Increasing resilience to climate change and adaptive capacity of Bonaire National Marine Park

Project description 

Title: Increasing resilience to climate change and adaptive capacity of Bonaire National Marine Park

Time: July 2023- July 2025

Project leaders: Florida State University (Sarah Lester, Andrew Rassweiler, Laurel Field (student)) STINAPA (Caren Eckrich, Roxanne-Liana Francisca)

Project summary:

Impacts from climate change threaten the health and productivity of Bonaire’s tropical habitats. To buffer against future impacts and strengthen ecosystem resilience, managers need the ability to identify priority areas for dynamic management interventions and re-zoning, as well as  improved methods for monitoring, planning and analytical tools that can give timely warnings of climate events. In this project, researchers from Florida State University and Stichting Nationale Parken Bonaire (STINAPA), the management body of the BNMP, will: Estimate climate vulnerability of marine habitats in the BMNP, Perform a gap analysis to identify areas where monitoring efforts could be reallocated to detect early warning signs of climate impacts; and Develop dynamic management responses and new zoning regulations to enhance resilience.