Connectivity of island ecosystems from a management and ecological perspective

The effective management of biodiversity is paramount to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals set out by the United Nations in 2015. Management effectiveness is often measured by assessing the condition and trend of specific values (Leverington et al. 2010) through biodiversity monitoring programmes. Ongoing monitoring and management is therefore integral to conservation of biodiversity but is an often neglected or poorly executed part of the conservation process (Regan et al. 2008). Barriers to success include; (i) poorly articulated or vague objectives contributing to design and implementation problems; (ii) organisational boundaries; (iii) lack of institutional capacity resulting in data piling up without rigorous analysis; (iv) lack of the appropriate standards to guide monitoring activities and make data available from these programmes (Lindenmayer et al. 2012; Reynolds et al. 2010). Successful monitoring requires strong collaboration among managers, ecologists and data scientists, especially in regions where there are multiple organisations managing the biological diversity of the region such as small island developing states (SIDS).
Earth is home to over 100,000 islands, which support 20% of global biodiversity making them some of the most important but most vulnerable ecosystems in the world. Many islands are badly affected by habitat loss, over-use of natural resources and the introduction of invasive species, threatening local biodiversity and these issues are compounded by inefficient management. My research aims to improve the effectiveness of small island developing states ecosystem management. Working with island ecosystem managers and conservation practitioners from around the world I will explore what factors hinder effective management and create a roadmap for strengthening management at sites. Additionally, I aim to demonstrate the importance of coordinating monitoring and management of resources across islands by demonstrating the levels of connectivity between islands via population genetic analysis of coral as well as the possible threat of invasive marine species arriving at islands potentially via marine debris. Based on this research I will create a management framework that bridges the gap between managers and improves the conservation of biodiversity within island ecosystems. This will help protect globally important species and habitats.