Biogeography versus resource management

Abstract

Numbers of coral reef species are broadly influenced by historical, physical and geographical factors that are often the basis for prioritizing conservation and management investments. In contrast, the number of species at a site is often influenced by site-specific factors, including abundance, benthic cover and other habitat features (depth and exposure), fishing pressure and resource management. Conservation policies and programmes often prioritize geographies or specific management systems within specific geographies. The author evaluates the variance in number of species at the site scale and estimate the contributions of fishing pressure, local habitat factors and regional geography to local diversity