Skip to main content
WCS
Menu
Library
Library Catalog
eJournals & eBooks
WCS Research
Archives
Research Use
Finding Aids
Digital Collections
WCS History
WCS Research
Research Publications
Science Data
Services for WCS Researchers
Archives Shop
Bronx Zoo
Department of Tropical Research
Browse By Product
About Us
FAQs
Intern or Volunteer
Staff
Donate
Search WCS.org
Search
search
Popular Search Terms
WCS History
Library and Archives
Library and Archives Menu
Library
Archives
WCS Research
Archives Shop
About Us
Donate
en
fr
Title
How accessible are coral reefs to people? A global assessment based on travel time
Author(s)
Maire, E.;Cinner, J.;Velez, L.;Huchery, C.;Mora, C.;Dagata, S.;Vigliola, L.;Wantiez, L.;Kulbicki, M.;Mouillot, D.
Published
2016
Publisher
Ecology Letters
Published Version DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.12577
Abstract
The depletion of natural resources has become a major issue in many parts of the world, with the most accessible resources being most at risk. In the terrestrial realm, resource depletion has classically been related to accessibility through road networks. In contrast, in the marine realm, the impact on living resources is often framed into the Malthusian theory of human density around ecosystems. Here, we develop a new framework to estimate the accessibility of global coral reefs using potential travel time from the nearest human settlement or market. We show that 58% of coral reefs are located <30min from the nearest human settlement. We use a case study from New Caledonia to demonstrate that travel time from the market is a strong predictor of fish biomass on coral reefs. We also highlight a relative deficit of protection on coral reef areas near people, with disproportional protection on reefs far from people. This suggests that conservation efforts are targeting low-conflict reefs or places that may already be receiving de facto protection due to their isolation. Our global assessment of accessibility in the marine realm is a critical step to better understand the interplay between humans and resources.
Keywords
Accessibility;coral reefs;marine protected areas;social
-
ecological;travel time;marine protected areas;population-density;ecological-systems;species;richness;fish assemblages;market access;fisheries;vulnerability;biodiversity;predictors
Access Full Text
A full-text copy of this article may be available. Please email the
WCS Library
to request.
Back
PUB18972