First mapping of the global marine nature shows how little remains – ScienceDaily

The remaining marine desert is unevenly distributed and found mainly in the Arctic, in Antarctica, or around distant nations of the Pacific Island. In coastal areas, there is almost no more maritime desert.

"We were amazed at how few wild marine areas remain," says Kendall Jones of the University of Queensland Australia and the Wildlife Conservation Society. "The ocean is huge, covering more than 70% of our planet, but we have managed to make a significant impact on almost all this vast ecosystem."

On land, rapid declines in wilderness have been well documented. But much less was known about the status of marine wilderness. Wild areas are crucial for marine biodiversity.

"Intact wilderness is home to mbadive levels of endemic biodiversity and species and is one of the last places on Earth where large populations of predators are still found," says Jones

. The new study, Jones and his colleagues used the world's most comprehensive data available for 19 human stressors, including commercial shipping, fertilizers and sediments, and several types of ocean fishing and their impact cumulative. They systematically mapped marine wilderness on a global scale by identifying areas with very low impact (10% lowest) of 15 anthropogenic stressors and also a very low cumulative impact of these stressors.

The researchers repeated their badysis in each of the 16 ocean domains. They found a great variation in the degree of human impact. For example, more than 16 million square kilometers of wilderness remain in the hot Indo-Pacific, accounting for 8.6% of the ocean. But it is even worse in temperate southern Africa, where less than 2,000 square kilometers of marine nature areas remain – less than 1% of the ocean.

The study also shows that less than 5% of the world's marine areas are currently protected. Most of these ecosystems are found in deep-sea ecosystems, with very few protected wild areas in areas rich in biodiversity such as coral reefs.

"This means that the vast majority of marine areas can be lost at any time. fish deeper and ship farther than ever, "says Jones." With global warming, some places once protected by year-round ice cover can now be fished. "

The results highlight a urgent need for action to protect what remains of the marine wilderness, say the researchers.This effort requires international environmental agreements to recognize the unique value of marine wilderness and sets goals for its conservation. [19659011] History Source:

Materials Provided by Cell Press . Note: Content may be subject to change in style and length.