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A new article by a Swansea University researcher calls for a rethink of conservation efforts in tropical seas, while those who previously depended on coral reefs for food and money are turning more and more to alternative habitats, putting pressure on the animals that inhabit the meadows.
In an article in Current Biology, Richard Unsworth, Ph.D., of the University's College of Science, revealed that people are less reliant on coral reefs for their livelihoods as reefs are increasingly at risk and face an uncertain future due to the multiplication of climate change. and rising global temperatures.
The article shows rather that people are turning to seagrass to support their fishing activities, but it is threatening more and more of these habitats around the world. It is now urgent to expand the field of tropical marine marine conservation. Although seagrass beds are widely distributed around the world, there is evidence of increasing levels of degradation from local water problems and physical disturbances, but these factors can be managed at the local level. Unsworth said, "With adequate support, there could be a better future for seagrass beds".
While the decline of coral reefs has attracted a lot of attention and conservation efforts, Unsworth said the time has come for the tropical seas conservation community to expand its reach and to become more realistic. Conservation efforts, it is said, can no longer afford to focus exclusively on coral reefs, but must also preserve seagrass beds in the future. There is a growing focus on costly fancy ideas to save coral reefs, but there is a lack of recognition of the need to think globally of the tropical marine seascape to rationalize where resources could be concentrated more efficiently. .
Mr. Unsworth said, "Governments, NGOs and communities need to intensify and redefine their conservation priorities and use their limited conservation resources in a more focused manner to build sustainable systems. There are practical conservation possibilities to develop sustainable ways to respond, and targeted actions could now restore and protect mountain meadows to maintain their functioning and many ecosystem functions. "
The article details the number of ways that seagrass conservation would benefit humans and the planet, with seagrasses playing a key role in several key areas, including:
- support global fisheries production
- play a vital role in our global carbon cycle
- acting as important bio-filters in our coastal ecological ecosystems
Dr. Unsworth, who published the paper with collaborators from Cardiff University, Uppsala University, and James Cook University, said: "There are "bright spots" for the conservation of coral reefs that indicate the survival potential of coral reefs, so that we can continue to support fisheries and people, we urgently need to focus on protecting the ecosystems and biodiversity that provide the ecosystem services, while having the capacity to remain intact in a future climate.
"Seagrasses make up one of these ecosystems and their conservation is essential to sustaining the livelihoods and food security of hundreds of millions of people." Now is the time for global conservation efforts to conserve Herbarium ecosystems. "
Explore further:
Tropical marine conservation must change with the decline of coral reefs
More information:
Richard K.F. Unsworth et al. A changing climate for seagrass conservation? Current biology (2018). DOI: 10.1016 / j.cub.2018.09.027
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