The Charisma of Coastal Ecosystems: Addressing the Imbalance
TLDR
The lack of public awareness of losses of less charismatic ecosystems results in the continuation of detrimental practices and therefore contributes to continued declines of coastal ecosystems as discussed by the authors, which is the main cause of coastal ecosystem degradation.Abstract:
Coastal ecosystems including coral reefs, mangrove forests, seagrass meadows, and salt marshes are being lost at alarming rates, and increased scientific understanding of causes has failed to stem these losses. Coastal habitats receive contrasting research effort, with 60% of all of the published research carried out on coral reefs, compared to 11–14% of the records for each of salt marshes, mangrove forests, and seagrass meadows. In addition, these highly connected and interdependent coastal ecosystems receive widely contrasting media attention that is disproportional to their scientific attention. Seagrass ecosystems receive the least attention in the media (1.3% of the media reports) with greater attention on salt marshes (6.5%), considerably more attention on mangroves (20%), and a dominant focus on coral reefs, which are the subject of three in every four media reports on coastal ecosystems (72.5%). There are approximately tenfold lower reports on seagrass meadows in the media for every scientific paper published (ten), than the 130–150 media reports per scientific paper for mangroves and coral reefs. The lack of public awareness of losses of less charismatic ecosystems results in the continuation of detrimental practices and therefore contributes to continued declines of coastal ecosystems. More effective communication of scientific knowledge about these uncharismatic but ecologically important coastal habitats is required. Effective use of formal (e.g., school curricula, media) and informal (e.g., web) education avenues and an effective partnership between scientists and media communicators are essential to raise public awareness of issues, concerns, and solutions within coastal ecosystems. Only increased public understanding can ultimately inform and motivate effective management of these ecologically important coastal ecosystems.read more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
The value of estuarine and coastal ecosystem services
Edward B. Barbier,Sally D. Hacker,Chris J. Kennedy,Evamaria W. Koch,Adrian C. Stier,Brian R. Silliman +5 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the main ecological services across a variety of estuarine and coastal ecosystems (ECEs) including marshes, mangroves, nearshore coral reefs, seagrass beds, and sand beaches and dunes are reviewed.
Journal ArticleDOI
Accelerating loss of seagrasses across the globe threatens coastal ecosystems
Michelle Waycott,Carlos M. Duarte,Tim J. B. Carruthers,Robert J. Orth,William C. Dennison,Suzanne V. Olyarnik,Ainsley Calladine,James W. Fourqurean,Kenneth L. Heck,A. Randall Hughes,Gary A. Kendrick,W. Judson Kenworthy,Frederick T. Short,Susan L. Williams +13 more
TL;DR: This comprehensive global assessment of 215 studies found that seagrasses have been disappearing at a rate of 110 km2 yr−1 since 1980 and that 29% of the known areal extent has disappeared since seagRass areas were initially recorded in 1879.
Journal ArticleDOI
A blueprint for blue carbon: toward an improved understanding of the role of vegetated coastal habitats in sequestering CO2
Elizabeth Mcleod,Gail L. Chmura,Steven Bouillon,Rodney Salm,Mats Björk,Carlos M. Duarte,Carlos M. Duarte,Catherine E. Lovelock,William H. Schlesinger,Brian R. Silliman +9 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors identify key areas of uncertainty and specific actions needed to address them and identify the value of mangrove forests, seagrass beds, and salt marshes in sequestering carbon dioxide.
Journal ArticleDOI
The role of coastal plant communities for climate change mitigation and adaptation
Carlos M. Duarte,Carlos M. Duarte,Carlos M. Duarte,Inigo J. Losada,Iris E. Hendriks,Inés Mazarrasa,Núria Marbà +6 more
TL;DR: In this article, the potential benefits of conservation, restoration and use of marine vegetated habitats for coastal protection and climate change mitigation are assessed, and the potential benefit of using these habitats in eco-engineering solutions for coast protection is discussed.
Journal ArticleDOI
Estimating Global “Blue Carbon” Emissions from Conversion and Degradation of Vegetated Coastal Ecosystems
Linwood Pendleton,Daniel C. Donato,Brian C. Murray,Stephen Crooks,W. Aaron Jenkins,Samantha Sifleet,C. B. Craft,James W. Fourqurean,J. Boone Kauffman,Núria Marbà,J. Patrick Megonigal,Emily Pidgeon,Dorothée Herr,David Gordon,Alexis Baldera +14 more
TL;DR: It is clear that policies encouraging the sustainable management of coastal ecosystems could significantly reduce carbon emissions from the land-use sector, in addition to sustaining the well-recognized ecosystem services of coastal habitats.
References
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