[Coral-List] SPAM R2: Re: The Four Principles of Ecological Restoration

Sat Aug 18 17:30:13 UTC 2018

Hi Dennis,

My apology for the empty e-mail that I just sent out in reply to your  
e-mail, I hit the wrong key. The decline of citing early (pre-1990s)  
original works has probably started with the Google search and access  
to the new electronic journals. It took a while before the journals  
managed to put most of their material online and that may have  
contributed to this decline, since a lot of the early research was off  
line and accessible only if we went to the library stacks with hard  
volumes.

Tomas

Quoting Dennis Hubbard <dennis.hubbard at oberlin.edu>:

> It's been a looong time, but when I was starting out, there were two common
> practices that seem to have declined over the years for reasons I've never
> understood. The first relates to citations. Papers now tend to cite the
> "latest" paper on a particular topic and ignore the "classics" - including
> the first to describe a particular phenomenon or introduce an argumnt that
> we think we've come up with. I understand that we need to set the stage
> with the most recent thinking. But, as a result, we might forget (for
> example) that Conrad Neumann coined the term *Bioerosion *in the 70s and
> that the phenomenon was described for sponges in the 1800s. I miss the
> scholarship that allows us to understand the historical context of modern
> arguments and find myself too-often saying, "....read that 20 years ago".
>
> The second relates to "negative" results. I was taught that one of the key
> elements of any good Discussion was a careful consideration of what we
> might have missed or done wrong - and how our interpretations might be
> misdirected despite apparent statistical support. Pointing out possible or
> real mis-steps was the norm (including failed results).
>
> So, "good for you" Julian. It's not just avoiding repeated mistakes; it's
> good scholarship.
>
> Dennis
>
> On Fri, Aug 17, 2018 at 10:33 PM, Julian <julian at reefcheck.org.my> wrote:
>
>> Hi to all
>> Our own small scale restoration experiments since 2011 are detailed in a
>> booklet we published recently (available for download soon on our website
>> www.reefcheck.org.my) which deliberately includes what didn't work so
>> that others can learn from it and not waste more money trying something
>> that won't work. It seems uncommon to publish such "negative" results - I
>> sometimes wonder how much useful information is sitting in scientists
>> minds...but never gets published because it was a "failed" experiment.
>> Regards,
>>
>> Julian Hyde
>> General Manager
>> Reef Check Malaysia
>> +60 3 2161 5948
>> www.reefcheck.org.my
>> Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rcmalaysia
>>
>> Heard a fish bomb? E-mail us at reportfishbomb at reefcheck.org.my with
>> date, time and location
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Coral-List <coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> On Behalf Of
>> Robert Nowicki
>> Sent: Friday, 17 August, 2018 11:33 PM
>> To: Damien Beri <beridl at g.cofc.edu>
>> Cc: coral list <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
>> Subject: SPAM R2: Re: [Coral-List] The Four Principles of Ecological
>> Restoration
>>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I agree that it would benefit the scientific community to highlight what
>> doesn't work- especially given the well understood publishing bias towards
>> positive (i.e. significant) results.  Best restoration practices include
>> what *not *to do, and with coral restoration funding so tight, every grant
>> not spent pursuing a known dead end is a grant that can be used to pursue
>> new directions.  Learning what methods don't succeed is still valuable work
>> and should be celebrated as such.
>>
>> Generally, if people are afraid of "outing" organizations or people,
>> perhaps an alternative would be to list methods that failed, or
>> non-methodological drivers of failure (such as logistical, biological, or
>> political challenges)?  That way restoration groups can know what to watch
>> out for or what not to pursue without people getting thrown into the
>> spotlight.
>>
>> Curious what everyone else thinks.
>>
>>
>> Dr. Rob Nowicki
>>
>> Postdoctoral Research Fellow
>> Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research & Restoration
>> Mote Marine Laboratory
>> 24244 Overseas Highway
