Coral Reefs - Contemporary Management practices
- —International agreements and government cooperation
- —Government Policy
- —Legislation
- —World Heritage Sites/ Marine Parks
- —Zoning
- —Periodic closure
- —Equipment restraints
- —Artificial lagoons
- —Reef restoration
- —Species protection
- —Ecotourism
- —Yield Constraints
- —Education
- —Research
- —Species monitoring
Ecotourism
Sustainable and well-managed eco-tourism can contribute to management of coral reefs.
Responsible reef practices while snorkelling
Periodic closure
Certain areas can be closed in the short-term during a year. This might be to allow for periods of breeding, or to allow fish stocks to recover. An example of this could be the closure of prawn or barramundi fishing grounds at particular times of the year.
Yield Constraints
Limits may be placed on the number of individuals or boats permitted to harvest an area. This could include fishing licences, banning the taking of female mud crabs, limits of total catches.
Equipment constraints
The prohibition of certain types of equipment such as explosives, poisons, types of anchors, and the number of hooks on a single line. A minimum mesh size on nets may be specified to allow smaller fish to escape.
The battle for the Chagos Islands: Who counts? Read more...
Study finds artifical reefs are an economic boon
Coral Reef Conservation.
World Heritage Sites/ Marine Parks
- funding provided
- includes breeding grounds like seagrass beds
- preservation
- insufficient funds
- many things such as run off and the multiple uses impact on the reef
- impacts from land, trawlers, fishing still impact on the reef in the multi-use zones.
- conflicts - indigenous, fisherman, tourist, levels of government.
Artificial lagoons
- slows water down - drops sediment, breeding ground for fish, stops run off, filters water, reduces the chances of algal blooms downstream
- only a limited number of farmers are doing it.
Restoration
- extra habitat
- tries to recreate the reef
- could create issues with indigenous people
Artificial reefs
Coral reef diversity may be too hard for Nature to reinvent
- funding provided
- includes breeding grounds like seagrass beds
- preservation
- insufficient funds
- many things such as run off and the multiple uses impact on the reef
- impacts from land, trawlers, fishing still impact on the reef in the multi-use zones.
- conflicts - indigenous, fisherman, tourist, levels of government.
Artificial lagoons
- slows water down - drops sediment, breeding ground for fish, stops run off, filters water, reduces the chances of algal blooms downstream
- only a limited number of farmers are doing it.
Restoration
- extra habitat
- tries to recreate the reef
- could create issues with indigenous people
Artificial reefs
Coral reef diversity may be too hard for Nature to reinvent
Jobs (vocations) related to managing or protecting coral reefs:
- Ecoregion manager
- Reef campaign manager
- Marine biologist
- Naturalist
- Scientist
- WWF representative.
