Publications des scientifiques de l'IRD

Maire E., Cinner J., Velez L., Huchery C., Mora C., Dagata S., Vigliola Laurent, Wantiez L., Kulbicki Michel, Mouillot D. (2016). How accessible are coral reefs to people ? A global assessment based on travel time. Ecology Letters, 19 (4), p. 351-360. ISSN 1461-023X.

Titre du document
How accessible are coral reefs to people ? A global assessment based on travel time
Année de publication
2016
Type de document
Article référencé dans le Web of Science WOS:000372654800001
Auteurs
Maire E., Cinner J., Velez L., Huchery C., Mora C., Dagata S., Vigliola Laurent, Wantiez L., Kulbicki Michel, Mouillot D.
Source
Ecology Letters, 2016, 19 (4), p. 351-360 ISSN 1461-023X
The depletion of natural resources has become a major issue in many parts of the world, with the most accessible resources being most at risk. In the terrestrial realm, resource depletion has classically been related to accessibility through road networks. In contrast, in the marine realm, the impact on living resources is often framed into the Malthusian theory of human density around ecosystems. Here, we develop a new framework to estimate the accessibility of global coral reefs using potential travel time from the nearest human settlement or market. We show that 58% of coral reefs are located <30min from the nearest human settlement. We use a case study from New Caledonia to demonstrate that travel time from the market is a strong predictor of fish biomass on coral reefs. We also highlight a relative deficit of protection on coral reef areas near people, with disproportional protection on reefs far from people. This suggests that conservation efforts are targeting low-conflict reefs or places that may already be receiving de facto protection due to their isolation. Our global assessment of accessibility in the marine realm is a critical step to better understand the interplay between humans and resources.
Plan de classement
Ecologie, systèmes aquatiques [036] ; Etudes, transformation, conservation du milieu naturel [082] ; Développement économique / Aménagement du territoire [095]
Description Géographique
NOUVELLE CALEDONIE
Localisation
Fonds IRD [F B010066698]
Identifiant IRD
fdi:010066698
Contact