School of GeoSciences, Grant Institute, James Hutton Road, King's Buildings, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FE, United Kingdom.
National Oceanography Centre, Joseph Proudman Building, 6 Brownlow Street, Liverpool, L3 5DA, United Kingdom.
Sci Rep. 2018 Aug 16;8(1):11346. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-29575-4.
Highly connected networks generally improve resilience in complex systems. We present a novel application of this paradigm and investigated the potential for anthropogenic structures in the ocean to enhance connectivity of a protected species threatened by human pressures and climate change. Biophysical dispersal models of a protected coral species simulated potential connectivity between oil and gas installations across the North Sea but also metapopulation outcomes for naturally occurring corals downstream. Network analyses illustrated how just a single generation of virtual larvae released from these installations could create a highly connected anthropogenic system, with larvae becoming competent to settle over a range of natural deep-sea, shelf and fjord coral ecosystems including a marine protected area. These results provide the first study showing that a system of anthropogenic structures can have international conservation significance by creating ecologically connected networks and by acting as stepping stones for cross-border interconnection to natural populations.
高度连接的网络通常可以提高复杂系统的弹性。我们提出了这一范例的一个新应用，并研究了人为结构在海洋中增强受人类压力和气候变化威胁的保护物种连通性的潜力。受保护珊瑚物种的生物物理扩散模型模拟了北海石油和天然气设施之间的潜在连通性，但也模拟了下游自然珊瑚的复群结果。网络分析说明了仅仅从这些设施释放一代虚拟幼虫就可以如何创建一个高度连接的人为系统，这些幼虫在一系列自然深海、大陆架和峡湾珊瑚生态系统中（包括一个海洋保护区）具备定居能力。这些结果首次表明，一个人为结构系统可以通过创建生态连接的网络并充当跨境连接自然种群的踏脚石，从而具有国际保护意义。
