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The governance of coral reefs is challenged by the proposed use of novel coral reef interventions. To address this challenge, we reviewed the literature on governance and policy frameworks for coral and marine restoration to identify recommendations around how to consider the challenges associated with novel reef interventions. Our goal was to understand governance approaches to coral reef and marine restoration and adaptation interventions in Australia and other countries to identify how they might be applied to novel reef interventions. Based on the literature reviewed, we identify three broad recommendations across governance, engagement and policy development for how to approach marine and coral reef interventions. However, our analysis suggests that the literature is yet to provide detailed information on how policy can address reef interventions, particularly given the acknowledgement that restoration and adaptation are needed to help rebuild ecosystem resilience in a changing climate. • Reviews approaches and recommendations to the governance of marine and coral reef restoration. • Explores the challenges and solutions of governing novel coral reef intervention activities in a changing climate. • Identifies three broad themes from the literature, discussing how they might be applied in practice to more effectively govern novel reef interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the urgent need for policy solutions to address the future of coral reefs in the face of climate change. It highlights the unprecedented degradation of coral reefs worldwide due to climate change and other anthropogenic stressors. The article emphasizes the importance of limiting carbon emissions and proposes unconventional interventions, such as restoration and adaptation, to build resilience in coral reef ecosystems. It also discusses the challenges and limitations of current policy frameworks and calls for the development of robust governance systems to support and assess innovation in coral reef conservation. The article specifically mentions the Great Barrier Reef as a case study and the need for policy decisions to balance uncertain risks with climate futures. [Extracted from the article]

Summary As human activities increasingly threaten biodiversity [ 1, 2 ], areas devoid of intense human impacts are vital refugia [ 3 ]. These wilderness areas contain high genetic diversity, unique functional traits, and endemic species [ 4–7 ]; maintain high levels of ecological and evolutionary connectivity [ 8–10 ]; and may be well placed to resist and recover from the impacts of climate change [ 11–13 ]. On land, rapid declines in wilderness [ 3 ] have led to urgent calls for its protection [ 3, 14 ]. In contrast, little is known about the extent and protection of marine wilderness [ 4, 5 ]. Here we systematically map marine wilderness globally by identifying areas that have both very little impact (lowest 10%) from 15 anthropogenic stressors and also a very low combined cumulative impact from these stressors. We discover that ∼13% of the ocean meets this definition of global wilderness, with most being located in the high seas. Recognizing that human influence differs across ocean regions, we repeat the analysis within each of the 16 ocean realms [ 15 ]. Realm-specific wilderness extent varies considerably, with >16 million km 2 (8.6%) in the Warm Indo-Pacific, down to <2,000 km 2 (0.5%) in Temperate Southern Africa. We also show that the marine protected area estate holds only 4.9% of global wilderness and 4.1% of realm-specific wilderness, very little of which is in biodiverse ecosystems such as coral reefs. Proactive retention of marine wilderness should now be incorporated into global strategies aimed at conserving biodiversity and ensuring that large-scale ecological and evolutionary processes continue. Video Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]