Umbrella effect of spotted seal conservation and achieving 30 × 30 targets in the Yellow Sea ecoregion

Abstract

The Yellow Sea ecoregion (YSE) is internationally recognized as a global conservation priority due to its abundant natural resources. However, habitat destruction and loss severely threaten its biodiversity, resulting in its classification as an IUCN endangered ecosystem. The spotted seal (Phoca largha), a charismatic flagship species of the YSE, has received increasing conservation investment. There is an urgent need to understand the umbrella effect of spotted seal conservation to clarify future actions for the conservation of biodiversity inhabiting the YSE. In this study, we identified the top 5%, 10% and 30% conservation priority areas (CPA) for spotted seals. We examined their spatial overlap with 108 IUCN threatened species and coastal wetlands while also analyzing if the layout of existing protected areas is effective in conserving spotted seals. The results showed that the threatened species in the YSE were primarily fish, with a total of 88 species. The top 5% CPA encompassed approximately 80% of threatened species and 17% of coastal wetlands within the YSE. Expanding protection to include these areas would result in umbrella protection covering up to 97% of threatened species and 71% of coastal wetlands when reaching a 30% threshold. The spatial coverage of existing marine protected areas (MPAs) for threatened biodiversity fell below that of the top 5% CPA. However, the MPAs only covered approximately 34% of the top 5% CPA despite accounting for merely 9.46% of the total area within the YSE. Aquatic germplasm reserves (AGRs) exhibited superior performance among the various types of MPAs assessed, with overlap proportions ranging 58–75% with CPA. Therefore, future efforts should prioritize following the conservation priorities outlined for spotted seals during the progress toward achieving the “30 by 30” Kunming-Montreal Global Target by year 2030 within the YSE with an emphasis on recognizing and preserving the AGRs’ role in in situ conservation.

Graphical Abstract