Fish diversity and connectivity in six national marine protected areas in the East China Sea

Abstract

Paper summary generated by OpenAI: This study investigates fish diversity and connectivity across six national marine protected areas (MPAs) in the East China Sea, addressing the impacts of climate change and human activities on coastal ecosystems. Utilizing environmental DNA (eDNA) collected from sandy coasts and analyzed through high-throughput sequencing, the research identified 46,309 molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) from 71 samples. The findings reveal significant connectivity among the MPAs, with over 40% of MOTUs shared across areas, despite environmental differences. The study highlights varying community network structures, suggesting that protection effectiveness is influenced by the size and management of the MPAs, thereby providing essential insights for future conservation strategies in the region.