McLean M., Mouillot D., Langlois J., Arif S., Bejarano S., Casajus N., Edgar G. J., Flandrin U., Guilhaumon François, Judah A. B., Loiseau N., MacNeil M. A., Maire Eva, Stuart-Smith R. D., Mouquet N. (2025). Conserving the beauty of the world's reef fish assemblages. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 122 (25), p. e2415931122 [11 p.]. ISSN 0027-8424.
Titre du document
Conserving the beauty of the world's reef fish assemblages
Année de publication
2025
Auteurs
McLean M., Mouillot D., Langlois J., Arif S., Bejarano S., Casajus N., Edgar G. J., Flandrin U., Guilhaumon François, Judah A. B., Loiseau N., MacNeil M. A., Maire Eva, Stuart-Smith R. D., Mouquet N.
Source
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2025,
122 (25), p. e2415931122 [11 p.] ISSN 0027-8424
On shallow rocky and coral reefs, cultural and recreational values, like aesthetics, are critical aspects of Nature's Contributions to People (NCP) that support human well- being and provide billions of dollars in tourism revenue. Quantifying the aesthetic value of reef ecosystems and uncovering the conditions that enhance it could support NCP- based management. Here, we combine a global dataset of reef fish surveys, species- level aesthetic values, and causal modeling to assess the global status and drivers of reef fish assemblage aesthetic value. We find that aesthetic value is inherently linked to species richness, displaying a latitudinal gradient with peaks in the tropics, but varies strongly with the presence of exceptionally beautiful or less- beautiful species. Sea surface temperature, primary productivity, human gravity, and protection status are the strongest drivers of assemblage- level aesthetic value. Protection against human impacts consistently enhances aesthetic value by boosting taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity, and this effect is greatest in species- rich, tropical ecoregions. Economic development has little influence, indicating that low- income countries are not constrained from maintaining beautiful fish assemblages. Our results therefore suggest that marine protected areas (MPAs) can support multiple NCPs simultaneously, particularly in developing tropical countries. While we highlight the effectiveness of MPAs, given the low level of marine protection globally and the sensitivity of aesthetic value to environmental conditions, the beauty of the world's reefs appears severely threatened. Aesthetic value should be immediately integrated into reef conservation and management plans.
Plan de classement
Ecologie, systèmes aquatiques [036]
;
Etudes, transformation, conservation du milieu naturel [082]
Description Géographique
MONDE
Localisation
Fonds IRD [F B010094353]
Identifiant IRD
fdi:010094353
