This study investigated the impact of marine heatwaves on kelp forest fish communities, both inside and outside Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), in Southern California. The results show that a marine heatwave significantly altered the community structure, with warm-water species increasing in abundance and biomass, while cool-water species showed less dramatic changes. Importantly, MPAs did not buffer these changes, suggesting that additional management strategies beyond MPAs are needed to mitigate the effects of warming on marine communities.
Publisher
Scientific Reports
Published On
Dec 03, 2020
Authors
R. M. Freedman, J. A. Brown, C. Caldow, J. E. Caselle
Tags
marine heatwaves
kelp forest
fish communities
Marine Protected Areas
Southern California
species abundance
management strategies
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