Search

Grazing is a pivotal function in many marine systems, conferring resilience to coral reefs by limiting algal overgrowth, but triggering phase shifts on temperate reefs. Thus, changes to consumption rates of grazing species in response to higher future temperatures may have broad ecological consequences. We measured how the consumption rates of a widespread mesograzer (the hermit crab Clibanarius virescens) responded to changing temperatures in the laboratory and applied these findings to model the spatial footprint on grazing animals throughout the Indo-Pacific region under climate change scenarios. We show that mean grazing capacity may increase in shallow coastal areas in the second half of the century. The effects are, however, asymmetrical, with tropical reefs predicted to experience slightly diminished grazing whilst reefs at higher latitudes will be grazed substantially more. Our findings suggest that assessments of the effects of climate change on reef ecosystems should consider how warming affects grazing performance when predicting wider ecological impacts., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The combination of ocean warming and acidification brings an uncertain future to kelp forests that occupy the warmest parts of their range. These forests are not only subject to the direct negative effects of ocean climate change, but also to a combination of unknown indirect effects associated with changing ecological landscapes. Here, we used mesocosm experiments to test the direct effects of ocean warming and acidification on kelp biomass and photosynthetic health, as well as climate-driven disparities in indirect effects involving key consumers (urchins and rock lobsters) and competitors (algal turf). Elevated water temperature directly reduced kelp biomass, while their turf-forming competitors expanded in response to ocean acidification and declining kelp canopy. Elevated temperatures also increased growth of urchins and, concurrently, the rate at which they thinned kelp canopy. Rock lobsters, which are renowned for keeping urchin populations in check, indirectly intensified negative pressures on kelp by reducing their consumption of urchins in response to elevated temperature. Overall, these results suggest that kelp forests situated towards the low-latitude margins of their distribution will need to adapt to ocean warming in order to persist in the future. What is less certain is how such adaptation in kelps can occur in the face of intensifying consumptive (via ocean warming) and competitive (via ocean acidification) pressures that affect key ecological interactions associated with their persistence. If such indirect effects counter adaptation to changing climate, they may erode the stability of kelp forests and increase the probability of regime shifts from complex habitat-forming species to more simple habitats dominated by algal turfs., (© 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Climate change is causing an increase in the frequency and intensity of marine heatwaves (MHWs) and mass mortality events (MMEs) of marine organisms are one of their main ecological impacts. Here, we show that during the 2015–2019 period, the Mediterranean Sea has experienced exceptional thermal conditions resulting in the onset of five consecutive years of widespread MMEs across the basin. These MMEs affected thousands of kilometers of coastline from the surface to 45 m, across a range of marine habitats and taxa (50 taxa across 8 phyla). Significant relationships were found between the incidence of MMEs and the heat exposure associated with MHWs observed both at the surface and across depths. Our findings reveal that the Mediterranean Sea is experiencing an acceleration of the ecological impacts of MHWs which poses an unprecedented threat to its ecosystems' health and functioning. Overall, we show that increasing the resolution of empirical observation is critical to enhancing our ability to more effectively understand and manage the consequences of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change can alter ecological communities both directly, by driving shifts in species distributions and abundances, and indirectly by influencing the strength and direction of species interactions. Within benthic marine ecosystems, foundation species such as canopy‐forming macro‐algae often underpin important cascades of facilitative interactions.We examined the wider impacts of climate‐driven shifts in the relative abundances of foundation species within a temperate reef system, with particular focus on a habitat cascade whereby kelp facilitate epiphytic algae that, in turn, facilitate mobile invertebrates. Specifically, we tested whether the warm‐water kelp Laminaria ochroleuca, which has proliferated in response to recent warming trends, facilitated a secondary habitat‐former (epiphytic algae on stipes) and associated mobile invertebrates, to the same degree as the cold‐water kelp Laminaria hyperborea.The facilitative interaction between kelp and stipe‐associated