Defining marine rewilding can help guide theory and practice in marine conservation

Abstract

Public concern over global climate change and biodiversity loss has accelerated international efforts to restore natural ecosystems through nature-based solutions. Rewilding is a growing conservation approach encompassing the recovery of ecological and trophic complexity through interventions such as habitat restoration and/or species reintroduction. Here we explore the nascent efforts of marine rewilding using a systems thinking methodology to inform a systematic review and iterative thematic analysis. Marine rewilding involves a diverse range of interventions, showing similarities in ecological principles with terrestrial rewilding, yet it diverges from terrestrial rewilding in the scale of initiatives, predictability of outcomes, and the prominence of social inclusion. To make progress in offering unifying concepts, we propose a definition for marine rewilding: a systemic process requiring deliberate human intervention that involves community participation and ocean stewardship to regenerate degraded marine ecosystems.