'%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%

<< < > >>

I N D I C AT O R P R O F I L E S

Highest Priority Indicators

This section includes information on the four main

attributes (Structure, Function, Drivers of Change, and

Given the complexity of reef ecosystems and the

Socialwell-being/Governance)andtheircorresponding

variety of management objectives throughout the

indicators.ForeachattributewepresentaConservation

region, this guide emphasizes the need to evaluate

Objective, list the main Threats to the attribute,

multiple indicators in tandem. However, we also

and list Management Actions that are currently

recognize that most NGOs or monitoring agencies

being used or are proposed to minimize threats.

will not evaluate all of these indicators. Thus we have

provided a short list of 10 Ecological and 10 Drivers

The main focus of this section is to present the

and Social indicators. These indicators are denoted

individual indicator profiles for each of the 58

with the "Priority" seal (see inset) in the indicator

indicators. The purpose of the indicator profiles is

profiles that follow. We believe these indicators

to briefly summarize the data on each indicator

represent a solid recommendation for covering the

as an easy-to-use reference. These profiles

basic components of reef ecosystem health.

should be viewed as living documents that will

However, we also recognize that, in

continually be reviewed and updated through the

addition to the basic ecological

Healthy Reefs website (www.healthyreefs.org).

ORITY ON

status or trends of reef health,

managers are also concerned

Each indicator has a "Profile" identified by an

with evaluating the effects of

alphanumeric code as follows:

their targeted management

interventions. These issues are

Ecosystem Structure indicators

more fully discussed in Section

S FOR HEAL

Ecosystem Function indicators

9 From Indicators to Action.

Drivers of Change indicators

SW =

Social Well-being indicators.

HIGHEST PRIORITY INDICATORS

P RO F I L E C O N T E N T S

Ecosystem Structure

Drivers of Change

S3 Focal Species Abundance

D1 Coastal Development Index

What Is It?

S4 Coral Cover

D2 Tourism Development Index

Defines and describes the indicator.

S6 Fish Abundance

D7 Contaminant Accumulation

S8 Water Quality

D10 Conch Abundance

Why Do We Measure It?

S12 Mangrove Extent

D14 Coral Bleaching Index

Describes why conserving this indicator is

Ecosystem Function

Social Well-being

important to reef integrity.

F1 Coral Recruitment

SW2 Safe Water and Sanitation

How Do We Measure It?

F5 Coral Mortality

SW4 Poverty

Describes methods used or monitoring

F11 Herbivorous Fish

SW5 Economic Contribution of Marine...

programs.

F12 Diadema Abundance

SW11 Environmental Perceptions

Usefulness

F13 Fleshy Macroalgal Index

SW14 MPA Effectiveness

Discusses the relevance, feasibility, and

limitations of collecting data for this

It is important to note that implementation of either

indicator.

the AGRRA or MBRS standard monitoring protocols

will provide data for most of these priority ecological

Status

indicators. Additional data collection would be needed

Describes the current status or condition of

to measure focal species abundance, mangrove extent,

the indicator, when information is available.

and water quality (although some water quality data

collection is included in the MBRS Synoptic Monitoring

Data Needs

Program). Most of the Drivers and Social indicators are

Describes what additional data and

being collected, although not always on a regional scale

information are needed.

with comparable methodologies. Thus there is a need

for standardization in the reporting of these indicators.