Department of Animal Sciences and Marine Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, G.C., Evin, Tehran, Iran.
J Hazard Mater. 2021 May 5;409:124993. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124993. Epub 2020 Dec 31.
The ever-increasing anthropogenic activities have adversely impacted coral reef ecosystems and their ecological functions. This calls for an urgent assessment of the health state of these valuable ecosystems to justify the need for mitigation and proper management efforts. In this contribution, we used multiple indicators to assess the impact of intense oil-related activities on coral reefs in two near-by impacted and non-impacted islands in the northwestern Persian Gulf. The efficacy of indices was assessed using estimations of the effect size (omega-squared), precision, and decision trees (Classification and Regression Tree (CART)). The results demonstrated that the combination of bioaccumulation of ƩPAH in coral tissues, the percent of live coral cover, and the Sediment Constituent (SEDCON) Index were the most robust proxies reflecting the influence of human activities on reef's health. Based on sedimentary PAH concentration, the CART classified most of the indicators into two classes consisting of those in impacted and those in non-impacted locations, further supporting the feasibility of the employed indices. The findings of this study provided a warning of degradation in coral reefs of the island subjected to PAH pollution. This encourages decision-makers to execute routine monitoring and mitigation practices to maintain healthy reefs in the study areas.
人为活动的不断增加对珊瑚礁生态系统及其生态功能产生了不利影响。这就要求对这些有价值的生态系统的健康状况进行紧急评估，以证明需要采取缓解和适当的管理措施。在本研究中，我们使用了多种指标来评估西北波斯湾两个附近受影响和未受影响岛屿上与石油相关的密集活动对珊瑚礁的影响。通过估计效应大小（ω平方）、精度和决策树（分类和回归树（CART））来评估指数的功效。结果表明，珊瑚组织中ΣPAH 的生物累积、活珊瑚覆盖率和沉积物成分（SEDCON）指数的组合是反映人类活动对珊瑚礁健康影响的最有力的替代指标。基于沉积物中 PAH 的浓度，CART 将大多数指标分为两类，一类是受影响的指标，另一类是未受影响的指标，进一步支持了所采用的指标的可行性。本研究的结果为受 PAH 污染的岛屿的珊瑚礁退化发出了警告。这鼓励决策者执行常规监测和缓解措施，以维持研究区域内健康的珊瑚礁。
