海参是海洋生态系统中重要的生态工程师。然而,一些物种的渔业需求,尤其是大型海参和商业使用的(LEC)海参,急剧上升,导致许多物种的当地种群严重枯竭。尽管有这个问题,海参的基本生态数据,例如人口密度和首选栖息地,往往是不够的。这里,我们报告了多种LEC海参物种的种群密度,以及冲绳群岛周围八个地点的环境底栖群落。Further,我们讨论了海参密度与周围珊瑚群落之间的对应关系。我们的结果显示了国家或准国家公园内的两个地点,阿卡娅和曼萨,与其他地区相比,对渔业和土地开垦制定了更严格的规定,海参人口密度最高和第三高,分别。除Chatan和Sesoko外,在所有调查地点都观察到了海参种群中的大多数,Holothurialeucospliota和Stichopuschloonotus最丰富的地方,分别。关于底栖组成与LEC海参种类之间的关系,S.chloroonotus与死亡珊瑚显着相关,巩膜珊瑚,和珊瑚藻。同样,H.leucospilota与碎石有显著相关性。尽管任何特定的巩膜珊瑚属与海参密度之间都没有显着相关性,S、叶绿素与鸭嘴兽和Psammocora几乎不重要。值得注意的是,在我们的调查中,中等价值到高价值的物种很少,他们中的大多数只出现在一个地点。此外,在一个站点(Odo),仅观察到三个LEC海参个体。将这些事实与冲绳群岛周围相对较低的人口密度相结合,而先前在印度-西太平洋区域的研究中报告的密度相比,我们得出的结论是,冲绳LEC海参种群已经并且正在受到高水平的直接影响(例如,过度开发,以及沿海开发)和间接人为压力(例如,水质下降)。针对目前的情况,迫切需要反复监测和更详细的调查,以揭示确定LEC海参物种聚集和种群密度的驱动因素,以及对剩余LEC海参种群的更强有力的管理。
Sea cucumbers are important ecological engineers in marine ecosystems. However, the fishery demand of some species, especially large-epifaunal and commercially used (LEC) sea cucumbers, has risen drastically, resulting in serious depletion of local populations for many species. Despite this problem, basic ecological data on sea cucumbers, such as population densities and preferred habitats, are often still insufficient. Here, we report on the population densities of multiple LEC sea cucumber species, and their ambient benthic communities at eight sites around Okinawa Islands. Further, we discuss the correspondence between sea cucumber densities and the surrounding coral communities. Our results show two sites within national or quasi-national parks, Aka and Manza, where stricter rules have been placed on fisheries and land reclamation compared to other areas, had the highest and third highest sea cucumber population densities among sites, respectively. Holothuria atra was observed at all survey sites and made up the majority of sea cucumber populations at all sites except for Chatan and Sesoko, where Holothuria leucospilota and Stichopus chloronotus were most abundant, respectively. Regarding the relationships between benthic composition and LEC sea cucumber species, S. chloronotus was significantly correlated with dead corals, scleractinian corals, and coralline algae. As well, H. leucospilota had significant correlations with rubble. Although there were no significant correlations between any specific scleractinian coral genus and sea cucumber densities, S. chloronotus was marginally insignificant with Platygyra and Psammocora. Notably, medium- to highly valued species were sparse in our surveys, and most of them appeared at only one site. Additionally, at one site (Odo), only three LEC sea cucumber individuals were observed. Combining these facts with relatively low population densities around the Okinawa Islands compared to densities reported in previous research from the Indo-West Pacific Ocean region, we conclude that Okinawan LEC sea cucumber populations have been and are being impacted by high levels of direct (e.g., overexploitation, as well as coastal development) and indirect anthropogenic pressure (e.g., decreasing water quality). To address the current situation, repeated monitoring and more detailed investigations to reveal the drivers that determine LEC sea cucumber species aggregations and population densities are urgently needed, along with more robust management of remaining LEC sea cucumber populations.