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Journal of Tropical Oceanography

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Assessment of the threatened status of the seagrass bed ecosystem in Hainan Island

REN Jing1, 2, JIANG Zhijian1, 2, 3, 4, CHEN Guoke2, 5, QI Wenqian1, 2, LONG Xu1, 2, LIU Songlin1, 2, 3, 4, WU Yunchao1, 2, 3, 4, HUANG Xiaoping1, 2, 3, 4   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology (South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences), Guangzhou 510301, China;

    2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;

    3. Sanya National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya 572000, China;

    4. Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Ocean Eco-Environmental Engineering, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya 572100, China;

    5. State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China

  • Received:2025-06-27 Revised:2025-08-28 Accepted:2025-09-01
  • Supported by:

    National Key Research and Development Program of China (2022YFF1301402), Hainan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (425CXTD622), National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant (42176158, 41976144, 41735029, 1901221), Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province, China (2024B1212050003, 2023B1212060047), Special Fund of South China Sea Institute of Oceanology of Chinese Academy of Sciences (SCSIO2023QY04)

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Abstract: The seagrass bed ecosystem has important ecological service functions, and the analysis of its threat degree and influencing factors is helpful to propose targeted protection strategies for seagrass bed ecosystem. This study focuses on the seagrass bed ecosystem of Hainan Island, combining survey data, historical data and literature, the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Ecosystems assessment method was adopted to assess the threatened status of the seagrass bed ecosystem in Hainan Island and determine its degree of endangerment. The research determines their threatened status, explores the impacts of human activities and natural factors, and proposes corresponding conservation countermeasures. The results show that the seagrass bed ecosystems in Wenchang and Sanya are facing the Critically Endangered(CR) severe situation, while those in Lingshui are Endangered(EN). The seagrass bed ecosystems in Qionghai are Vulnerable(VU), and those in Chengmai and Danzhou are Near Threatened(NT) and Least Concern (LC) respectively. The seagrass bed ecosystem of Hainan Island is confronted with multiple pressures. Among these, coastal reclamation and fishing activities are the dominant factors leading to its degradation. Secondarily, the environmental pressures imposed by sewage discharge and aquaculture also play significant roles. Additionally, climate change factors such as tropical cyclones also exert a certain degree of influence on it. In view of this, this study proposed to strengthen the regulation of fishing activities, research on the asexual reproduction of seagrass, long-term monitoring of seagrass health and ecological connectivity, in order to promote the sustainable development of the seagrass bed ecosystem in Hainan Island.

Key words: Seagrass bed, Red List of Ecosystems, Threatened status, Protection and recovery, Hainan Island