The Probability of an Unrecoverable Coral Community in Dongsha Atoll Marine National Park Due to Recurrent Disturbances

Yu-Rong Cheng, Chi-Hsiang Chin, Ding-Fa Lin and Chao-Kang Wang
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Yu-Rong Cheng: Department of Fisheries Production and Management, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 81157, Taiwan
Chi-Hsiang Chin: Department of Fisheries Production and Management, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 81157, Taiwan
Ding-Fa Lin: Department of Fisheries Production and Management, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 81157, Taiwan
Chao-Kang Wang: Department of Fisheries Production and Management, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 81157, Taiwan

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 21, 1-20

Abstract: In recent decades, coral reefs worldwide have been impacted annually by climate change and anthropogenic impacts. Marine parks are utilized to protect coral reef ecosystems and to ensure it is in sustainable use. In the present study, a 15-year change in coverage and composition of a hard coral community at Dongsha Atoll Marine National Park (DAMNP) was examined from 2005 to 2019. The reef has experienced several disturbances, including 11 typhoons and six coral bleaching events. A 34.39% decline in coral coverage had been recorded over the past 15 years in response to multiple and recurrent natural disturbances. The coral communities and functional ecology of the Dongsha Atoll changed during this period. The average dissimilarities in coral communities ranged from 55.38 to 59.02%. The dramatic decrease in the abundance of branching corals in addition to a slight increase in massive and encrusting corals suggest the habitat has simplified. The degraded coral reef communities represent a low resilience ecosystem, even though the DAMNP has been established. Without effective management, the coral reef ecosystem of the Dongsha Atoll may not persist due to repeated impacts from recurrent disturbances.

Keywords: marine park; coral community; Dongsha Atoll; climate change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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