epiphytic algae was dramatically weaker for the warm‐water foundation species, leading to breakdown of a habitat cascade and impoverished associated faunal assemblages. On average, the warm‐water kelp supported >250 times less epiphytic algae (by biomass) and >50 times fewer mobile invertebrates (by abundance) than the cold‐water kelp. Moreover, by comparing regions of pre‐ and post‐range expansion by L. ochroleuca, we found that warming‐impacted kelp forests supported around half the biomass of epiphytic algae and one‐fifth of the abundance of mobile invertebrates, per unit area, compared with unimpacted forests. We suggest that disruption to this facilitation cascade has the potential to impact upon higher trophic levels, specifically kelp forest fishes, through lower prey availability.Synthesis. Climate‐driven shifts in species' distributions and the relative abundances of foundation organisms will restructure communities and alter ecological interactions, with consequences for ecosystem functioning. We show that climate‐driven substitutions of seemingly similar foundation species can alter local biodiversity and trophic processes in temperate marine ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Temperate marine systems globally are warming at accelerating rates, facilitating the poleward movement of warm‐water species, which are tropicalizing higher‐latitude reefs. While temperature plays a key role in structuring species distributions, less is known about how species' early life stages are responding to warming‐induced changes in preferred nursery habitat availability. We aim to identify key ecological and environmental drivers of juvenile reef fishes' distributions in the context of ocean warming. Location: South‐eastern Australian coastline from 30 to 37°S. Methods: We used a decade of underwater visual census data to uncover latitudinal distribution patterns of juvenile reef fishes and habitats across 1000 km of coastline, from subtropical to temperate latitudes. We modelled how benthic habitat cover, depth, wave exposure and sea surface temperature influence distributions of warm‐water and cool‐water juvenile reef fishes on temperate rocky reefs. Results: We found sea surface temperature was typically the most important factor influencing densities of juvenile fishes, regardless of species' thermal affinity or latitudinal range extent. Juveniles of tropical and subtropical range‐expanding fishes responded more strongly to warmer temperatures and lower wave exposure, while juveniles of temperate species responded more strongly to benthic habitats. Species' responses to greater availability of temperate reef habitat‐formers such as kelp and other macroalgae contrasted, being positive for temperate and negative for tropical and subtropical juvenile fishes. Main conclusions: The availability of both suitable habitat and sea temperatures for species' early life stages is important considerations when predicting changes in reef fishes' distributions in the context of ocean warming. Warming‐induced isotherm shifts and feedback loops constraining the persistence of key temperate reef habitat‐formers will favour range‐expanding tropical reef fishes colonizing higher‐latitude reefs, while disadvantaging some macroalgal‐associated resident temperate species. Such varying responses to warming‐induced environmental changes may strongly influence the structure of emerging tropicalized reef assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine heatwaves (MHWs), discrete periods of extreme warm water temperatures superimposed onto persistent ocean warming, have increased in frequency and significantly disrupted marine ecosystems. While field observations on the ecological consequences of MHWs are growing, a mechanistic understanding of their direct effects is rare. We conducted an outdoor tank experiment testing how different thermal stressor profiles impacted the ecophysiological performance of three dominant forest‐forming seaweeds. Four thermal scenarios were tested: contemporary summer temperature (22°C), low persistent warming (24°C), a discrete MHW (22–27°C), and temperature variability followed by a MHW (22–24°C, 22–27°C). The physiological performance of seaweeds was strongly related to thermal profile and varied among species, with the highest temperature not always having the strongest effect. MHWs were highly detrimental for the fucoid Phyllospora comosa, whereas the laminarian kelp Ecklonia radiata showed sensitivity to extended thermal stress and demonstrated a cumulative temperature threshold. The fucoid Sargassum linearifolium showed resilience, albeit with signs of decline with bleached and degraded fronds, under all conditions, with stronger decline under stable control and warming conditions. The varying responses of these three co‐occurring forest‐forming seaweeds under different temperature scenarios suggests that the impact of ocean warming on near shore ecosystems may be complex and will depend on the specific thermal profile of rising water