Wednesday July 20, 2022
PhysOrg —
A Griffith-led study has developed a model to predict the success of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) based on historical fishing pressure and environmental conditions like wave exposure and distance to coastal habitats.
The study, published in Marine Policy, modeled the biomass of fish at 57 sites inside MPAs in Raja Ampat, Indonesia, and used the model to predict the recovery of marine protection zones.
“Picture an ocean alive with fish and clear blue seas as far as the eye can see, that’s Raja Ampat,” said Dr. Laura Griffiths, a Ph.D. graduate from the Australian Rivers Institute.
“Part of one of the largest MPA networks in the tropics, it’s a divers paradise located at the epicenter of the coral triangle; an area in the western Pacific Ocean that includes Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and Solomon Islands.