What is ecosystem‐based management?

Until recently, the great majority of coral reef management projects have focused on immediate local threats and not on upland or watershed activities, or other non-point sources of impact. Many projects focus on small areas of a large ecosystem and fail to take ecological and social linkages into consideration. The management of the surrounding areas is often the major driver of changes within the managed area. Efforts to achieve holistic management must consider not only the fish and the coral reef resources but also the ecological, social, economic, and political aspects that involve all stakeholders. A key component of such a strategy would be promotion of healthy coral reef ecosystems by ensuring that economic development is managed in ways that maintain biodiversity and long-term productivity for sustained use of these systems (Crosby et al. 2002).