Publications des scientifiques de l'IRD

Crochelet E., Roberts J., Lagabrielle Erwann, Obura D., Petit Michel, Chabanet Pascale. (2016). A model-based assesment of reef larvae dispersal in the Western Indian Ocean reveals regional connectivity patterns : potential implications for conservation policies. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 7, p. 159-167. ISSN 2352-4855.

Titre du document
A model-based assesment of reef larvae dispersal in the Western Indian Ocean reveals regional connectivity patterns : potential implications for conservation policies
Année de publication
2016
Type de document
Article référencé dans le Web of Science WOS:000414770500019
Auteurs
Crochelet E., Roberts J., Lagabrielle Erwann, Obura D., Petit Michel, Chabanet Pascale
Source
Regional Studies in Marine Science, 2016, 7, p. 159-167 ISSN 2352-4855
Marine resources are under increasing pressure from a wide variety of threats such as overfishing, offshore energy development, and climate change. As marine ecosystems degrade, so do the well-being and livelihoods of humans that depend directly on the ecosystem goods and services they provide. Marine protected areas have been proposed to protect biodiversity, restore damaged ecosystems, sustain fisheries, and rebuild overexploited stocks. The effectiveness of marine protected areas depends in part on their effectiveness as connected networks, linked over large areas by ecological processes such as larval dispersal. Here, we applied a biophysical model driven by ocean currents derived from satellite altimetry to evaluate connectivity between Western Indian Ocean reefs. We applied graph-theoretic analysis, including clustering and a betweenness centrality metric. Our results show high interconnectivity within several regions (Mozambique Channel, Mascarene archipelago) and lower connectivity across the WIO region. We compared the results with the current MPA network, and proposed sites/reefs that should be considered priority sites for MPA implementation: Pebane, Cosmoledo, Majunga, Masoarivo, Platte Island, Farquhar, Agalega and Geyser bank. Our results are timely, considering the oil and gas exploration that is ongoing in the region. We discuss implications for transboundary marine policies and regional cooperation in the Western Indian Ocean, and advocate the creation of a regional-scale organization to structure interactions among the different actors.
Plan de classement
Ecologie, systèmes aquatiques [036] ; Ressources halieutiques [040] ; Etudes, transformation, conservation du milieu naturel [082] ; Télédétection [126]
Localisation
Fonds IRD [F B010067337]
Identifiant IRD
fdi:010067337
Contact