Connectivity shapes delivery of multiple ecological benefits from restoration

Connectivity and landscape context are common considerations in the spatial prioritisation of conservation actions. Similar spatial principles can also be used to inform the selection, prioritisation and monitoring of sites for restoration, but it is not clear whether these variables consistently shape the delivery of benefits from restoration. This study aimed to determine whether, and how, seascape connectivity and landscape context combine to influence the recovery of fish and crustacean communities at a restoring coastal wetland. We measured changes to biodiversity (fish species richness), fisheries benefits (fisheries harvested abundance) and functioning (fish functional diversity) bi-annually at a 200 ha restoring wetland, and three control sites, in eastern Australia between 2017 and 2021. Connectivity and landscape context were quantified using a combination of in-field measurements, remote sensing techniques and least-cost path analysis. Biodiversity, fisheries benefits, and functional diversity increased at the restoration site over time, but these metrics did not change significantly at any of the control sites over the same time period. The delivery of each of the three co-benefits at the restoration site was also positively linked to increased wetland connectivity, larger areas of mangroves and higher salinity levels in the recovering seascape. These results support tighter integration of connectivity and landscape context to optimise and inform spatial planning in restoration, and we suggest that this is essential for supporting the delivery of multiple benefits from recovering habitats and seascapes. Adopting similar approaches to understand the drivers of restoration success would improve the ecological and economic outcomes of actions.