Identifying coral reef restoration objectives: A framework

Climate change is a key driver of coral reef decline, manifested in part as heatwaves causing mass bleaching events. As a result, there is increasing interest in supporting reef resilience through restoration and adaptation interventions. Different options have been developed, each with differing impacts on the social-ecological system. Choosing which, if any, option to implement requires assessment of their expected performance against a potentially wide range of objectives. We propose an objectives framework that can help decision analysts and decision makers map intervention options and their consequences to what matters for reefs and people. We present an example hierarchy of strategic and tactical fundamental and means objectives for reef restoration. We show that such an objectives hierarchy in conjunction with the modelling of option performance allows restoration choices to be identified that can meet reef management objectives and produce desired outcomes for reefdependent communities, other stakeholders, and members of society more broadly. Example objectives are derived from government and marine park policy documents as well as a broader set of related academic literature. We show that a hierarchy of clear and well-defined objectives linked to ecological, economic and social values is central to informing multi-objective decision making.