Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação Marinha (LABECMar), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Dr. Carvalho de Mendonça, 144, Encruzilhada, 11070-100, Santos, SP, Brazil.
Coastal Integrated Studies Group, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Coastal Campus. Praça Infante Dom Henrique S/nº, Parque Bitaru, 11330-900, Sao Vicente, SP, Brazil.
J Environ Manage. 2023 Nov 1;345:118855. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118855. Epub 2023 Aug 25.
Marine Protected Area (MPA) is a fundamental strategy for the maintenance of ocean ecological processes worldwide and, consequently, their associated ecosystem services. Nevertheless, the quality of the services provided by MPAs, including cultural services such as recreational activities, depends on the effective management of marine habitats and biodiversity. Here, we performed an ecosystemic assessment in reef environments within a subtropical MPA, modeling the potential risks for their habitats and their recreational activities. The Queimada Grande Island (QGI), southeastern Brazil, was used as the model area since this island encompasses a unique and irreplaceable marine habitat, the Southernmost Atlantic coral reef. We firstly assessed and mapped the habitats, the biodiversity, and the recreational activities associated with QGI reefs. Next, we considered different scenarios of management for the modeling risks across the study area. We found that the coral reef and its adjacent habitats, such as the rhodolith bed, make the sheltered face of the island an important area for the provision of the cultural ecosystem services and overlapping uses such as onboard recreational fishing, spearfishing, and recreational diving. This area was also evaluated as the one under the highest risk of impact, considering the current scenario of management. The most successful scenario modeling to reduce these risks was the hypothetical implementation of a 66% reduction of all activities over all QGI habitats. Despite that, the scenario simulating the application of the regulations present in the MPA management plan was enough to reduce almost half the maximum risk value. Therefore, we concluded that to provide a balance among conservation, uses, and the local economy, the application of these regulations is the better management scenario modeled for the study area. Such results provided useful information and tools for local management and decision-making in this singular marine environment, also being an example for mapping ecosystem services and modeling risks in MPAs worldwide.
海洋保护区（MPA）是维护全球海洋生态过程及其相关生态系统服务的基本策略。然而，MPA 提供的服务质量，包括娱乐活动等文化服务，取决于对海洋生境和生物多样性的有效管理。在这里，我们对亚热带 MPA 内的珊瑚礁环境进行了生态系统评估，对其生境和娱乐活动的潜在风险进行了建模。巴西东南部的基埃马达格兰德岛（QGI）被用作模型区域，因为该岛拥有独特且不可替代的海洋生境——南大西洋珊瑚礁。我们首先评估和绘制了与 QGI 珊瑚礁相关的生境、生物多样性和娱乐活动图。接下来，我们考虑了研究区域内不同的管理方案来模拟风险。我们发现，珊瑚礁及其相邻的生境，如石莼床，使得岛屿背风面成为提供文化生态系统服务和重叠用途（如船上娱乐捕鱼、潜水捕鱼和娱乐潜水）的重要区域。考虑到当前的管理情景，该区域也被评估为受影响风险最高的区域。为了降低这些风险，最成功的建模方案是假设在所有 QGI 生境上减少所有活动的 66%。尽管如此，模拟应用 MPA 管理计划中现有法规的方案足以将最大风险值降低近一半。因此，我们得出结论，为了在保护、利用和当地经济之间取得平衡，应用这些法规是该研究区域模拟的更好管理方案。这些结果为该独特海洋环境中的当地管理和决策提供了有用的信息和工具，也为全球 MPA 中的生态系统服务制图和风险建模提供了范例。
