Influences of Pacific Island human communities on benthic coral reef functioning and resilience

Abstract

A multitude of local and global stressors are threatening the diversity and productivity of coral reef ecosystems within the current era of the Anthropocene. While the effects of global stressors on coral reefs are relatively well understood, the role of various local human impacts and their interaction with global stressors remains under debate. By using a combination of observational-, theoretical- and secondary data-based approaches, this thesis aimed to improve understanding of relationships between local human impacts and benthic coral reef communities in the understudied Pacific Island region. Particularly, it addressed how various levels and types of local impacts can directly and indirectly influence benthic coral reef functioning and in turn future resilience to global stressors.