Journal of Tropical Oceanography ›› 2023, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (1): 66-86.doi: 10.11978/2022046CSTR: 32234.14.2022046

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Conservation gap analysis of threatened fish in the East China Sea and adjacent sea areas

WANG Zihan(), ZENG Cong, JIANG Ziyu, CAO Ling()   

  1. School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
  • Received:2022-03-10 Revised:2022-04-30 Online:2023-01-10 Published:2022-06-30
  • Contact: CAO Ling. email: caoling@sjtu.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(42142018); Open Fund of Key Laboratory of Marine Ecological Monitoring and Restoration Technologies(MERT202112)

Abstract:

A total of 88 threatened fish species were selected for the study, and their spatial distribution was predicted using publicly available data and the MaxEnt model. The conservation gap analysis was performed based on the predicted distribution, and recommendations for the conservation of the East China Sea and adjacent sea areas were proposed. The results showed that the hotspot areas of threatened fish covered 1.58×1011m2, mainly located in the southern coastal area of the Yangtze estuary and the Taiwan Strait. Among them, the top 10%of the hotspot areas was about 5.68×1010m2, mainly located in the coastal waters of Fujian and Guangdong provinces, and sea areas adjacent to Taiwan Island and Penghu Islands. Further investigation of the distribution patterns revealed that there were six different zones in the current distribution of threatened fish in the East China Sea. The existing marine protected areas are mainly concentrated in zones I and Ⅳ, while no protected area has been established in zones Ⅱ and Ⅲ, indicating that habitats of most threatened fish have not been effectively protected. These results provide a scientific basis for improving and optimizing the fish biodiversity conservation strategies in the East China Sea and adjacent sea areas.

Key words: biodiversity, threatened fish, hotspot, MaxEnt model, marine protected areas