Conceptualizing Coastal Ecosystem-Based Management: A Mental Models Approach

Ecosystem-based management (EBM) is widely touted as the preferred approach to coastal and environmental management, yet there are relatively few examples of this approach in practice. One possible reason is that this approach places extreme mental demands on practitioners. Mental models are individuals' internal conceptualizations of external problems or phenomena, and are important because they inform communication and decision making. Thus, an analysis of mental models can provide insights into the cognitive demands that EBM places on participants and can suggest methods for improving EBM implementation. We applied mental models analysis to EBM by studying coastal management practitioners who were involved in cases of coastal EBM planning in the states of Rhode Island and New York. Here we present the results of this research to provide insight into the characteristics of practitioners' mental models of coastal ecosystems and discuss the application of our novel mental models methodology in future research and practice.