ZMT - Leibniz Zentrum für Marine Tropenforschung

17.3.17 | Indonesian experts on corals and marine governance this week met with project members of the ZMT-led project “Contributing to Coral Commons” (Triple C) to discuss their latest findings within the framework of the three-year research project. The Triple C project was set up in 2014 against the backdrop of what one might call the “tragedy of the corals”. Facing a double dilemma coral reefs are threatened by global stressors such as acidification or temperature rise caused by humanity as a whole and at the same time by local stressors such as overfishing or eutrophication, also caused to a large extent by human activity. Contributions on both levels put coral reefs in an extremely vulnerable position.

During the meeting at the IPB Convention Centre in Bogor (Indonesia) participants discussed these vast collective dilemmas and the investigations by members of the Triple C project. Contributions dealt with the effects of different conservation regimes on the ability of corals to recover from bleaching events. An economic experiment was presented which investigated decision-making mechanisms and how they lead to different levels in reduction of fishing effort. A study on what makes people contribute more to conservation practices on a local level (Wakatobi Indonesia) was further evaluated. Results can now help stakeholders such as NGOs in their work as they are aiming to engage as many people as possible in conservation. Furthermore further research needs and potential future topics were identified.

The workshop was organized in cooperation with the Centre for Coastal and Marine Resource Studies - IPB Bogor (PKSPL) and the Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT). Triple C is a consortium consisting of ZMT, the Centre for European Economics Research (ZEW), the Leibniz Institute of Economic Research (RWI) and Jacobs University. The research is undertaken in collaboration with RARE and WCS, both NGOs very active in coral reef conservation and community engagement in Indonesia. Triple C is led by Achim Schlüter, head of the work group Institutional and Behavioural Economics at ZMT.