Multifaceted biological indicators reveal an effective conservation scheme for marine protected areas

Marine protected areas established worldwide aim to safeguard biodiversity and support coastal ecosystem functioning. In Hong Kong, despite the operation of protected marine parks and a no-take marine reserve under legislation for many years, a comprehensive evaluation of their conservation impact is still lacking. Most studies focus solely on taxonomic diversity, overlooking functional and phylogenetic diversity.

In a study led by SKLMP Director Prof. Kenneth Leung, SKLMP Member and research assistant professor Dr. Meng Yan, and her postdoc Dr. Rongjie Zhao, the team utilized environmental DNA and multifaceted diversity indicators to assess the impact of protection levels on the fish community in Hong Kong waters. The results indicate that marine protected areas contribute significantly to fish community conservation, with the no-take marine reserve exhibiting the highest diversity, and partially protected marine parks showing the most balanced community composition. There was no significant increase in fish functional diversity within the protected areas. The researchers suggest that future management of marine protected areas should consider multifaceted biological indicators for effective conservation schemes.

More information: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2024.112389