Wednesday February 26, 2025
Eurasia Review —
A new study led by the University of South Florida highlights the urgent need to protect marine ecosystems in shallow water near the shore – an area that many beachgoers don’t realize is highly important to fish populations. Known as tidal flats, these coastal waters are critical to global seafood supplies, local economies and overall marine health.
The findings from a team of interdisciplinary marine experts, “Habitat management and restoration as missing pieces in flats ecosystems conservation and the fishes and fisheries that they support,” will publish online in Fisheries.
The team created 10 core strategies that boaters, anglers, wildlife managers and policymakers can adopt to prioritize and preserve marine flat ecosystems from humans and intensified weather events.
At the top of the list is considering fish, such as tarpon, as flagship and umbrella species, as their protection would benefit additional species that use the same habitats.