temperatures relative to the vulnerability of different species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the resilience of temperate reefs to climate change requires exploring the recovery capacity of their habitat-forming species from recurrent marine heatwaves (MHWs). Here, we show that, in a Mediterranean highly enforced marine protected area established more than 40 years ago, habitat-forming octocoral populations that were first affected by a severe MHW in 2003 have not recovered after 15 years. Contrarily, they have followed collapse trajectories that have brought them to the brink of local ecological extinction. Since 2003, impacted populations of the red gorgonian Paramuricea clavata (Risso, 1826) and the red coral Corallium rubrum (Linnaeus, 1758) have followed different trends in terms of size structure, but a similar progressive reduction in density and biomass. Concurrently, recurrent MHWs were observed in the area during the 2003–2018 study period, which may have hindered populations recovery. The studied octocorals play a unique habitat-forming role in the coralligenous assemblages (i.e. reefs endemic to the Mediterranean Sea home to approximately 10% of its species). Therefore, our results underpin the great risk that recurrent MHWs pose for the long-term integrity and functioning of these emblematic temperate reefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citizen science (CS) projects may provide community-based ecosystem monitoring, expanding our ability to collect data across space and time. However, the data from CS are often not effectively integrated into institutional monitoring programs and decision-making processes, especially in marine conservation. This limitation is partially due to difficulties in accessing the data and the lack of tools and indices for proper management at intended spatial and temporal scales. MedSens is a biotic index specifically developed to provide information on the environmental status of subtidal rocky coastal habitats, filling a gap between marine CS and coastal management in the Mediterranean Sea. The MedSens index is based on 25 selected species, incorporating their sensitivities to the pressures indicated by the European Union’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and open data on their distributions and abundances, collected by trained volunteers (scuba divers, free divers and snorkelers) using the Reef Check Mediterranean Underwater Coastal Environment Monitoring (RCMed U-CEM) protocol. The species sensitivities were assessed relative to their resistance and resilience against physical, chemical, and biological pressures, according to benchmark levels and a literature review. The MedSens index was calibrated on a dataset of 33,021 observations from 569 volunteers (2001–2019), along six countries’ coasts. A free and user-friendly QGIS plugin allows easy index calculation for areas and time frames of interest. The MedSens index was applied to Mediterranean marine protected areas (MPAs) and the management and monitoring zones within Italian MPAs. In the studied cases, the MedSens index responds well to the local pressures documented by previous investigations.MedSens converts the data collected by trained volunteers into an effective monitoring tool for the Mediterranean subtidal rocky coastal habitats. MedSens can help conservationists and decision-makers identify the main pressures acting in these habitats, as required by the MSFD, supporting them in the implementation of appropriate marine biodiversity conservation measures and better communicate the results of their actions. By directly involving stakeholders, this approach increases public awareness and the acceptability of management decisions, enabling more participatory conservation tactics.

Many temperate reefs are experiencing a shift towards a greater abundance of tropical species in response to marine heatwaves and long-term ocean warming worldwide. Baseline data for coral communities growing in high-latitude reefs is required to better understand ecosystem changes over time. In this study, we explore spatial and temporal trends in the distribution of coral communities from 1999 to 2019 at 118 reef sites within the five marine parks located in the south-west of Western Australia (WA) between 30° to 35° S. Our estimates of coral cover were generally low (Turbinaria spp. at Marmion Marine Park and Ngari Capes Marine Park, and Pocillopora spp. and Dipsastraea spp. at Rottnest Island and Jurien Bay. Our findings suggest that conditions in south-west WA are favorable to the ongoing survival of existing genera and there were minimal signs of expansion in coral cover at most study sites. Coral cover and composition on these reefs may, however, change with ongoing ocean warming and increased occurrence of marine heatwaves. This study provides a valuable benchmark for assessing future changes in coral assemblages and highlights the need for targeted hard-coral surveys to quantify subtle changes in high-latitude coral community assemblages.

