An integrative framework for sustainable reef restoration

Globally, coral reef restoration efforts have increased due to the deteriorating health of reefs caused by climate change, with over $0.25 billion invested as of 2021.

However, many restoration programs lack sustainable operational and financial strategies to achieve long-term ecological and social restoration goals.

To address this, a locally tailored and globally applicable approach called social-ecological restoration is proposed, emphasizing the integration of economic flows and diverse financing to support sustained restoration efforts.

The framework highlights the importance of community-led restoration activities, using the Great Barrier Reef as an example, and emphasizes the need to prioritize the development of integrated frameworks to ensure effective restoration as global initiatives intensify.