Marine protected areas ineffectively protect seagrass and coral reef fish communities in the Phu Quoc and An Thoi archipelago, Vietnam

The Phu Quoc marine protected area (MPA) is a multiple‐use MPA that was established in 2007 and is a component of Vietnam’s National MPA System. The MPA is divided into two spatially separated zones based on habitat type: a seagrass zone and a coral reef zone. In this study, visual census data were...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Aquatic conservation 2022-09, Vol.32 (9), p.1471-1489
Main Authors: Van Tran, Huong, Carve, Megan, Dong, Dung Thi, Dinh, Khuong V., Nguyen Khac, Bat
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Archipelagoes
Biodiversity
biodiversity loss
Commercial species
Community composition
Composition
Coral reefs
Decision making
Density
ecological indicator
Fish
Fisheries
Fishing
fishing impacts
Genera
Gulf of Thailand
Habitats
Marine fishes
Marine invertebrates
Marine parks
Marine protected areas
Omnivores
overfishing
Piscivores
Plankton feeders
Protected areas
Reef fish
Reef fishes
Sea grasses
Species diversity
sustainable development
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Summary:The Phu Quoc marine protected area (MPA) is a multiple‐use MPA that was established in 2007 and is a component of Vietnam’s National MPA System. The MPA is divided into two spatially separated zones based on habitat type: a seagrass zone and a coral reef zone. In this study, visual census data were collected in 2018–2019 and were used to derive fish biomass and community diversity metrics as proxies for ecosystem condition and function (trophic and mobility). The effectiveness of the MPA in protecting fish communities in the seagrass and coral reef zones was evaluated. An updated characterization of the Phu Quoc fish communities, and an assessment of fish community variation among regions and between habitat types, is provided. In total, 125 species representing 74 genera of 40 families were recorded. Omnivores were the most abundant (38%), followed by planktivores (24%), whereas piscivores (2%) were scarce. There was an especially low density of high‐value fishery target species such as Haemulidae (
ISSN:1052-7613
1099-0755
DOI:10.1002/aqc.3862