Publisher : De Gruyter
Place of publication :
Publication year : 2018
Thematic : Seagrasses
Language : English
Note
Southeast Asia has the highest diversity of seagrass species and habitat types, but basic information on
seagrass habitats is still lacking. This review examines
the known distribution, extent, species diversity, and
research and knowledge gaps of seagrasses in Southeast
Asia by biogeographic region of the Marine Ecoregions
of the World (MEOW). The extent of seagrass meadows in
Southeast Asia is ~36,762.6 km2
but this is likely an underestimate as some ecoregions were not well-represented
and updated information was lacking. There is a paucity
of information from the Western Coral Triangle Province,
with no areal extent data available for the Indonesian
regions of Kalimantan, Central and Southeast Sulawesi,
the Maluku Islands, and West Papua. Regional research
output has increased in the last two decades, with a
trend towards more experimental, rather than descriptive research. However, there are knowledge gaps in
socio-cultural-economic themed research, despite growing awareness of the importance of seagrass-human relationships in this region. Obstacles to advancing seagrass
research, knowledge and conservation are rooted in either
lack of expertise and training or the failure of effective
management and policies. We propose a roadmap for seagrass conservation, with suggested solutions, including 1)
encouraging collaboration between research institutions
and scientists in the region to build capacity and share
knowledge; 2) engaging with policymakers and governments to encourage science-based policies; 3) engaging
with communities to raise awareness and foster stewardship of seagrass in the region.
Go to source
Keywords : Distributed databases
Encoded by : Pauline Carmel Joy Eje