Climate change threatens coastal benthic communities on a global scale. However, the potential effects of ongoing warming on mesophotic temperate reefs at the community level remain poorly understood. Investigating how different members of these communities will respond to the future expected environmental conditions is, therefore, key to anticipating their future trajectories and developing specific management and conservation strategies. Here, we examined the responses of some of the main components of the highly diverse Mediterranean coralligenous assemblages to thermal stress. We performed thermotolerance experiments with different temperature treatments (from 26 to 29°C) with 10 species from different phyla (three anthozoans, six sponges and one ascidian) and different structural roles. Overall, we observed species‐specific contrasting responses to warming regardless of phyla or growth form. Moreover, the responses ranged from highly resistant species to sensitive species and were mostly in agreement with previous field observations from mass mortality events (MMEs) linked to Mediterranean marine heat waves. Our results unravel the diversity of responses to warming in coralligenous outcrops and suggest the presence of potential winners and losers in the face of climate change. Finally, this study highlights the importance of accounting for species‐specific vulnerabilities and response diversity when forecasting the future trajectories of temperate benthic communities in a warming ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is driving a redistribution of species and the reconfiguration of ecological communities at a global scale. Persistent warming in many regions has caused species to extend their geographical ranges into new habitats, with thermally tolerant species often becoming competitively dominant over species with colder affinities. Although these climate‐driven changes in species abundance and diversity are well documented, their ecosystem‐level implications are poorly understood, and resolving whether reconfigured communities can maintain fundamental ecosystem functions represents a pressing challenge in an increasingly warmer world.Here, we investigated how climate‐driven substitutions of foundation species influence processes associated with the cycling of organic matter (biomass production, detritus flow, herbivory, decomposition) by comparing two habitat‐forming kelp species with contrasting thermal affinities. We examined the wider ecosystem consequences of such shifts for the observed (and predicted) emergence of novel marine forest communities in the NE Atlantic, which are expected to become more dominated by range‐expanding, warm‐temperate kelp species.Warm‐temperate kelps both accumulated and released 80% more biomass than the cold‐temperate species despite being taxonomically closely related and morphologically similar. Furthermore, the warm‐temperate species accumulated biomass and released detritus year‐round, whereas the cold‐temperate species did so during short, discrete periods. The warm‐temperate kelps supported higher densities of invertebrate grazers and were a preferred food source. Finally, their detritus decomposed 6.5 times faster, despite supporting comparable numbers of detritivores. Overall, our results indicate an important shift in organic matter circulation along large sections of NE Atlantic coastline following the climate‐driven expansion of a warm‐affinity kelp, with novel forests supplying large amounts of temporally continuous—yet highly labile—organic matter.Synthesis. Collectively, our results show that, like species invasions, climate‐driven range expansions and consequent shifts in the identity of dominant species can modify a wide range of important ecosystem processes. However, alterations in overall ecosystem functioning may be relatively limited where foundation species share similar ecological and functional traits. Our study suggests an important shift in the cycling of organic matter along large sections of NE Atlantic coastline following the climate‐driven expansion of a warm‐affinity kelp, with novel forests supplying large amounts of temporally‐continuous—yet highly labile—organic matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competition for space between corals and macroalgae represents a key threatening process for coral reefs, yet the influence of climate change on this competitive interaction is poorly understood, particularly at the poleward margins of coral distribution. Here we describe the discovery of Australia’s southernmost hermatypic corals and explore novel dynamics facilitating the presence and extent of high-latitude coral communities. Examination of 607 shallow reef sites across temperate Australia revealed hard corals to be negatively associated with increasing kelp bed cover, but positively associated with increasing sea surface temperature, herbivorous fishes, grazing sea urchins, and increasing cover of turf algae, which proliferates in the absence of kelp. However, the nature of these effects varied across different regions of temperate Australia consistent with regional variability in the presence/absence of key functional groups for temperate reefs, such as guilds of subtropical herbivorous fishes and/or prevalence of overgrazing sea urchins. For the southernmost coral communities, in eastern Bass Strait Tasmania, the dominant reef-building coral Plesiastrea versipora was negatively associated with kelp and positively associated with the southward range-extending diadematid sea urchin Centrostephanus rodgersii, which has caused extensive kelp bed