MARE researcher co-authors article published in Nature
Emanuel Gonçalves, researcher at MARE (MARE-ISPA), is co-author of the scientific article "Marine protected areas promote stability of reef fish communities under climate warming", published on February 28th in the science journal Nature.
The team of researchers set out to discover whether the protection offered to fish by marine protected areas promotes their resistance to marine heatwaves. The researchers quantified the stability of reef fish abundance, from populations to metacommunities (a set of communities that interact with each other due to the dispersal of multiple species that can interact). This quantification took into account the species response and functional diversity, including the thermal affinity of the different trophic groups.
This study led the researchers to conclude that, in general, the protection afforded by marine protected areas, mitigates the adverse effects of marine heatwaves on fish abundance and community stability.
To read the article click here