Ruiz-Jarabo Ignacio, Hernández-Urcera Jorge, Pereira Sira, Sobrino Ignacio, López Juan A, Planas Miquel
Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia-Spanish National Research Council (ICMAN-CSIC), 11519 Puerto Real, Spain.
ECOBIOMAR Research Group, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas-Spanish National Research Council (IIM-CSIC), 36208 Vigo, Spain.
Animals (Basel). 2024 Aug 12;14(16):2328. doi: 10.3390/ani14162328.
Achieving sustainable resource use is a priority to meet future challenges. The Gulf of Cádiz, located in the Atlantic waters of southern Europe, is home to a significant fishing fleet due to the richness and diversity of its ecosystems. Managing this area is complex due to the diversity of variables, including social, ecological, and oceanographic factors. Therefore, multidisciplinary approaches are proposed for implementing conservation strategies. One strategy for defining area-based management measures is through the use of flagship species, such as seahorses. These emblematic animals can assist in defining such measures. However, there is currently scarce information on the occurrence of seahorses in the Gulf of Cádiz. In this study, we present the first occurrence data of two species of the genus ( and ) in this area. The Gulf of Cádiz is not only described as the southernmost region of their distribution in continental Europe, but it is also a significant landmark for the genus , as one adult was captured at a depth of up to 101 m. Five management areas based on differentiated benthic habitats are proposed. We believe that our study has the potential to significantly improve conservation of seahorses and induce a positive impact on the ecosystem.
实现资源的可持续利用是应对未来挑战的首要任务。加的斯湾位于欧洲南部的大西洋海域，因其生态系统的丰富性和多样性，拥有一支规模可观的捕鱼船队。由于包括社会、生态和海洋学因素在内的变量繁多，对该区域进行管理十分复杂。因此，建议采用多学科方法来实施保护策略。确定基于区域的管理措施的一种策略是通过使用旗舰物种，比如海马。这些具有代表性的动物有助于确定此类措施。然而，目前关于加的斯湾海马出现情况的信息匮乏。在本研究中，我们展示了该区域两种海马属物种（和）的首次出现数据。加的斯湾不仅被描述为它们在欧洲大陆分布的最南端地区，而且对于海马属来说也是一个重要的地标，因为有一只成年海马在高达101米的深度被捕获。我们提出了基于不同底栖生境的五个管理区域。我们相信我们的研究有潜力显著改善对海马的保护，并对生态系统产生积极影响。
