Putting More “System” into Ecosystem-Based Management Using Qualitative Analysis

Marine ecosystem-based management is designed to enhance the sustainable use of marine ecosystem services for human well-being while addressing threats like biodiversity loss, resource exploitation, and climate change among others. Ecosystem-based management entails studying large interconnected ecological and socioeconomic systems and understanding their causal interrelationships. While the rationale for developing ecosystem-based management is clear since the health of the global ocean is critical to human well-being, there has been increasing concern about how to conduct holistic marine management. Three key components of ecosystem-based management include: system description, prediction, and intervention. All require an understanding of causal pathways at the ecosystem-level. System ecologists often use large quantitative models to characterize marine ecosystems as well as their relevant socioeconomic/human relationships. An alternative approach is qualitative analysis. This chapter explores two types of loop analysis, a qualitative, signed-digraph methodology, which elucidates the feedbacks of ecosystem structure and function, and provides improved causal understanding. Several benefits of loop analysis are discussed. While managing complex marine ecosystems embedded in larger socio-economic networks will continue to be challenging, if more “system” conceptualization could be put into ecosystem-based management using qualitative analysis, it could be more operational at a holistic level.