overgrazing since first locally reported in 1974. Facilitation of coral establishment was strongest on overgrazed barrens where urchin density was relatively low, but sufficient to maintain the reef kelp-free, while corals were less frequent at high urchin densities and completely absent from barrens colonised by intensively grazing limpets. In contrast to tropical Australian coral reefs and other temperate regions (e.g. Western Australia), assays of herbivory confirmed sea urchin grazing, not herbivorous fishes, as chiefly responsible for kelp consumption within this high-latitude system. Size structure of P. versipora in eastern Bass Strait was dominated by small colonies (~ 20 cm2), suggesting an expanding population at the poleward edge of the species’ range. Nevertheless, colonies up to a maximum area of 500 cm2 were observed, which are likely > 40 yrs old based on growth rates established in warmer waters. This research highlights novel patterns and processes structuring the interface between subtropical and temperate reef communities under climate change and specifically highlights the role of herbivores in releasing corals from competition with kelp under warming ocean regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Understanding the relative importance of climatic and non‐climatic distribution drivers for co‐occurring, functionally similar species is required to assess potential consequences of climate change. This understanding is, however, lacking for most ecosystems. We address this knowledge gap and forecast changes in distribution for habitat‐forming seaweeds in one of the world's most species‐rich temperate reef ecosystems. Location: The Great Southern Reef. The full extent of Australia's temperate coastline. Methods: We assessed relationships between climatic and non‐climatic environmental data known to influence seaweed, and the presence of 15 habitat‐forming seaweeds. Distributional data (herbarium records) were analysed with MAXENT and generalized linear and additive models, to construct species distribution models at 0.2° spatial resolution, and project possible distribution shifts under the RCP 6.0 (medium) and 2.6 (conservative) emissions scenarios of ocean warming for 2100. Results: Summer temperatures, and to a lesser extent winter temperatures, were the strongest distribution predictors for temperate habitat‐forming seaweeds in Australia. Projections for 2100 predicted major poleward shifts for 13 of the 15 species, on average losing 78% (range: 36%–100%) of their current distributions under RCP 6.0 and 62% (range: 27%–100%) under RCP 2.6. The giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) and three prominent fucoids (Durvillaea potatorum, Xiphophora chondrophylla and Phyllospora comosa) were predicted to become extinct from Australia under RCP 6.0. Many species currently distributed up the west and east coasts, including the dominant kelp Ecklonia radiata (71% and 49% estimated loss for RPC 6.0 and 2.6, respectively), were predicted to become restricted to the south coast. Main conclusions: In close accordance with emerging observations in Australia and globally, our study predicted major range contractions of temperate seaweeds in coming decades. These changes will likely have significant impacts on marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning because large seaweeds are foundation species for 100s of habitat‐associated plants and animals, many of which are socio‐economically important and endemic to southern Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key consideration in assessing impacts of climate change is the possibility of synergistic effects with other human-induced stressors. In the ocean realm, climate change and overfishing pose two of the greatest challenges to the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems. In eastern Tasmania, temperate coastal waters are warming at approximately four times the global ocean warming average, representing the fastest rate of warming in the Southern Hemisphere. This has driven range extension of the ecologically important long-spined sea urchin (Centrostephanus rodgersii), which has now commenced catastrophic overgrazing of productive Tasmanian kelp beds leading to loss of biodiversity and important rocky reef ecosystem services. Coincident with the overgrazing is heavy fishing of reef-based predators including the spiny lobster Jasus edwardsii. By conducting experiments inside and outside Marine Protected Areas we show that fishing, by removing large predatory lobsters, has reduced the resilience of kelp beds against the climate-driven threat of the sea urchin and thus increased risk of catastrophic shift to widespread sea urchin barrens. This shows that interactions between multiple human-induced stressors can exacerbate nonlinear responses of ecosystems to climate change and limit the adaptive capacity of these systems. Management actions focused on reducing the risk of catastrophic phase shift in ecosystems are particularly urgent in the face of ongoing warming and unprecedented levels of predator removal from the world's oceans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Blooms of benthic dinoflagellates belonging to the tropical genus Ostreopsis are an increasingly common phenomenon in temperate regions worldwide. This is reflected in the rapid upsurge of publications on Ostreopsis from temperate regions since 2000. Relatively little is known about these blooms or their effects on other organisms. An unprecedented bloom of Ostreopsis siamensis occurred on shallow reefs in northern New Zealand in 2004 providing an opportunity