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.
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.
Published in Fisheries, a team of interdisciplinary marine experts 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.
They urge habitat management and restoration to be at the forefront of the community’s mind, starting with integrating them into local government and coastal development and planning processes. The team believes this will lead to resilient shorelines and shallow-water habitats, providing long-term benefits for coastal communities and the marine life that depends on them.
Read more at University of South Florida
Image: Study lead author Lucas Griffin holds a milkfish in a tidal flats habitat in St. François Atoll, Seychelles. (Credit: Andy Danylchuk, University of Massachusetts Amherst)
