Characterizing social-ecological transformation trajectories in the Western Indian Ocean

Marine social-ecological systems (SES) face unprecedented pressures, demanding approaches designed to create more sustainable interactions within and between those systems. Transformation theory offers frameworks for understanding and documenting systemic change, but its empirical testing in marine contexts remains limited. This study analyzes three case studies involving marine transformations in the Western Indian Ocean region: bycatch mitigation in South African fisheries, fisheries co-management in Tanzania, and regional pelagic fisheries’ management. Each process was documented following Olsson's framework (preparing for change, navigating transition, and building resilience) and characterized using selected transformation attributes. Our findings show that the type of outcome a transformation produces is closely linked to its entry point (practices, views, and structures). Practices-oriented transformation achieved rapid, measurable gains, but limited spillover into underlying values. Views-oriented transformation achieved broader, deeper change across dimensions but unfolded more slowly. Structures-oriented transformation, in the absence of shared values among actors, produced the shallowest and most contested change. Local and national initiatives achieved deeper transformation than regional governance, which faced greater barriers from competing interests and institutional inertia, highlighting the role locally-driven action can play in advancing transformation.