Dominic Andradi-Brown

World Wildlife Fund | WWF · Ocean Conservation

Invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans and P. miles) have spread widely across the western Atlantic and are recognized as a major threat to native marine biodiversity. Although lionfish inhabit both shallow reefs and mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs; reefs from 30 to 150 m depth), the primary management response implemented by many countries has been...

The detrimental effects of invasive lionfishes (Pterois volitans and Pterois miles) on western Atlantic shallow reefs are well documented, including declines in coral cover and native fish populations, with disproportionate predation on critically endangered reef fish in some locations. Yet despite individuals reaching depths >100 m, the role of me...

Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs; reefs 30-150m depth) are of increased research interest because of their potential role as depth refuges from many shallow reef threats. Yet few studies have identified patterns in fish species composition and trophic group structure between MCEs and their shallow counterparts. Here we explore reef fish species an...

Fish surveys form the backbone of reef monitoring and management initiatives throughout the tropics, and understanding patterns in biases between techniques is crucial if outputs are to address key objectives optimally. Often biases are not consistent across natural environmental gradients such as depth, leading to uncertainty in interpretation of...

Coral reefs face an uncertain future under global climate change, with thermal-induced bleaching increasing in frequency such that corals will soon experience annual severe bleaching (ASB). Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are therefore becoming increasingly important as a conservation tool. Here we evaluate (i) Indonesia’s coral reefs’ spatial variat...

Indonesia’s marine ecosystems are among the most diverse in the world, supporting extensive critical habitats with strong connections to coastal communities. To keep pace with increasing pressures on the environment, conservation efforts need to be strengthened and expanded. The Government of Indonesia has committed to protecting marine ecosystems...

With the rapid growth of Indonesia’s marine protected area (MPAs) estate in Indonesia, reaching 23.9 million hectares by January 2020, attention needs to be focused on strengthening the effectiveness of MPA management. Consolidating and expanding protection of Indonesia’s marine resources is critical with increasing pressure from a fast-expanding p...

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) often have dual goals of protecting biodiversity and increasing sustainability of fisheries. To understand how MPAs are performing at these goals, evaluation of fish biomass outcomes against management targets is needed. However, the evaluation of performance should consider multiple biophysical and social drivers that...

Mangroves are often cleared for aquaculture, agriculture, and coastal development despite the range of benefits for people and nature that they provide. In response to these losses, there are multiple global, and regional efforts aimed at accelerating mangrove forest restoration, resulting in many restoration projects being implemented and managed...

There is an urgent need to halt and reverse loss of mangroves and seagrass to protect and increase the ecosystem services they provide to coastal communities, such as enhancing coastal resilience and contributing to climate stability.1,2 Ambitious targets for their recovery can inspire public and private investment in conservation,3 but the expecte...

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are considered the go-to tool for marine area-based conservation, having rapidly expanded in many countries, yet an understanding of progress and achievement in implementation remains vastly unexplored. Here, we assess the status and trends of coverage and protection, ecological conditions, marine resource use, human w...

The IPBES Scoping document for the values assessment highlights the need to assess the types of values of nature that have (or have not) been incorporated into decision-making, the types of valuation approaches incorporated into decision-making, the challenges that have hindered the incorporation of diverse conceptualizations of values of nature in...

In a marine environment that is rapidly changing due to anthropogenic activities and climate change, area-based management tools are often used to mitigate threats and conserve biodiversity. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are amongst the most widespread and recognized marine conservation tools worldwide, however, MPAs alone are inadequate to address...

This chapter presents a general overview of climate change trends, impacts, and climate-resilient marine conservation policy in Indonesia. We introduce the ways in which the Government of Indonesia (GoI) can address the growing threat from climate change-via climate change mitigation, adaptation, and building social-ecological resilience. Building...

Despite increasing recognition of the need for more diverse and equitable representation in the sciences, it is unclear whether measurable progress has been made. Here, we examine trends in authorship in coral reef science from 1,677 articles published over the past 16 years (2003–2018) and find that while representation of authors that are women (...

