Evolution Trends and Future Prospects in Artificial Marine Reef Research: A 28-Year Bibliometric Analysis

Haoran Bao, Anna Nikolaeva, Jun Xia and Feng Ma ()
Additional contact information
Haoran Bao: Department of Marine and Fisheries Business Administration, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea
Anna Nikolaeva: Department of Marine Design Convergence Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea
Jun Xia: Department of Environmental Design, Dongseo University, Busan 47011, Republic of Korea
Feng Ma: College of Network Communication, Zhejiang Yuexiu University of Foreign Languages, Shaoxing 312000, China

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 17, issue 1, 1-29

Abstract: Under growing recognition of the need to restore marine ecosystems and promote the sustainable use of ocean resources, this research delves into an analysis of studies on artificial reefs in the marine environment spanning from 1996 to 2024 to explore how they have evolved in supporting biodiversity growth and fishery management while also promoting ecosystem sustainability over time. Using tools like CiteSpace 6.3. R1 and VOSviewer 1.6.18, a total of 586 research publications were examined to pinpoint authors, current trends in research, and emerging focal points. This study highlights the roles played by countries such as the United States, China, and Australia, as well as esteemed institutions, like NOAA and the Chinese Academy of Fisheries Sciences leading the field. In this field of study, there are topics like restoring the environment to its natural state and making fisheries more sustainable by creating habitats with diverse structures and elements; this shows how artificial reef research involves different areas of expertise working together for a common goal. The findings suggest a trend towards using tools such as ecofriendly materials and 3D printing to improve the design and ecological functionality of reefs. However, some challenges still exist, such as conducting assessments on the long-term effects on the environment and finding a balance between promoting biodiversity and meeting the needs of people in terms of economic aspects. This research highlights the importance of countries working together and adapting their strategies to ensure that artificial reefs play a role in protecting marine life and using ocean resources in a sustainable way. By charting out the existing knowledge landscape, this study lays the groundwork for research endeavors focused on tackling these obstacles and propelling the field forward.

Keywords: bibliometric analysis; biodiversity; ecological restoration; sustainable fisheries (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/1/184/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/1/184/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2024:i:1:p:184-:d:1556033

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().