Sandy beach social– ecological systems at risk: regime shifts, collapses, and governance challenges

Published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
Authors

Defeo O., McLachlan A., Armitage D., Elliott M., Pittman J.
Publication year 2021
DOI https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2406
Affiliations
  • UNDECIMAR, Faculty of Sciences, Iguá 4225, 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
  • Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
  • School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3C5, Canada
  •  Department of Biological and Marine Sciences, The University of Hull, HULL, HU6 7RX, UK International Estuarine & Coastal Specialists Ltd, Leven, HU17 5LQ, UK
  • School of Planning, Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3C5, Canada
IAI Program
  • SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM: THE ROLE OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES IN ADAPTATION TO GLOBAL CHANGE FOR HUMAN WELLBEING (SGP-HW)
  • Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (grant SGP-HW 017)
  • Comisión Sectorial de Investigación Científica of Uruguay (CSIC Grupos ID 32)
  • Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada
IAI Project 1645887
Keywords
Sandy beaches
social-ecological systems
PDFFrontiers in Ecol Environ - 2021 - Defeo - Sandy beach social ecological systems at risk regime shifts collapses and.pdf

Abstract

Approximately half of the world?s ice-free ocean coastline is composed of sandy beaches, which support a higher level of recreational use than any other ecosystem. However, the contribution of sandy beaches to societal welfare is under increasing risk from local and non-local pressures, including expanding human development and climate-related stressors. These pressures are impairing the capacity of beaches to meet recreational demand, provide food, protect livelihoods, and maintain biodiversity and water quality. This will increase the likelihood of social?ecological collapses and regime shifts, such that beaches will sustain neither the original ecosystem function nor the related services and societal goods and benefits that they provide. These social?ecological systems at the land?sea interface are subject to market forces, weak governance institutions, and societal indifference: most people want a beach, but few recognize it as an ecosystem at risk.