Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, UK; CORDIO East Africa, Mombasa, Kenya.
Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, UK.
Mar Pollut Bull. 2021 Dec;173(Pt A):113010. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113010. Epub 2021 Oct 7.
Understanding how Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) improve conservation outcomes across anthropogenic pressures can improve the benefits derived from them. Effects of protection for coral reefs in the western and central Indian Ocean were assessed using size-spectra analysis of fish and the relationships of trophic group biomass with human population density. Length-spectra relationships quantifying the relative abundance of small and large fish (slope) and overall productivity of the system (intercept) showed inconsistent patterns with MPA protection. The results suggest that both the slopes and intercepts were significantly higher in highly and well-protected MPAs. This indicates that effective MPAs are more productive and support higher abundances of smaller fish, relative to moderately protected MPAs. Trophic group biomass spanning piscivores and herbivores, decreased with increasing human density implying restoration of fish functional structure is needed. This would require addressing fisher needs and supporting effective MPA management to secure ecosystem benefits for coastal communities.
了解海洋保护区 (MPA) 如何在人为压力下改善保护效果，可以提高从它们中获得的效益。本研究采用鱼类大小谱分析和营养组生物量与人口密度的关系，评估了印度洋西部和中部珊瑚礁的保护效果。定量分析小鱼和大鱼相对丰度的长度谱关系（斜率）和系统整体生产力（截距）与 MPA 保护呈不一致的模式。结果表明，高度和高度保护的 MPA 的斜率和截距均显著更高。这表明相对于中度保护的 MPA，有效的 MPA 更具生产力，并且支持更多的小鱼丰度。跨越肉食性鱼类和草食性鱼类的营养组生物量随着人类密度的增加而减少，这意味着需要恢复鱼类的功能结构。这将需要解决渔民的需求并支持有效的 MPA 管理，以确保沿海社区的生态系统效益。
