A new study co-authored by the Wildlife Conservation
Society assesses the magnitude of the changes and evaluates the causes of reef degradation of the Grand Récif of Toliara which stretches about 19km off south-
west Madagascar. It was regarded previously as hav-
ing the richest biodiversity system in the Indian
Ocean, with more than 6000 species identified in the
1960s, and has been highly degraded since the
1980s. Human population growth and migration, over- fishing, and climate change, specifically decreased rainfall and rising temperature were identified as the
major drivers.
The identified network of social–ecological processes acting at different scales im- plies that decision makers will face complex problems that are linked to broader social, economic, and policy issues. This characterizes wicked problems, which are often dealt with by partial solu-
tions that are exploratory and include inputs from various stakeholders along with information
sharing, knowledge synthesis, and trust building.
A hybrid approach based on classical fishery management options and preferences, along with monitoring, feedback and forums for searching solutions, could move the process of adaptation forward once an adaptive and appropriately scaled governance system is functioning.
Read more: http://phys.org/news/2013-‐01-‐wicked-‐problems-‐devastate-‐pristine-‐coral.html