Coral reefs and climate change: Examining two institutional approaches to managing a novel marine ecosystem

Abstract

Much of Florida’s economy is tied to the third-largest barrier reef in the world, the Florida Reef Tract. However, because of anthropogenic threats, it is not the thriving ecosystem it once was, and its persistence requires new, unconventional management strategies. Two entities have emerged to address this problem: the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, a formally structured regulatory authority, and the Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative, an informal network of stakeholder partnerships. We therefore ask: How does coral reef management vary over the different spatial extents and structures of these organizations, and how do these organizations vary in incorporating important aspects of novel ecosystem management? Using 1122 statements from news documents, public meeting transcripts, and stakeholder interviews, we compare the institutional elements of each organization and determine the importance they place on five management considerations. Our results indicate significant institutional differences between the two, one marked by a focus on regulations and authority and the other by a focus on data collection and preparedness. Understanding these institutional differences promotes a better understanding of how adaptive governance can be iteratively applied in novel ecosystems to improve management under rapidly changing conditions.