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© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Hotspots are priority marine or terrestrial areas with high biodiversity where delineation is essential for conservation, but equally important is their linkage to the environmental policies of the overall region. In this study, fish diversity presences were linked to abiotic conditions and different habitat types to reveal multi-species and hotspots models predicted by ecological niche modelling methods within the Bay of La Paz, Mexico (south of Gulf of California). The abiotically suitable areas for 217 fish species were identified based on historical (1975–2020) presence data sets and a set of environmental layers related to distances from mangroves and rocky shores habitats, marine substrate, and bottom geomorphology conditions. Hotspot model distribution was delineated from a multi-species model identifying areas with ≥60 species per hectare and was compared to the marine conservation areas such Balandra Protected Natural Area (BPNA), illustrating how these models can be applied to improve the local regulatory framework. The results indicate that (1) there is a need for the BPNA to be enlarged to capture more of the delineated hotspot areas, and thus an update to the management plan will be required, (2) new conservation areas either adjacent or outside of the established BPNA should be established, or (3) Ramsar sites or other priority areas should be subject to legal recognition and a management plan decreed so that these vital habitats and fish diversity can be better protected.

Details

Title
Linking Habitat and Associated Abiotic Conditions to Predict Fish Hotspots Distribution Areas within La Paz Bay: Evaluating Marine Conservation Areas
Author
Urcádiz-Cázares, Francisco Javier 1 ; Cruz-Escalona, Víctor Hugo 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Peterson, Mark S 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Aguilar-Medrano, Rosalía 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Marín-Enríquez, Emigdio 5 ; Sergio Scarry González-Peláez 6 ; Arturo Del Pino-Machado 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Arturo Bell Enríquez-García 2 ; Borges-Souza, José Manuel 2 ; Ortega-Rubio, Alfredo 7 

 Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, Ecología Pesquera, Avenida Instituto Politécnico Nacional 195, Playa Palo Sta. Rita, La Paz 23090, Baja California Sur, Mexico; [email protected] (F.J.U.-C.); [email protected] (S.S.G.-P.); Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Tecnológico Nacional de México, Campus La Paz, Blvd. Forjadores de Baja California Sur 4720, Tecnológico, La Paz 23080, Baja California Sur, Mexico 
 Departamento de Pesquerías y Biología Marina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Avenida Instituto Politécnico Nacional s/n, Playa Palo de Sta. Rita, Postal Box 592, La Paz 23096, Baja California Sur, Mexico; [email protected] (A.D.P.-M.); [email protected] (A.B.E.-G.); [email protected] (J.M.B.-S.) 
 Division of Coastal Sciences, School of Ocean Science and Engineering, The University of Southern Mississippi, 703 East Beach Drive, Ocean Springs, MS 39564, USA; [email protected] 
 Laboratorio de Taxonomía y Ecología de Peces, Departamento de Recursos del Mar, CINVESTAV Mérida, km 6 Antigua Carretera a Progreso, Mérida 97310, Yucatán, Mexico; [email protected] 
 Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, CONACYT-Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Paseo Claussen s/n, Mazatlán 8200, Sinaloa, Mexico; [email protected] 
 Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, Ecología Pesquera, Avenida Instituto Politécnico Nacional 195, Playa Palo Sta. Rita, La Paz 23090, Baja California Sur, Mexico; [email protected] (F.J.U.-C.); [email protected] (S.S.G.-P.) 
 Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, Planeación Ambiental y Conservación, Avenida Instituto Politécnico Nacional 195, Playa Palo Sta. Rita, La Paz 23090, Baja California Sur, Mexico; [email protected] 
First page
212
Publication year
2021
Publication date
2021
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
14242818
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2532336919
Copyright
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.