Nicholas Hoads licentiatseminarium

The external reviewer is Dr. Tom Mels from the Department of Human Geography, Uppsala University, Campus Gotland.

Dr. Tom Mels will be replacing Dr. Heidi Burnett from the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, who was originally appointed to be the external reviewer but is unable to attend at short notice.

The examiner is Professor Wiebren Boonstra from NRHU, Dept. of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University.

This licentiate seminar is on the way toward a PhD degree, and the thesis is available upon request from Nicholas Hoad.

Date: Wednesday, 2nd April 2025

Time: 10:00 – 12:00

Room: E45, Campus Gotland, Uppsala University

Zoom: https://uu-se.zoom.us/j/66462607726

Title:

Towards a systems approach in seagrass conservation:

Exploring social-ecological drivers of change in Indo-Pacific seagrass ecosystems

Abstract:

Seagrasses provide benefits to people and planet. In the tropical Indo-Pacific, seagrass ecosystems are at risk due to multiple impacts from human activities, including climate change. Although they are important coastal habitats, seagrasses have been frequently left behind in protection and conservation initiatives. This thesis aims to address the need for a systems approach in seagrass protection. The thesis consists of two papers and uses a mixed methods approach structured around the Social-Ecological Systems Framework.

In Paper I, the aim is to further explore the extent to which seagrasses currently fit in governance, policy and management and how threats to seagrasses are addressed in the Western Indian Ocean. The results conclude that seagrasses remain under-represented within coastal protection efforts. However, the situation seems to be improving, particularly in seagrass mapping and the acknowledgement of seagrass ecosystem services.

Paper II aims to employ a systems approach to identify open data for a more holistic understanding of seagrass social-ecological systems. The paper presents a workflow that was developed to structure open data searches, leveraging the Social-Ecological Systems Framework and is applied to Indo-Pacific seagrass systems. The opportunities provided to seagrass researchers and managers today from the ever-expanding range of open data are highly promising, with the ability to enhance research efforts and provide a holistic view of seagrass meadows and other coastal systems. This thesis demonstrates how a systems approach can support a holistic understanding of seagrass social-ecological systems, which can aid in better informing protection efforts. Furthermore, this research sets the necessary groundwork for future in-depth analysis of seagrass protection in the tropical Indo-Pacific. Overall, this thesis contributes to a greater understanding of seagrass conservation through the wider consideration of the social-ecological system.