Managing for Hurricanes

Our Pursuit explores the relationships between social and ecological systems in the face of sudden onset perturbations due to hurricanes. As hurricanes and extreme weather events increase in both frequency and intensity, it is imperative to understand how human systems perceive and respond to sudden and gradual ecological changes. Our SESYNC Pursuit uses a case-study approach to examine four locations in the Gulf Coast and Southern Atlantic to understand the extent to which pre-disaster planning and public perceptions of hurricane damage coincide with short-term and long-term ecological impacts. We are exploring how social systems, delineated here by institutional language, public perception, and management action, reflect and attempt to transform the qualitative state of the ecosystem, the habitat, and species, before and after hurricane events.