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Timing anthropogenic stressors to mitigate their impact on marine ecosystem resilience

Author

Listed:
  • Paul Pao-Yen Wu

    (University of Melbourne
    School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology)

  • Kerrie Mengersen

    (University of Melbourne
    School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology)

  • Kathryn McMahon

    (School of Sciences and Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research, Edith Cowan University
    WAMSI Headquarters, M095, University of Western Australia)

  • Gary A. Kendrick

    (WAMSI Headquarters, M095, University of Western Australia
    UWA Oceans Institute and School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia)

  • Kathryn Chartrand

    (Centre for Tropical Water & Aquatic Ecosystem Research, James Cook University)

  • Paul H. York

    (Centre for Tropical Water & Aquatic Ecosystem Research, James Cook University)

  • Michael A. Rasheed

    (Centre for Tropical Water & Aquatic Ecosystem Research, James Cook University)

  • M. Julian Caley

    (University of Melbourne
    School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology)

Abstract

Better mitigation of anthropogenic stressors on marine ecosystems is urgently needed to address increasing biodiversity losses worldwide. We explore opportunities for stressor mitigation using whole-of-systems modelling of ecological resilience, accounting for complex interactions between stressors, their timing and duration, background environmental conditions and biological processes. We then search for ecological windows, times when stressors minimally impact ecological resilience, defined here as risk, recovery and resistance. We show for 28 globally distributed seagrass meadows that stressor scheduling that exploits ecological windows for dredging campaigns can achieve up to a fourfold reduction in recovery time and 35% reduction in extinction risk. Although the timing and length of windows vary among sites to some degree, global trends indicate favourable windows in autumn and winter. Our results demonstrate that resilience is dynamic with respect to space, time and stressors, varying most strongly with: (i) the life history of the seagrass genus and (ii) the duration and timing of the impacting stress.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul Pao-Yen Wu & Kerrie Mengersen & Kathryn McMahon & Gary A. Kendrick & Kathryn Chartrand & Paul H. York & Michael A. Rasheed & M. Julian Caley, 2017. "Timing anthropogenic stressors to mitigate their impact on marine ecosystem resilience," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-017-01306-9
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01306-9
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    Cited by:

    1. Paula S Hatum & Kathryn McMahon & Kerrie Mengersen & Jennifer K. McWhorter & Paul P-Y Wu, 2024. "In hot water: Uncertainties in projecting marine heatwaves impacts on seagrass meadows," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(11), pages 1-35, November.
    2. Salman, Faris & Mori, Akihisa, 2023. "When, where, and how can land governance overcome path dependency? A trajectory of land governance change," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    3. Muller, Héloïse & Auclair, Etienne & Woehrel, Aubin & Ganthy, Florian & Tandeo, Pierre & Wu, Paul Pao-Yen & Chercham, Carolyne & Marzloff, Martin Pierre, 2024. "Site-level and spatially-explicit modelling provides some insights on key factors driving seasonal dynamics of an intertidal seagrass," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 495(C).

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