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Marine protected areas modulate habitat suitability of the invasive round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) in the Baltic Sea

Holmes, Mark ; Kotta, Jonne ; Persson, Anders LU and Sahlin, Ullrika LU (2019) In Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 229.
Abstract

Biological invasions are one of the leading causes of biodiversity loss worldwide. Given that eradication of invasive species is not usually a practical option, conservationists may attempt to limit their impacts through the designation and management of protected areas. Here, we investigate the effect of marine protected areas on the habitat suitability of an invasive species, the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus). By modelling its environmental niche space in the Baltic Sea, we demonstrated that gobies prefer shallow, warmer waters, sheltered from significant wave action. They are more likely to be found near areas of intense shipping, this being their primary method of long-distance dispersal. Comparison of the goby's occurrences... (More)

Biological invasions are one of the leading causes of biodiversity loss worldwide. Given that eradication of invasive species is not usually a practical option, conservationists may attempt to limit their impacts through the designation and management of protected areas. Here, we investigate the effect of marine protected areas on the habitat suitability of an invasive species, the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus). By modelling its environmental niche space in the Baltic Sea, we demonstrated that gobies prefer shallow, warmer waters, sheltered from significant wave action. They are more likely to be found near areas of intense shipping, this being their primary method of long-distance dispersal. Comparison of the goby's occurrences inside/outside protected areas indicated that suitable habitats within protected areas are more resistant to the round goby's invasion compared to adjacent unprotected areas, however the opposite is true for suboptimal habitats. This has important ecosystem management implications with marine conservation areas providing mitigation measures to control the spread of round goby in its optimal habitats in the Baltic Sea environment. Being subjected to reduced human impacts, native species within protected areas may be more numerous and diverse, helping to resist invasive species incursion.

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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Baltic sea, Invasive species, MaxEnt, Protected areas
in
Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science
volume
229
article number
106380
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85072563573
ISSN
0272-7714
DOI
10.1016/j.ecss.2019.106380
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
0816aed3-0b31-4d17-bce1-fe503ee9813c
date added to LUP
2019-10-02 12:43:13
date last changed
2022-03-18 05:11:58
@article{0816aed3-0b31-4d17-bce1-fe503ee9813c,
  abstract     = {{<p>Biological invasions are one of the leading causes of biodiversity loss worldwide. Given that eradication of invasive species is not usually a practical option, conservationists may attempt to limit their impacts through the designation and management of protected areas. Here, we investigate the effect of marine protected areas on the habitat suitability of an invasive species, the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus). By modelling its environmental niche space in the Baltic Sea, we demonstrated that gobies prefer shallow, warmer waters, sheltered from significant wave action. They are more likely to be found near areas of intense shipping, this being their primary method of long-distance dispersal. Comparison of the goby's occurrences inside/outside protected areas indicated that suitable habitats within protected areas are more resistant to the round goby's invasion compared to adjacent unprotected areas, however the opposite is true for suboptimal habitats. This has important ecosystem management implications with marine conservation areas providing mitigation measures to control the spread of round goby in its optimal habitats in the Baltic Sea environment. Being subjected to reduced human impacts, native species within protected areas may be more numerous and diverse, helping to resist invasive species incursion.</p>}},
  author       = {{Holmes, Mark and Kotta, Jonne and Persson, Anders and Sahlin, Ullrika}},
  issn         = {{0272-7714}},
  keywords     = {{Baltic sea; Invasive species; MaxEnt; Protected areas}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science}},
  title        = {{Marine protected areas modulate habitat suitability of the invasive round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) in the Baltic Sea}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2019.106380}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.ecss.2019.106380}},
  volume       = {{229}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}