Regresar

Marine habitat connectivity in the Wakatobi National Park

Abstract:

The Wakatobi National Park (WNP) is Indonesia's second largest marine national park, covering an area of 1.39 million hectares and comprising an array of highly diverse coral reefs, seagrass meadows, mangrove forests and other marine habitats. Research has revealed that many of these habitats are linked as a result of faunal, detritus and/or nutrient movements. Understanding the mechanisms, importance, frequency and duration of these connections is essential to provide managers with the knowledge necessary for the creation of effective management plans to preserve both fisheries and biodiversity. In this chapter we present the current state of knowledge regarding habitat connectivity within marine shallow water habitats of Indonesia and the WNP. © 2010 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.