Disturbances in coral reefs can trigger significant ecosystem shifts, but ecologists and local fishing populations may perceive those shifts in fundamentally different ways, according to a study from Florida State University researchers.
This apparent disconnect between data-driven scientists and experience-driven fishing communities could have major implications for the management and resilience of coral reefs and other sensitive marine ecosystems.
Study author Andrew Rassweiler, an assistant professor in FSU’s Department of Biological Science, worked with collaborators from University of California, Santa Barbara and San Diego State University to administer a suite of surveys and fish population assessments on the French Polynesian island of Moorea.
“Our study emphasizes that different groups have different perceptions of change and ecosystem health,” Rassweiler said. The findings were published in the journal Ambio.
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