In two case-study sites, the Hawaiian Islands in the U.S., and Haida Gwaii in Canada, we are working with managers to integrate ecosystem tipping points and indicators into ecosystem-based management approaches. Both regions provide a unique opportunity to work with managers that are already taking an ecosystem-based approach to management to build the concepts and science behind tipping points into management decisions.
Hawai'i Case Study Haida Gwaii Case Study
In both case studies, we are working collaboratively with local managers and scientists to characterize past and potential future ecosystem shifts and their drivers. We are identifing early warning indicators that managers can monitor to help anticipate such shifts, and developing concrete tools to support decision-making in the context of potential tipping points. In each system, we are assessing thresholds in single-sector problems, in existing multi-sector conflicts, and in prospective marine planning, with benefits for multiple ecosystem components and sectors at each stage in this progression.