to examine the dynamics of an O. siamensis bloom and its effect on community structuring sea urchins (Evechinus chloroticus). The bloom occurred following a period of calm sea conditions with warmer than average water temperatures. The cover of O. siamensis was highly ephemeral and strongly related to temporal and spatial variation in wave action. Blooms were most prevalent at sites protected from prevailing swells where O. siamensis covered 30–60% of the reef with the concentrations on macroalgae reaching 1.4×106 cellsg−1 wet weight, some of the highest recorded worldwide. Surveys of the health of sea urchins in relation to the cover of O. siamensis suggested strong negative effects on this ecologically important herbivore and urchin densities declined by 56–60% at bloom sites over the study period. Further research is needed to examine the factors controlling the distribution and intensity of this new phenomenon, and into the ecological effects of such blooms on marine communities and the potential mechanisms responsible. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Many temperate reefs are experiencing a shift towards a greater abundance of tropical species in response to marine heatwaves and long-term ocean warming worldwide. Baseline data for coral communities growing in high-latitude reefs is required to better understand ecosystem changes over time. In this study, we explore spatial and temporal trends in the distribution of coral communities from 1999 to 2019 at 118 reef sites within the five marine parks located in the south-west of Western Australia (WA) between 30° to 35° S. Our estimates of coral cover were generally low (<5%), except for a few sites in Jurien Bay Marine Park and Rottnest Island Marine Reserve where coral cover was 10% to 30%. Interannual changes in genera assemblages were detected but were not consistent over time, whereas significant temporal increases in coral cover estimates were found at the lowest latitude site in Jurien Bay. Coral assemblages were primarily distinguished by Turbinaria spp. at Marmion Marine Park and Ngari Capes Marine Park, and Pocillopora spp. and Dipsastraea spp. at Rottnest Island and Jurien Bay. Our findings suggest that conditions in south-west WA are favorable to the ongoing survival of existing genera and there were minimal signs of expansion in coral cover at most study sites. Coral cover and composition on these reefs may, however, change with ongoing ocean warming and increased occurrence of marine heatwaves. This study provides a valuable benchmark for assessing future changes in coral assemblages and highlights the need for targeted hard-coral surveys to quantify subtle changes in high-latitude coral community assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• MedSens index is based on the sensitivities to human pressures of 25 marine species. • It is a proxy of environmental quality status of subtidal rocky coastal habitats. • It converts standard data collected by volunteers into an effective monitoring tool. • It is useful in monitoring and managing Mediterranean marine protected areas. • A free software plugin provide decision-makers with an easy index calculation tool. Citizen science (CS) projects may provide community-based ecosystem monitoring, expanding our ability to collect data across space and time. However, the data from CS are often not effectively integrated into institutional monitoring programs and decision-making processes, especially in marine conservation. This limitation is partially due to difficulties in accessing the data and the lack of tools and indices for proper management at intended spatial and temporal scales. MedSens is a biotic index specifically developed to provide information on the environmental status of subtidal rocky coastal habitats, filling a gap between marine CS and coastal management in the Mediterranean Sea. The MedSens index is based on 25 selected species, incorporating their sensitivities to the pressures indicated by the European Union's Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and open data on their distributions and abundances, collected by trained volunteers (scuba divers, free divers and snorkelers) using the Reef Check Mediterranean Underwater Coastal Environment Monitoring (RCMed U-CEM) protocol. The species sensitivities were assessed relative to their resistance and resilience against physical, chemical, and biological pressures, according to benchmark levels and a literature review. The MedSens index was calibrated on a dataset of 33,021 observations from 569 volunteers (2001–2019), along six countries' coasts. A free and user-friendly QGIS plugin allows easy index calculation for areas and time frames of interest. The MedSens index was applied to Mediterranean marine protected areas (MPAs) and the management and monitoring zones within Italian MPAs. In the studied cases, the MedSens index responds well to the local pressures documented by previous investigations. MedSens converts the data collected by trained volunteers into an effective monitoring tool for the Mediterranean subtidal rocky coastal habitats. MedSens can help conservationists and decision-makers identify the main pressures acting in these habitats, as required by the MSFD, supporting them in the implementation of appropriate marine biodiversity conservation measures and better communicate the results of their actions. By directly involving stakeholders, this approach increases public awareness and the acceptability of management decisions, enabling more participatory conservation tactics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]