m-CONNECT

Coral reefs, mangrove forests, and seagrass meadows form ecologically connected coastal seascapes (CMS-metasystems) that underpin critical ecosystem services and contribute to climate resilience in island and coastal communities. However, the integrated role of different forms of connectivity within these CMS-systems—particularly in relation to ecosystem service provisioning and adaptation capacity—remains insufficiently understood. This project will address this knowledge gap by investigating CMS-metasystems in protected and unprotected managed areas across low-lying reef islands in island Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific, from the Coral Triangle to Vanuatu, following a gradient of systems that differ in their natural biodiversity levels. The project aims to co-develop, with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs), science-based guidelines for CMS-metasystem conservation, restoration, and ecosystem service enhancement. These guidelines will incorporate ecological, biogeochemical and geomorphological data on system connectivity, local knowledge, and socio-ecological needs. Particular emphasis will be placed on three key ecosystem services: natural-resource provisioning (fisheries), coastal protection through carbonate production and sediment dynamics, and Blue Carbon potential. By embedding the concept of ecological and morphological connectedness into restoration and conservation planning, the project is expected to increase the long-term success of interventions in CMS-metasystems and enhance the capacity of governance actors in the study region. It will further strengthen the coherence between scientific, policy, and community-based frameworks by demonstrating scalable and inclusive co-design approaches, ultimately contributing to resilient coastal ecosystems and communities under climate change.