Marine Networks in the Coral Triangle. How does ecological connectivity across seascapes affect their conservation?

Overview of Module: 1) Content. This module introduces students to Marine Functional Connectivity (MFC) as the organizing concept for understanding how larval dispersal, ontogenetic migrations, and species movement sustain biodiversity across the reef-seagrass-mangrove seascapes of the Coral Triangle, located in the tropical Indo-Pacific. They then examine how area-based conservation tools such as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs) can be designed and evaluated to match the scale at which ecosystems actually function. 2) Activities. Students engage with two interactive simulations: a biophysical larval dispersal model in which they identify source and sink nodes within a connectivity network an OECM Explorer that guides them through governance diversity, management effectiveness frameworks (METT, IUCN Green List), and the IUCN site-level OECM identification criteria. The exercise is supported by embedded reflection prompts, knowledge checks, and scientific visualizations spanning network analysis, biologging, haplotype networks, and phylogenetic trees. 3) Impact. The module equips students to think critically about conservation at the seascape scale — moving beyond single-site protection toward networked, equitable systems. This makes it particularly valuable for instructors teaching tropical biodiversity, conservation policy, or human-environment interactions who want students to connect ecological principles directly to real governance frameworks and the Kunming-Montreal 30×30 target. Learning Objectives: Describe the ecological characteristics of tropical coastal ecosystems that make seascape-scale conservation essential. Explain Marine Functional Connectivity (MFC) and interpret common scientific visualizations used to document connectivity in marine systems. Analyze how MPAs and OECMs function as complementary nodes in ecological networks. Support was provided by: A grant from the United States National Science Foundation (DBI-RCN-UBE 2120141).