A global review of mangrove forests - extent, condition, protection, ecosystem services, restoration, global mapping, policy, economics, community engagement

Multiuse marine protected areas (MPAs) that utilize a mosaic of no-take and sustainable use zones are an increasingly common tool for promoting fish population recovery while minimizing socioeconomic conflict. However, significant gaps remain in our understanding of the effects of multiuse MPAs on reef-fish populations, and how protection from fish...

The Bird's Head Seascape (BHS), Papua, Indonesia is located within the epicenter of global marine biodiversity and has been the focus of recent conservation efforts to protect marine resources. Here, we provide an overview of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) progress in the BHS over the past decade, including establishment history, changes in manageme...

This paper is freely available open access from: https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.CH.2021.PARKS-27-SICP.en The intersection of potential global targets and commitments for ocean conservation with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 has resulted in an opportunity to rethink the future of marine area-based conservation tools, particularly for marine protected...

Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs; reefs 30–150 m depth) are poorly studied, with existing research heavily geographically biased away from the most species-rich reef regions. Yet, MCEs are of high interest because of their unique species and potential to act as refuges from the impacts of fishing. Using baited remote underwater video systems, we s...

Background Tropical coastal marine ecosystems (TCMEs) are rich in biodiversity and provide many ecosystem services, including carbon storage, shoreline protection, and food. Coastal areas are home to increasing numbers of people and population growth is expected to continue, putting TCMEs under pressure from development as well as broader environme...

Laporan Pengelolaan Kawasan Konservasi Perairan di Indonesia: Status dan Tantangan merupakan bagian dari Dokumen MPA Vision 2030, yang diinisiasi oleh Kementerian Kelautan dan Perikanan bersama dengan konsorsium Lembaga Swadaya Masyarakat (WWF, CTC, WCS-IP, YKAN, CII, RARE), dalam rangka mengkaji status dan tren kawasan konservasi perairan di Indon...

Marine Protected Areas Management in Indonesia: Status and Challenges report is a part of the MPA Vision framework for 2030, initiated by MMAF (The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of Indonesia) along with a consortium of NGOs (WWF-Indonesia, CTC, WCS-IP, YKAN, CII, RARE). It is intended to review the status and trends of marine protected a...

Good governance is a key indicator for effective management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Community involvement is an integral part of this governance. Community involvement is important to ensure that people’s inclusive rights in the sustainable use of marine resources can be fulfilled, that knowledge and practices of community-based managemen...

Tata kelola yang baik merupakan salah satu pilar yang harus tersedia untuk memastikan efektivitas pengelolaan Kawasan Konservasi Perairan (KKP). Tata kelola mengacu pada struktur kelembagaan baik formal maupun informal, keahlian teknis, dan proses kerja yang membentuk sebuah pengelolaan. Hal ini bisa mengacu pada kerangka kerja legislasi dan peratu...

Tata kelola yang baik merupakan salah satu indikator yang perlu dicapai dalam pengelolaan Kawasan Konservasi Perairan (KKP) yang efektif. Keterlibatan masyarakat merupakan bagian yang tak terpisahkan dalam tata kelola tersebut. Keterlibatan masyarakat penting untuk memastikan hak-hak inklusif masyarakat dalam pemanfaatan sumber daya laut secara ber...

Good governance is one of the principles to ensure the effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas (MPA) management. Governance refers to the formal and informal structures and processes, agencies, and institutions, technical expertise, and traditions that shape management. This could refer to the national and local legislative and regulatory framework...

For centuries, mangrove forests and adjacent ecosystems have been cast in a negative light due to their (often perceived) ecosystem disservices. We give contemporary examples of how such viewpoints about mangroves continue to be communicated today, with potentially adverse consequences for mangrove conservation and public support. Since public perc...

Indo-Pacific lionfish have become invasive throughout the western Atlantic. Their predatory effects have been the focus of much research and are suggested to cause declines in native fish abundance and diversity across the invaded range. However, little is known about their non-consumptive effects, or their effects on invertebrates. Lionfish use sh...

Human activities that threaten ecosystems often vary across small spatial scales, though they can be driven by large-scale factors like national governance. Here, we use two decades of data on global mangrove deforestation to assess whether landscape-scale indirect pressures – cumulative impacts, population density, mangrove forest fragmentation, t...

