An ecological paper published in the British journal Nature on the 16th identified coral reefs worldwide with significantly higher or lower fish biomass than expected. The findings, which benefit from a new interdisciplinary approach that integrates environmental and socioeconomic factors, may help address global coral reef degradation.
Coral reefs provide habitats for many plants and animals, while greatly affecting the physical and ecological conditions of the surrounding environment. Using data collected from 2,512 coral reefs around the world, Joshua Sina and his research team from James Cook University, Australia, developed a quantitative model to study the relationship between coral reef fish biomass and environmental variables and socioeconomics. relationship of factors. Such environmental variables include water depth, habitat and productivity; socioeconomic factors include the affluence, management and population of various markets. In this model, the metric "interaction with urban centres" was most associated with reef fish biomass.
The researchers also found 15 "bright spots" and 35 "dark spots" in coral reefs around the world. A "bright spot" refers to an area where the level of intrinsic biomass is significantly higher (two standard deviations) than the model predicted value; while a "dark spot" refers to an area where the intrinsic biomass level is significantly lower (two standard deviations) than the model predicted value. The study showed that "bright spots" included some densely populated areas with high ecological resource use, while "dark spots" included some remote areas, such as the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, which was a surprising result.
After conducting research on local experts in these areas, the researchers found that the "bright spot" areas are characterized by well-developed social and cultural institutions, high levels of local participation in management, strong dependence on marine resources, and favorable environmental conditions. Such as deep water shelters, etc. Conversely, "dark spot" areas are characterized by higher intensity fishing techniques and recent natural disasters such as hurricanes and typhoons. These results suggest that enhanced fisheries management may contribute to future reef conservation.
Source: Science and Technology Day Edition