IUCN Resilience Science Group Working Paper Series

A survey of tourists and tour operators in the Egyptian Red Sea region shows that the industry often misperceives its clients’ environmental sensitivity, putting its own business at risk. Climate change is a growing threat to the tourism industry by making destinations less attractive and jeopardizing major sources of income. The awareness of tourists towards climate change and other environmental issues is likely to be a major driver of their future holiday choices.

The need for rapid methodologies for measuring coral reef resilience and their application in assessing the effectiveness of coral reef conservation management measures is becoming increasingly acute, especially in the developing world. It is therefore crucial to develop monitoring and assessment protocols to build an understanding of bleaching resistance and resilience indicators for application in management, and to determine how MPA management actions can influence resilience and resistance.

Seagrasses are flowering plants that thrive in shallow oceanic and estuarine waters around the world. Although there are only about 60 species of seagrasses worldwide, these plants play an important role in many shallow, near-shore, marine ecosystems. There is growing evidence that seagrasses are declining globally because of anthropogenic impacts. This paper presents an overview of seagrasses, the impacts of climate change, and other threats to seagrass habitats. Finally, it proposes tools and strategies for managers to help support seagrass resilience.

Vast changes in the seas are destroying the world’s precious coral reefs at an unprecedented rate and scale. Burgeoning populations, destructive fishing practices, coastal development, sedimentation from forest clearing and unsound agricultural practices, expanding tourism, and increasing pollution are the primary agents of human impact. Over the past decades, managers have largely focused on abating these critical proximate threats to coral reefs, however, during the past 15 years we have witnessed a major new threat to coral reefs—the threat of coral bleaching linked to global warming.

Building resilience into mangrove conservation plans requires an understanding of how mangroves will respond to climate changes, what factors help them survive these changes, and, consequently, which mangroves are most likely to survive these changes. This publication provides a welcome reference for all stakeholders in mangroves, especially coastal communities, to assist them in encouraging decision makers to apply resilience principles in all development and conservation programmes.