Emirates Nature in association with World Wide Fund for Nature (Emirates Nature-WWF), The Sustainable City (main entrance), P.O. Box 454891, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Departamento de Ecología e Hidrología, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, UMR 7035 ECOSEAS, 28 Avenue Valrose, 06108 Nice, France.
Mar Pollut Bull. 2021 Jun;167:112319. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112319. Epub 2021 Apr 9.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) host valuable coastal and marine biodiversity that is subjected to multiple pressures under extreme conditions. To mitigate impacts on marine ecosystems, the UAE protects almost 12% of its Exclusive Economic Zone. This study mapped and validated the distribution of key coastal and marine habitats, species and critical areas for their life cycle in the Gulf area of the UAE. We identified gaps in the current protection of these ecological features and assessed the quality of the data used. The overall dataset showed good data quality, but deficiencies in information for the coastline of the north-western emirates. The existing protected areas are inadequate to safeguard key ecological features such as mangroves and coastal lagoons. This study offers a solid basis to understand the spatial distribution and protection of marine biodiversity in the UAE. This information should be considered for implementing effective conservation planning and ecosystem-based management.
阿联酋拥有宝贵的沿海和海洋生物多样性，但在极端条件下，这些生物多样性面临着多种压力。为了减轻对海洋生态系统的影响，阿联酋保护了近 12%的专属经济区。本研究绘制并验证了阿联酋海湾地区关键沿海和海洋生境、物种及其生命周期关键区域的分布情况。我们发现了当前对这些生态特征的保护存在的差距，并评估了所用数据的质量。总体数据集显示出良好的数据质量，但西北部酋长国的海岸线信息存在缺陷。现有的保护区不足以保护红树林和沿海泻湖等关键生态特征。本研究为了解阿联酋海洋生物多样性的空间分布和保护提供了坚实的基础。应该考虑利用这些信息来实施有效的保护规划和基于生态系统的管理。
