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https://theconversation.com/deeper-ocean-ecosystems-are-unique-and-uniquely-vulnerable-without-better-protection-276363>
"New Zealand’s earlier efforts to safeguard marine or coastal environments,
particularly as marine reserves and marine protected areas, typically focused
on shallow ecosystems, largely because that is where most data exists.
But following the passing of the
Hauraki Gulf Marine Protection Act last
year, it was good to see many deep rocky reefs among the 12 new high protection
areas (HPAs).
These areas prohibit recreational and commercial fishing while allowing certain
customary practices in ways that reduce or eliminate extractive activities,
helping ecosystems recover and rebuild.
This is important because deeper reefs often host protected species and this
recognises the need to protect these habitats.
As our new research shows, even just 50 metres of depth can separate entirely
different marine communities.
In this study at the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve off northeastern
Aotearoa New Zealand, we examined sponge assemblages – a major component of
temperate rocky reefs – from 5 to 65 metres in depth.
Sponges play an important role in filtering water, recycling nutrients and
creating habitat for other organisms. They are also sensitive to environmental
change, including marine heatwaves.
Reefs do not simply continue unchanged with greater depth. In fact, deeper
communities in the “mesophotic” zone, typically found at 30–150 metres of
depth, can host very distinct species that never occur in the shallows.
If conservation efforts don’t recognise this, we may be leaving a significant
portion of marine biodiversity unprotected."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
