TY - JOUR
T1 - Ecosystem design as an avenue for improving services provided by carbonate producing marine ecosystems
AU - Westphal, Hildegard
AU - Murphy, Gary N.
AU - Doo, Steve S.
AU - Mann, Thomas
AU - Petrovic, Alexander
AU - Schmidt, Christiane
AU - Stuhr, Marleen
N1 - KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2022-01-25
Acknowledgements: The position of MS was supported by the Minerva Foundation, and the position of SSD by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
PY - 2022/1/20
Y1 - 2022/1/20
N2 - Ecosystem Design (ED) is an approach for constructing habitats that places human needs for ecosystem services at the center of intervention, with the overarching goal of establishing self-sustaining habitats which require limited management. This concept was originally developed for use in mangrove ecosystems, and is understandably controversial, as it markedly diverges from other protection approaches that assign human use a minor priority or exclude it. However, the advantage of ED lies within the considered implementation of these designed ecosystems, thus preserving human benefits from potential later disturbances. Here, we outline the concept of ED in tropical carbonate depositional systems and discuss potential applications to aid ecosystem services such as beach nourishment and protection of coastlines and reef islands at risk from environmental and climate change, CO2 sequestration, food production, and tourism. Biological carbonate sediment production is a crucial source of stability of reef islands and reef-rimmed coastlines. Careful implementation of designed carbonate depositional ecosystems could help counterbalance sea-level rise and manage documented erosion effects of coastal constructions. Importantly, adhering to the core ethos of ED, careful dynamic assessments which provide a balanced approach to maximizing ecosystem services (e.g., carbonate production), should identify and avoid any potential damages to existing functioning ecosystems.
AB - Ecosystem Design (ED) is an approach for constructing habitats that places human needs for ecosystem services at the center of intervention, with the overarching goal of establishing self-sustaining habitats which require limited management. This concept was originally developed for use in mangrove ecosystems, and is understandably controversial, as it markedly diverges from other protection approaches that assign human use a minor priority or exclude it. However, the advantage of ED lies within the considered implementation of these designed ecosystems, thus preserving human benefits from potential later disturbances. Here, we outline the concept of ED in tropical carbonate depositional systems and discuss potential applications to aid ecosystem services such as beach nourishment and protection of coastlines and reef islands at risk from environmental and climate change, CO2 sequestration, food production, and tourism. Biological carbonate sediment production is a crucial source of stability of reef islands and reef-rimmed coastlines. Careful implementation of designed carbonate depositional ecosystems could help counterbalance sea-level rise and manage documented erosion effects of coastal constructions. Importantly, adhering to the core ethos of ED, careful dynamic assessments which provide a balanced approach to maximizing ecosystem services (e.g., carbonate production), should identify and avoid any potential damages to existing functioning ecosystems.
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10754/675088
UR - https://peerj.com/articles/12785
U2 - 10.7717/peerj.12785
DO - 10.7717/peerj.12785
M3 - Article
C2 - 35116197
SN - 2167-8359
VL - 10
SP - e12785
JO - PeerJ
JF - PeerJ
ER -