>> Summerland Key, FL 33042
>>
>> Office phone: (941)-504-4812
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Aug 16, 2018 at 12:29 PM, Damien Beri <beridl at g.cofc.edu> wrote:
>>
>> > Dear Dr. Frias-Torres,
>> >
>> > Making mistakes and learning from them is part of science.  While you
>> > are under no obligation to share your findings I believe it would help
>> > the community to understand what went wrong and why. There?s nothing
>> > wrong with a failed restoration project in my eyes because coral
>> > restoration is probably the most complex form of environmental
>> > restoration occurring.  I don?t want to alienate, that?s a personal
>> opinion, I want to learn.
>> >
>> > Coming from a position of raising money to donate to coral-restoration
>> > it would be nice to know some of these details to better make
>> > donations. Who knows, maybe some of the money we donated went to such
>> > organizations, I doubt it, but being so far away it can be hard to tell.
>> >
>> > Warm Regards,
>> > Damien Beri
>> >
>> > Founder
>> > Reefined Arts
>> >
>> >
>> > B.S. Biology
>> > The college of Charleston
>> > Coral/Aquarium Specialist
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > > On Aug 14, 2018, at 5:19 PM, Sarah Frias-Torres <
>> > sfrias_torres at hotmail.com> wrote:
>> > >
>> > > Damien,
>> > > Indeed, I would like very much to share openly in Coral-List the
>> > > coral
>> > reef restoration projects that failed because a solid scientific base
>> > was missing.
>> > > However, this would be sensitive information (with names and dates)
>> > > and
>> > it will alienate the organizations that funded and/or implemented the
>> work.
>> > >
>> > > Rather than alienating them pointing out they failed, I think it's
>> > better to build a strong science-based coral reef restoration
>> > community of scientists and practitioners, and we make our code of
>> > conduct and our application of basic principles of ecological
>> > restoration well known, and we publicize them through all media
>> available, globally.
>> > >
>> > > I prefer building bridges than pointing fingers... but I keep a
>> > > little
>> > black book with project fails just in case more drastic measures are
>> needed.
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > <><...<><...<><...
>> > >
>> > > Sarah Frias-Torres, Ph.D.
>> > > Twitter: @GrouperDoc
>> > > Science Blog: https://grouperluna.com/ Art Blog:
>> > > https://oceanbestiary.com/
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > From: Damien Beri <beridl at g.cofc.edu>
>> > > Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2018 5:03 PM
>> > > To: Sarah Frias-Torres
>> > > Cc: coral list
>> > > Subject: Re: [Coral-List] The Four Principles of Ecological
>> > > Restoration
>> > >
>> > > Hi,
>> > >
>> > > Thank you for sharing these 4 basic principles. Could you please
>> > > share
>> > these failed restoration projects you have come across?
>> > >
>> > > Warm Regards,
>> > > Damien Beri
>> > >
>> > > M.A Marine Conservation and Policy
>> > > Stony Brook University
>> > >
>> > > B.S. Biology
>> > > The college of Charleston
>> > > Coral/Aquarium Specialist
>> > >
>> > > > On Aug 13, 2018, at 11:34 AM, Sarah Frias-Torres <
>> > sfrias_torres at hotmail.com> wrote:
>> > > >
>> > > > Dear Coral Listers
>> > > >
>> > > > Recently, I have come upon several ill-planned coral reef
>> > > > restoration
>> > projects that failed. I also see newspaper interpretations on other
>> > projects that are blown out of proportion.
>> > > >
>> > > >
>> > > > We must bring the coral reef restoration community together and
>> > implement a set of basic principles to guide present and future projects.
>> > > >
>> > > >
>> > > > Coral reef restoration must follow the four basic principles of
>> > planning and implementation of ecological restoration in order to
>> > increase sustainable and valuable outcomes. These principles are
>> > explained in Suding et al. (2015). Below, I list the four basic
>> > principles and a direct implication for coral reef restoration labelled
>> as CRR:
>> > > >
>> > > > 1. Restoration increases ecological integrity. Restoration
>> > > > initiates
>> > or accelerates recovery of degraded areas by prioritizing the
>> > complexity of biological assemblages, including species composition
>> > and representation of all functional groups, as well as the features
>> > and processes needed to sustain these biota and to support ecosystem
