Abstract
The degradation of the world's coral reefs has aroused growing interest in ecological restoration as a countermeasure, which is widely criticized, mainly due to cost-effectiveness concerns. Here, we propose the restocking of herbivorous fish as a restoration tool, based on supply of young fish to degraded reefs, with the aims of: 1. Buildup of a critical fish biomass for basic ecosystem functions (e.g. grazing); 2. Increased fishing yields, which can sustain coastal communities, and consequently; 3. Reduced reef destruction and better local compliance with fishery policies. We present the rationale of the restocking approach as both a reef restoration and a fishery management tool, and examine its pros and cons. This approach requires, however, further social-ecological and aquaculture research in order to support the critical stages of its implementation.
Highlights
Coral Reef Degradation and ProtectionCoral reefs are declining worldwide due to the growing impact of stressors, which threaten their biodiversity, ecological functions, and ecosystem services (e.g., Carpenter et al, 2008; Burke et al, 2011)
Restocking Herbivorous Fish in Coral Reefs implementation of highly restricted marine protected areas (MPAs) and marine reserves may be challenging and prone to failure in areas where local communities greatly depend on reef ecosystem services (e.g., MacNeil et al, 2015)
Serve as an additional restoration tool in areas in which MPAs, or existing fishery management, are not likely to be effective as sole measures, due to the social–political circumstances or the progressively-depleted reef state
Summary
Coral reefs are declining worldwide due to the growing impact of stressors (such as overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change), which threaten their biodiversity, ecological functions, and ecosystem services (e.g., Carpenter et al, 2008; Burke et al, 2011). The main management approach to counteracting coral reef decline is designation of marine protected areas (MPAs; e.g., Lester et al, 2009; Edgar et al, 2014) to reduce human endogenous (within-site) impacts, most notably over-fishing and habitat destruction. Well-managed and enforced coral-reef MPAs can enhance recovery following wide-scale natural disturbances, such as coral bleaching (Mumby and Harborne, 2010; De’ath et al, 2012; Gilmour et al, 2013). MPAs may benefit adjacent non-protected areas through the “spillover” of adult fish, or the export of larvae (e.g., Gaines et al, 2010; Russ and Alcala, 2011)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
