Good news about our oceans.

     Recent research shows that Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)–spots in oceans around the world that have been set aside by governments for conservation–are effective at increasing the amount of living coral on the ocean floor.  

     And why does increasing the amount of living coral matter?  Coral reefs are far more than colorful treats for the eye.  They are nursery, home, and ‘farm’ to one-third of all marine fish species.  Coral reefs are often compared to rainforests for the vast biodiversity they support, and to old growth forests for the longevity of their ecological communities.  Yet coral is under threat.  Forty percent of the world’s coral reefs are in critical condition or are degraded beyond recovery. 

     Scientists have long known that the regulation of fishing and other potentially harmful activities in MPAs is effective in restoring fish populations within MPA boundaries.  Encouraged by that good news, two marine scientists at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill wondered if the thriving fish populations in MPAs might indirectly be improving coral health by restoring reef-based food webs.  

     So the two researchers, Dr. Elizabeth Selig and Dr. John Bruno, conducted the first comprehensive global study to gauge the impact of MPAs on coral.  The two looked at more than 8,000 live coral cover surveys of more than 450 coral reefs in 83 countries.  The surveys, all conducted between 1969 and 2006, compared the percentage of live coral cover in 310 MPAs to live coral cover in nearby unprotected areas.  The percentage of ocean floor covered by living coral is a key measure of the health of coral ecosystems.

      The scientists found that while the living coral just outside the MPAs declined over time, the coral within MPA boundaries remained constant or increased over time.  In some MPAs, coral continues its decline for some years after the MPA designation is  made, and then begins to grow.  In an Indo-Pacific MPA, for example,  coral cover declined for five years after the area was designated a Marine Protected Area.  And then the percentage of live coral cover began to increase, reaching a growth rate of 2% per year after two decades.

     Selig’s and Bruno’s research proves that ocean conservation efforts make a difference in restoring our coral reefs.  Around the world, coral reefs are threatened by overfishing and harmful fishing methods, sediment and nutrient runoff pollution from adjacent land, invasive species, and the the growing acidification of oceans as a result of global warming. 

     The creation of a Marine Protected Area is an important step a government of a coastal country can take to protect the health of our oceans.  To date, more than 4,500 MPAs have been created.  Although 70% of the earth’s surface is ocean, only about 1% of ocean is under any form of protection.–April Moore

Much of the information for this article came from Flora Lichtman and Joe Palka, Science Friday, National Public Radio.        

photo by Raja Ampatphoto: California Academy of Sciences

 

    

  

current Marine Protected Areas

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 at 7:57 am and is filed under Good news for Mother Earth!. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.