Resilience

Coral reefs are among the oldest ecosystems on earth, and are not only hotspots for biodiversity, but also provide countless services and economic benefits to local communities. Unfortunately, coral reefs worldwide are in crisis. Over the last few decades, global stressors related to climate change have been recognized as a significant threat to coral reef ecosystems. The combination of global and local threats has resulted in declines in reef communities across the globe. 

Managers can take actions to support coral reef resilience and conserve these valuable ecosystems for future generations. Coral reef systems that are more resilient to the impacts of global and local threats are more likely to survive into the future. 

This section provides an overview of social-ecological resilience and the principles of a resilience-based management approach. For more in-depth information, take the Resilience-Based Management Online Course.

Thriving shallow reef in American Samoa. Photo © Shaun Wolfe/Ocean Image Bank