E-Mail
Coastal communities at the forefront of climate change reveal valuable approaches to foster adaptability and resilience, according to a worldwide analysis of small-scale fisheries by Stanford University researchers.
Globally important for both livelihood and nourishment, small-scale fisheries employ about 90 percent of the world s fishers and provide half the fish for human consumption. Large-scale shocks like natural disasters, weather fluctuations, oil spills and market collapse can spell disaster, depending on the fisheries ability to adapt to change. In an assessment of 22 small-scale fisheries that experienced stressors, researchers revealed that diversity and flexibility are among the most important adaptive capacity factors overall, while access to financial assets was not as important for individual households as it was at the community scale. The research was published Jan. 23 in the journal
Marine protected areas are like oases of the sea: they heal and restore vital spots of the deep blue frontier. To ensure that the ocean is effectively protected, the United Nations set the general goal of 30% of oceans being MPAs by 2030. However, the goal is not as simple as it sounds, because effective…
Article body copy
, environmental scholar Elin Kelsey makes an evidence-based argument for choosing hope over despair. Kelsey holds up examples of how ecosystems including along our coasts and in our ocean have managed to rebound from damage when given the chance, illustrating nature’s impressive resilience. By sharing these case studies, Kelsey offers reasons to reject apathy and to mobilize. Only if we believe there’s an opportunity to make a real positive impact will we find the motivation to fight for the protection and restoration of ecosystems we depend on. In this condensed excerpt, Kelsey shares a few hope-filled success stories specific to coastal ecosystems.