Past, present and future benefits from marine biogenic shellfish reef habitats (4463)

海洋生物贝类珊瑚礁栖息地过去、现在和未来的好处 (4463)

• 批准号: 2785447
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2785447
• 关键词: Past; present; future; benefits; marine

Biogenic shellfish reefs are complex seafloor habitats created by the presence of species such as oysters and mussels. They promote high biodiversity and provide important benefits to humans including improved water quality, food provision and cultural services such as recreational diving and fishing. These habitats were once highly abundant around the United Kingdom but were subsequently severely depleted. Because of the multiple benefits they provide to humans and marine biodiversity, biogenic reefs are of high conservation and restoration interest. However, we lack an understanding of the scale of past loss, the benefits they once provided and what benefits they could provide in the future if they were to be restored. We also need to understand who will benefit from restoration activities and what trade-offs will have to be made to keep these habitats healthy while coastal habitats continue to be heavily used.To fill these knowledge gaps, this PhD will investigate the past, present and future of ecosystem service provision in biogenic shellfish reefs at a site in the South West of England, the Fal Estuary. A case study approach will allow for in-depth analysis and practical application. It will also develop methodological approaches and generate lessons for wider research and management.This PhD will work closely with stakeholders and adopt natural and social scientific approaches to understand the implications of past loss and future regeneration of these habitats, and how the benefits and trade-offs of restoration action will be distributed across society. Supervised by experts based at the University of Exeter, Plymouth Marine Laboratory and Natural England, the student will develop a deep knowledge of the challenges facing marine managers while generating an interdisciplinary understanding of approaches to tackle these challenges head-on.Recent governmental commitments in the 25 Year Environment Plan & Fisheries Act to an ecosystem approach to management, and commitment to a Net Gain approach to biodiversity, means this project has great potential to inform policy and management for biogenic reefs. The successful student will gain the ability to delve into ecological, historical and social science approaches to gain interdisciplinary research skills that they can build on in their future careers in academia, government or industry.

生物贝类珊瑚礁是由牡蛎和贻贝等物种的存在而形成的复杂海底栖息地。它们促进了高度的生物多样性，并为人类提供了重要的好处，包括改善水质、食物供应和休闲潜水和钓鱼等文化服务。英国各地的这些栖息地曾经非常丰富，但后来严重枯竭。由于它们为人类和海洋生物多样性提供多种益处，生物礁具有很高的保护和恢复意义。然而，我们对过去损失的规模、它们曾经提供的好处以及如果恢复的话将来可以提供什么好处缺乏了解。我们还需要了解谁将从恢复活动中受益，以及在沿海栖息地继续被大量使用的情况下，必须做出哪些权衡才能保持这些栖息地的健康。为了填补这些知识空白，本博士将调查过去、现在和英格兰西南部法尔河口的生物贝类珊瑚礁生态系统服务提供的未来。案例研究方法将允许深入分析和实际应用。它还将开发方法论，并为更广泛的研究和管理提供经验教训。该博士将与利益相关者密切合作，采用自然和社会科学方法来了解这些栖息地过去丧失和未来再生的影响，以及利益和贸易如何-恢复行动的收益将分配给全社会。在埃克塞特大学、普利茅斯海洋实验室和自然英格兰专家的指导下，学生将深入了解海洋管理者面临的挑战，同时对应对这些挑战的方法产生跨学科的理解。 25 年环境计划和渔业法采用生态系统管理方法，并致力于生物多样性净收益方法，意味着该项目具有为生物礁政策和管理提供信息的巨大潜力。成功的学生将有能力深入研究生态、历史和社会科学方法，以获得跨学科研究技能，为他们未来在学术界、政府或工业界的职业生涯奠定基础。