Editorial on the Research Topic Coral Reefs in the Anthropocene – Reflecting on 20 Years of Reef Conservation UK

Mangrove forests are found on sheltered coastlines in tropical, subtropical, and some warm temperate regions. These forests support unique biodiversity and provide a range of benefits to coastal communities, but as a result of large-scale conversion for aquaculture, agriculture, and urbanization, mangroves are considered increasingly threatened eco...

Studying scleractinian coral bleaching and recovery dynamics in remote, isolated reef systems offers an opportunity to examine impacts of global reef stressors in the absence of local human threats. Reefs in the Chagos Archipelago, central Indian Ocean, suffered severe bleaching and mortality in 2015 following a 7.5 maximum degree heating weeks (DH...

Shallow coral reef ecosystems worldwide are affected by local and global anthropogenic stressors. Exploring fish assemblages on deeper reefs is therefore important to examine their connectivity, and to help understand the biodiversity, ecology, distinctiveness, evolutionary history and threats in this sparsely studied environment. Conducting visual...

Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) and temperate mesophotic ecosystems (TMEs) have received increasing research attention during the last decade as many new and improved methods and technologies have become more accessible to explore deeper parts of the ocean. However, large voids in knowledge remain in our scientific understanding, limiting our ab...

The Chagos Archipelago, located in the central Indian Ocean and officially known as the British Indian Ocean Territory, contains some of the most remote reefs in the Indian Ocean. The Chagos Archipelago is comprised of a series of atolls, including the largest atoll in the world, the Great Chagos Bank. Records from surveys of mesophotic coral ecosy...

Non-native lionfish have invaded mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) across the western Atlantic and are in the early stages of invading mesophotic depths in the Mediterranean Sea. Records of invasive lionfish at mesophotic depths from both non-native ranges are reviewed herein, including from 15 distinct countries/geographic areas in the western At...

At over 1000 km in length, the Mesoamerican Reef (MAR) is a near-continuous reef system within four different countries: Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras. MAR is the largest reef system in the Northern Hemisphere and is comprised of fringing and barrier reefs and offshore atolls, which extend into deeper water where mesophotic coral ecosyste...

Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs; reefs 30-150 m depth) are poorly studied, with existing research heavily geographically biased away from the most species-rich reef regions. Yet, MCEs are of high interest because of their potential to act as refuges from fisheries impacts. We surveyed MCEs in Raja Ampat, West Papua using baited remote underwater...

Background Globally, shallow-water coral reef biodiversity is at risk from a variety of threats, some of which may attenuate with depth. Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs), occurring from 30 to 40 m and deeper in tropical locations, have been subject to a surge of research this century. Though a number of valuable narrative reviews exist, a systema...

Abstract Widespread shallow coral reef loss has led to calls for more holistic approaches to coral reef management, requiring inclusion of ecosystems interacting with shallow coral reefs in management plans. Yet, almost all current reef management is biased towards shallow reefs, and overlooks that coral reefs extend beyond shallow waters to mesoph...

The Sunda Banda Seascape is part of the global epicenter of tropical marine biodiversity, within the Coral Triangle in Indonesia. Along with Bird’s Head Seascape (BHS), the SBS region is considered by the MMAF as one of the most important marine regions for biodiversity. The region is geographically delineated from two marine ecoregions, the Lesser...

Black corals (Antipatharians) are crucial structural and ecological components of many mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs; reefs 30–150 m depth). In Mexico, black corals are harvested for the jewellery industry, which has historically led to population depletion. Harvesting began in the early 1960s and was concentrated around Cozumel Island until 19...

Change in black coral colony size between 1998 and 2016, using only colonies recorded between 50–60 m depth in 1998 (A) A. caribbeana colony height, (B) P. pennacea colony height, (C) A. caribbeana colony width, and (D) P. pennacea colony width. Kernel density estimates were used, followed by a permutation test to identify differences between years...

