Developing an Ocean Ethic: Science, Utility, Aesthetics, Self-Interest, and Different Ways of Knowing

The ocean science and policy communities articulate two prevailing arguments to encourage changes in human behavior that will result in conservation of marine biological diversity. The first is utilitarian and includes encouraging the sustainable use of exploited ocean resources (i.e., prudent use of the public commons) and conserving particular attributes of the environment that provide ecosystem services such as processing wastes from human activities. The other is ethical and includes valuing biological diversity for its inherent properties and believing in its conservation for its own sake. Are these two approaches alone sufficient to build the social consensus needed to alter human behavior and implement programs to preserve and restore the world's oceans?Fil: Auster, Peter J.. University of Connecticut; Estados UnidosFil: Fujita, Rod. No especifíca;Fil: Kellert, Stephen R.. University of Yale; Estados UnidosFil: Avise, John. University of California at Irvine; Estados UnidosFil: Campagna, Claudio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; Argentina. Wildlife Conservation Society; Estados UnidosFil: Cuker, Benjamin. Hampton University; Estados UnidosFil: Dayton, Paul. University of California at San Diego; Estados UnidosFil: Heneman, Burr. No especifíca;Fil: Kenchington, Richard. University Of Wollongong; AustraliaFil: Stone, Greg. New England Aquarium; Estados UnidosFil: Notarbartolo Di Sciara, Giuseppe. Tethys Research Institute; ItaliaFil: Glynn, Polita. Pew Fellows Program In Marine Conservation; Estados Unido

Avoiding a crisis of motivation for ocean management under global environmental change

Climate change and ocean acidification are altering marine ecosystems and, from a human perspective, creating both winners and losers. Human responses to these changes are complex, but may result in reduced government investments in regulation, resource management, monitoring and enforcement. Moreover, a lack of peoples' experience of climate change may drive some towards attributing the symptoms of climate change to more familiar causes such as management failure. Taken together, we anticipate that management could become weaker and less effective as climate change continues. Using diverse case studies, including the decline of coral reefs, coastal defences from flooding, shifting fish stocks and the emergence of new shipping opportunities in the Arctic, we argue that human interests are better served by increased investments in resource management. But greater government investment in management does not simply mean more of "business-as-usual". Management needs to become more flexible, better at anticipating and responding to surprise, and able to facilitate change where it is desirable. A range of technological, economic, communication and governance solutions exists to help transform management. While not all have been tested, judicious application of the most appropriate solutions should help humanity adapt to novel circumstances and seek opportunity where possible