Delineating the Coral Triangle
| Autor: | Mary Stafford-Smith, Alison Green, Stuart Kininmonth, J. E. N. Veron, Lyndon DeVantier, Emre Turak, Nate Peterson |
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| Rok vydání: | 2009 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | Galaxea, Journal of Coral Reef Studies. 11:91-100 |
| ISSN: | 1883-3969 1883-0838 |
| DOI: | 10.3755/galaxea.11.91 |
| Popis: | Spatial analyses of coral distributions at spe- cies level delineate the Coral Triangle and provide new insights into patterns of diversity and endemism around the globe. This study shows that the Coral Triangle, an area extending from the Philippines to the Solomon Islands, has 605 zooxanthellate corals including 15 re- gional endemics. This amounts to 76% of the world's total species complement, giving this province the world's highest conservation priority. Within the Coral Triangle, highest richness resides in the Bird's Head Peninsula of Indonesian Papua which hosts 574 species, with indi- vidual reefs supporting up to 280 species ha -1 . Reasons for the exceptional richness of the Coral Triangle include the geological setting, physical environment and an ar- ray of ecological processes. These findings, supported by parallel distributions of reef fishes and other taxa, provide a clear scientific justification for the Coral Triangle Ini- tiative, arguably one of the world's most significant reef conservation undertakings. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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