Separating the wheat from the chaff: The interplay of science and environmental management decision through a critical examination of the literature

摘要

The coral reef in Eilat is one of the most studied worldwide. Whereas the unremitting, decades-long decline of this small reef area is undisputed (literature cited in Epstein et al., 1999; Rinkevich, 2005a,b; Loya, 2007), conflicting results pertaining its pace, trajectories, causes and nature have been flaring up, even in the refereed literature (i.e., Loya and Kramarsky-Winter, 2003; Rinkevich et al., 2003). The marine nature reserve in Eilat, established to protect the reef biodiversity and promote its recovery, has proven futile. Therefore, for better understanding of the commonly cited paradigms for Eilat's reef status, I found it necessary to critically analyze and evaluate the relevant material published in the last four decades (Rinkevich, 2005 a).