to bleaching events?

Social Well-being (SW)

Are chemical contaminants accumulating in humans in amounts that exceed standards for the

Human Health

protection of human health?

Is improper sanitation increasing and threatening human and environmental health?

Have changes in ecosystem health led to economic loss or loss of ecosystem services?

Economy

Are there measurable benefits (poverty reduction) associated with having healthy reefs nearby?

How much do people value reef ecosystems?

Culture

Have those values changed over the last 10 years as ecosystem health changed?

Are women being afforded equal opportunities for employment?

Is the effectiveness of our MPA management efforts increasing over time in the MAR?

Policy

Which national governments are improving their environmental stewardship and which are not?

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