Enhancing reef restoration by assessing stakeholder knowledge, attitudes and preferences

Coral restoration has largely focused on improving techniques and biological yield to hasten reef recovery. However, as socioeconomic considerations can affect restoration success, it is important to also consider inputs from various stakeholders in the design and execution of restoration projects. Through online questionnaires, the knowledge levels and attitudes of 142 participants toward coral ecology and restoration in Singapore, and their preferences toward species traits they felt were most beneficial for restoring reefs, were analyzed. Comprising varied sociodemographic profiles and stakeholder groups, participants fared better in general coral biology (up to 90% of answers correct) than local coastal resource management (35% of answers correct). More than 79% of participants agreed that Singapore's reefs were rapidly degrading and required restoration to slow the decline; however, over 63% of them disagreed that restoration was the sole domain of scientists or that the topic had been sufficiently communicated to the public. These knowledge scores and attitudes were most influenced by stakeholder group, educational level, and familiarity with local reefs, underscoring the need to improve environmental education and science communication to these groups. In the trait prioritization exercise involving 76 respondents, resilience and resistance to stress were regarded as most important for restoring reefs. Marine science professionals and nondivers preferred using species that could cope with stress, while nature enthusiasts and recreational divers considered habitat contribution by various coral growth forms as more important. The adaptable framework here facilitates integration of stakeholder inputs with the necessary strategies to boost restoration outcomes.