Supporting resilience-based coral reef management using broadscale threshold approaches

Aldabra Atoll, a remote marine protected area (MPA) in the western Indian Ocean, demonstrates high coral reef resilience comparable to well-managed MPAs. A study assessing reef condition against broadscale ecological thresholds—including structural complexity, fish biomass, and juvenile coral density—found that seven of eight seaward reefs met or exceeded expected resilience levels even after the 2016 mass bleaching event, with minimal impact from nearby research activities. The findings support the use of broadscale thresholds for resilience-based management, particularly in data-limited regions, while also highlighting the need to expand threshold categories and incorporate site-specific factors for more nuanced assessments.

Burt, A. J., Koester, A., Bunbury, N., Haupt, P., Walton, R., Fleischer-Dogley, F., & Chong-Seng, K. M. (2025). Supporting resilience-based coral reef management using broadscale threshold approaches. Scientific Reports, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-09531-9