MaxEnt modeling to show patterns of coastal habitats of reef-associated fish in the South and East China Seas

Reef-associated fish are a crucial source of protein for coastal residents and play an important role in the economy and ecology of marine ecosystems. However, human activities and climate change have led to the degradation of their habitats in the South China Sea (SCS) and East China Sea (ECS). This study models the potential habitats of reef-associated fish in the SCS and ECS between 1993 and 2019 using high-spatial-resolution environmental factors and fish presence data, estimates the importance of environmental factors on habitat distribution and identifies seasonal variation and distribution shifts over recent decades, the results show moderate and highly suitable areas for reef-associated fish in the region total 360,000 km(2). Sea body temperature, chlorophyll-alpha concentration, and seawater salinity are crucial for determining the distribution of reef-associated fish. Moreover, reef-associated fish are also sensitive to seawater temperature in winter. Suitable areas for reef-associated fish near coastlines have decreased due to environmental changes within the region. The findings of this study offer valuable resource for developing fishery management and conservation strategies for this important functional group.

Automated summary

This study models the potential habitats of reef-associated fish in the South China Sea and East China Sea and identifies the environmental factors that are crucial for their distribution. The suitable areas for reef-associated fish near coastlines have decreased over recent decades due to environmental changes in the region.