Regime Shifts in Coastal Marine Ecosystems: Theory, Methods and Management Perspectives

Abstract

Regime shifts are large-scale and often abrupt ecosystem reorganizations, caused mostly by the impact of multiple stressors. These shifts are characterized by changing ecosystem state, with the new state being persistent and thus difficult to reverse. Regimes shifts have repercussions on the full socio-ecological system with important implications for management. Coastal marine ecosystems are especially prone to such dynamics since they are impacted strongly by anthropogenic and natural drivers. Here, we describe and discuss regime shifts in marine coastal ecosystems. We firstly review the theoretical framework of regime shifts. Then, we show examples of regime shifts based on three management pillars: prevention, restoration, or adaptation. Furthermore, we highlight emergent issues and challenges for management implementation, and we provide a structured multi-step approach for detecting regime shifts. With global climate change, incorporating regime shifts in management should be a priority in order to maintain marine ecosystems and their services.