珊瑚礁鱼类多样性及保护研究进展

Research advances on coral reef fish biodiversity and conservation

珊瑚礁是生物多样性最高的海洋生态系统之一。近几十年来,全球珊瑚礁持续退化,引起广泛关注。珊瑚礁鱼类是珊瑚礁重要的生态类群,具有巨大的经济和生态价值。由于气候变化和人类活动的共同干扰,珊瑚礁鱼类多样性、营养级、生产力等大幅下降。如何保护珊瑚礁鱼类资源,促进其生态和经济功能的稳定性和可持续性成为关注的焦点。本文总结了导致珊瑚礁鱼类多样性丧失的自然和人为压力,提出实现珊瑚礁鱼类科学养护和管理的途径:过度捕捞和破坏性捕捞是当前珊瑚礁鱼类面临的最大威胁,海洋酸化和全球变暖则一定程度上决定着珊瑚礁鱼类的未来;降低和严格控制珊瑚礁鱼类资源的捕捞强度、加强珊瑚礁食草鱼类的保护、完善珊瑚礁动态监测、扩大珊瑚礁生态修复范围以及建立珊瑚礁保护区等是恢复珊瑚礁鱼类多样性的重要举措。

Coral reefs are among the biodiversity-richest marine ecosystems. Over the last several decades,global coral reefs are continuously decreasing,arousing widespread concern. Coral reef fish is an important ecological group with great economic and ecological values. Due to the joint disturbance of climate change and human activities,the diversity,trophic levels and productivity of coral reef fish have declined significantly. There are more and more concerns on how to protect coral reef fish resources and promote stability and sustainability of their ecological and economic functions. Here,we summarized the natural and anthropogenic threats to reef fish diversity and proposed methods for the scientific conservation and management of reef fish. Currently,the greatest threats to coral reef fish are overfishing and destructive fishing practices,while future threats would be large-scale coral bleaching caused by ocean acidification and global warming. Five measures should be implemented to restore reef fish diversity:(ⅰ) reducing and strictly controlling fishing intensity;(ⅱ) strengthening the protection of herbivorous fish on coral reefs;(ⅲ)improving dynamic monitoring of coral reefs;(ⅳ) expanding coral reef ecological restoration;and(ⅴ) establishing coral reef protection areas.