>> > function;
>> > > >
>> > > > [CRR] Avoid "monocultures" unless they exist in natural conditions
>> > (i.e. Acropora thickets);  aim to restore species assemblages
>> > > >
>> > > > 2. Restoration is sustainable in the long term. Restoration aims
>> > > > to
>> > establish systems that are self-sustaining and resilient; thus, they
>> > must be consistent with their environmental context and landscape
>> > setting. Once a restoration project is complete, the goal should be to
>> > minimize human intervention over the long term. When intervention is
>> > required, it should be to simulate natural processes that the
>> > landscape no longer provides or to support traditional practices of
>> > local communities;
>> > > >
>> > > > [CRR] coral reef restoration jump-starts a degraded coral reef
>> > > > that is
>> > beyond natural recovery. Once the intervention ends, it must be
>> > self-sustaining, i.e. the restored reef attracts new coral recruits,
>> > fish community increases, etc.
>> > > >
>> > > > 3. Restoration is informed by the past and future. Historical
>> > knowledge, in its many forms, can indicate how ecosystems functioned
>> > in the past and can provide references for identifying potential
>> > future trajectories and measuring functional and compositional success
>> > of projects. However, the unprecedented pace and spatial extent of
>> > anthropogenic changes in the present era can create conditions that
>> > depart strongly from historical trends. Often, then, history serves
>> > less as a template and more as a guide for determining appropriate
>> restoration goals.
>> > > >
>> > > > [CRR] this is shorthand for "don't "restore" a coral reef where
>> > > > there
>> > was not one to begin with.
>> > > >
>> > > > 4. Restoration benefits and engages society. Restoration focuses
>> > > > on
>> > recovering biodiversity and supporting the intrinsic value of nature.
>> > It also provides a suite of ecosystem services (e.g., improved water
>> > quality, fertile and stable soils, drought and flood buffering,
>> > genetic diversity, and carbon sequestration) that enhance human
>> > quality of life (e.g., clean water, food security, enhanced health, and
>> effective governance).
>> > Restoration engages people through direct participation and, thus,
>> > increases understanding of ecosystems and their benefits and
>> > strengthens human communities.
>> > > >
>> > > > [CRR] Meaning, don't do "helicopter science". Involve the local
>> > community as much as possible throughout the entire process.
>> > > >
>> > > > I would add a communications principle:
>> > > >
>> > > > 5. Do not over-promise on what your project can do. Be very clear
>> > > > on
>> > what you are doing. A coral is not a coral is not a coral. It's not
>> > the same to outplant one breeding sized branching coral (i.e. 20 cm
>> > diameter),
>> > 20 thumb-sized fragment or 200 coral spat (< 1 cm diameter). Each
>> > coral is a at a different growth stage, has different mortality rates
>> > and different outcomes for the project. Educate journalists on the
>> > correct way of reporting your project. I know many won't listen, but
>> > it's worth the effort for those who would listen.
>> > > >
>> > > >
>> > > > Reference
>> > > >
>> > > > Suding K. and 12 authors (2015) Committing to ecological restoration
>> .
>> > Science 348: 638-640
>> > > >
>> > > > http://science.sciencemag.org/content/348/6235/638
>> > >
>> > > Committing to ecological restoration | Science
>> > > science.sciencemag.org At the September 2014 United Nations Climate
>> > > Summit, governments rallied
>> > around an international agreement?the New York Declaration on
>> > Forests?that underscored restoration of degraded ecosystems as an
>> > auspicious solution to climate change.
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > >
>> > > >
>> > > > <><...<><...<><...
>> > > >
>> > > > Sarah Frias-Torres, Ph.D.
>> > > > Twitter: @GrouperDoc
>> > > > Science Blog: https://grouperluna.com/ Art Blog:
>> > > > https://oceanbestiary.com/
>> > > >
>> > > > _______________________________________________
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>
>
>
>
> --
> Dennis Hubbard
> Chair, Dept of Geology-Oberlin College Oberlin OH 44074
> (440) 775-8346
>
> * "When you get on the wrong train.... every stop is the wrong stop"*
>  Benjamin Stein: "*Ludes, A Ballad of the Drug and the Dream*"
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