Helping the world solve its environmental management and policy problems for tropical marine ecosystems requires a complex-systems approach.
To be relevant it needs to resolve up to five dimensions: environmental, ecological, economic, social and cultural.
With climate change driving tropical marine ecosystems into decline, management solutions that are tenable for nature and people are those that can deliver lasting social-ecological and economic returns given limited time, resources, and technological advancements.
Identifying and planning for such solutions requires an approach that combines a deep understanding of the social-ecological system with data science, modelling and quantitative decision science.
What is needed are decision-support systems with specific objectives:
(1) algorithms developed to optimise monitoring to best inform effective management,
(2) complex systems modelling to guide the optimal deployment of reef management interventions, and
(3) a blueprint for how such a decision-support system can be developed, operationalised and used.
Such support systems inform choices that help maximise net benefits and minimise risks for marine ecosystems, people, and industries.
See an example of decision support in action.
If you think you could do with some help planning decision support systems, we're here to help.