Locations of surveyed sites and sites covariates from 1998 and 2016 Column headings are as follows: Long (longitude of surveyed sites in decimal degrees in WGS84 format), Lat (latitude of the surveyed sites in decimal degrees in WGS84 format), Year (the year of surveys), Name (full site name and survey date), Site (site name as in Data S2), Coastal...

Frequency distribution showing the number of black coral colonies recorded in 1998 in 10 m intervals across the depth gradient for (A) A. caribbeana, and (B) P. pennacea Survey effort was approximately equal at different depths in 1998 (Padilla Souza, 2000; Padilla Souza, 2004).

Raw black coral data from 1998 and 2016 Column headings are as follows: Year (the year of survey; all 1998 and 1999 are labeled 1998), Survey.Year_Month (the year_month that the survey was conducted), Site (the Cozumel site name where surveys were conducted), Transect (the replicate transect number of the survey), Transect.Area. m2 (the survey area...

Differences in P. pennacea colony (A) height and (B) width with depth from the 1998 surveys Solid red line shows linear model, while the dashed red lines show 95% prediction intervals. P. pennacea colonies were both taller (F1,215 = 14.8, p < 0.001) and wider (F1,215 = 8.4, p = 0.004) at shallower depths, though R2-values were 0.06 and 0.03 for hei...

Raw R code for the data analysis and figure generation for this study

Approaches to measuring marine biological parameters remain almost as diverse as the researchers who measure them. However, understanding the patterns of diversity in ocean life over different temporal and geographic scales requires consistent data and information on the potential environmental drivers. As a group of marine scientists from differen...

Recent widespread shallow coral reef loss has led to calls for more holistic approaches to coral reef management, requiring inclusion of all ecosystems interacting with coral reefs in management plans. Yet almost all current reef management is biased towards shallow reefs, and overlooks that many reef species can also be found on mesophotic coral e...

Black corals (Antipatharians) play a crucial structural and ecological role on many mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs; reefs 30-150 m depth). In Mexico, black corals are harvested for the jewellery industry, which has historically led to populations depletion. Harvesting began in the early 1960s, and was concentrated around Cozumel Island until 199...

Black corals (Antipatharians) play a crucial structural and ecological role on many mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs; reefs 30-150 m depth). In Mexico, black corals are harvested for the jewellery industry, which has historically led to populations depletion. Harvesting began in the early 1960s, and was concentrated around Cozumel Island until 199...

Non-native lionfish have been recorded throughout the western Atlantic on both shallow and mesophotic reefs, where they have been linked to declines in reef health. In this study we report the first lionfish observations from the deep sea (>200 m) in Bermuda and Roatan, Honduras, with lionfish observed to a maximum depth of 304 m off the Bermuda pl...

R script to assign a depth to each lionfish record

Lionfish GPS locations

Shallow water zooxanthellate coral reefs grade into ecologically distinct mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) deeper in the euphotic zone. MCEs are widely considered to start at an absolute depth limit of 30m deep, possibly failing to recognise that these are distinct ecological communities that may shift shallower or deeper depending on local envir...

Study scleractinia species list. All Identified Scleractinia around the island of Utila from 5 m to 85 m depth during the survey period. The taxonomic hierarchy here defines the species, genus and family level analyses conducted as part of the study. Millepora was included as a group in all analyses as a common hermatype, Scolymia spp. was included...

Scleractinia assemblage detection. The left pane shows a K means clustered Principal Co-ordinate analysis. Polygons enclose points within a cluster. The right pane shows the Calinski criterion for a different proposed number of clusters to be fitted to the data. The largest value was selected as the best choice of number of clusters, denoted by a h...

Generalised R code for K-means clustering and generating Fig 4. This R code will take an ecological matrix as detailed in the header, perform K-means clustering and extract the optimal solution. Associations of species are plotted and Defrene-Legendre analysis indicates how similar the species on a given transect are to identified assemblages. Fina...

Percentage cover estimates for benthic categories. Raw data as displayed in Fig 2. (CSV)

Locations significantly associated with scleractinian assemblages. Transect IDs are listed with the P values returned from Defrene-Lengendre indicator species analysis performed on three levels of taxonomic resolution. Only P values <0.05 are reported. Underlined numbers are the cluster identity the transect aligns with. (PDF)