A PREDICTIVE MODEL BASED ON MULTIPLE COASTAL ANTHROPOGENIC PRESSURES EXPLAINS THE DEGRADATION STATUS OF A MARINE ECOSYSTEM: IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION.

Holon, F., Marre, G., Parravicini, V.,Mouquet, N. Bockel, T., Descamp, P., Tribot, A.S., Boissery, P. & Deter, J. (2018).

Biological Conservation, 222, 125-135, doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2018.04.006

Key message : We analyzed the impact of human activities on Posidonia oceanica beds, a vital seagrass species endemic to the Mediterranean. Using a statistical model on a dataset covering 1700 km of the French Mediterranean coast, we found our model explained 71.3% of the degradation variance of P. oceanica. Key factors contributing to this degradation included human-made coastlines, depth, coastal population, urbanization, and agriculture, with aquaculture being a less significant global predictor but having notable local impacts. Notably, we identified thresholds for most predictors beyond which the degradation accelerates. Using this information, we developed a map categorizing coastal seagrass beds based on their risk levels from these pressures. Our findings offer critical insights for conserving this endangered ecosystem.