Abstract
Coral reef ecosystems provide many ecological, economic, and social benefits. Despite their numerous functions, coral reefs are in a vulnerable state due to the effects of human activities. The condition of coral reefs has decreased in many parts of the world. Therefore, coral reef examinations need to be carried out continuously in order to formulate management strategies that can reduce their vulnerability over time. This study aims to analyze the vulnerability index of coral reefs, the sensitivity of coral reefs to the causes of vulnerability, and the adaptive capacity to anticipate vulnerability. The primary data are the perceptions of respondents’ who filled out a prepared questionnaire which included eight dimensions: information on the environmental conditions, fishing ports, fishing areas, coastline settlements, tourism management, tourism attractions, socio-economic conditions and population, and aquaculture. The data were analyzed using multidimensional scaling (MDS). The results of the analysis revealed that fishing ports, fishing areas, and environmental condition are high vulnerability indexes which cause damage to coral reefs. The highest coral reef vulnerability sensitivity was found to be triggered by the distance from fishing areas and the distance from fishing vessel channels. An inverse relationship between vulnerability and adaptive capacity was shown. Hence distance from fishing areas and distance from fishing vessel channels are the attributes that have low adaptive capacity.
Highlights
Effective management of coral reefs requires strategies that help to protect coral reefs from damage due to cumulative human activity
The primary data are the perceptions of respondents’ who filled out a prepared questionnaire which included eight dimensions: information on the environmental conditions, fishing ports, fishing areas, coastline settlements, tourism management, tourism attractions, socio-economic conditions and population, and aquaculture
The results of the analysis revealed that fishing ports, fishing areas, and environmental condition are high vulnerability indexes which cause damage to coral reefs
Summary
Effective management of coral reefs requires strategies that help to protect coral reefs from damage due to cumulative human activity. Coral reefs have other ecological, economic and social benefits Regarding their ecological functions, coral reefs serve as life support systems, excellent sources of biodiversity, and coastal barriers; they prevent global warming [5]. Coral reefs are a food source, a form of medicinal and cosmetic ingredients, tourism objects, means of livelihood, and cultivation resources [1,5]. Regarding their social functions, coral reefs support educational activities and research activities and become recreational facilities for people in general [5]
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