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Science 15 February 2002:
Vol. 295. no. 5558, pp. 1280 - 1284
DOI: 10.1126/science.1067728
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Reports

Marine Biodiversity Hotspots and Conservation Priorities for Tropical Reefs

Callum M. Roberts,12* Colin J. McClean,2 John E. N. Veron,3 Julie P. Hawkins,2 Gerald R. Allen,48 Don E. McAllister,5dagger Cristina G. Mittermeier,4 Frederick W. Schueler,6 Mark Spalding,7 Fred Wells,8 Carly Vynne,4 Timothy B. Werner4

Coral reefs are the most biologically diverse of shallow water marine ecosystems but are being degraded worldwide by human activities and climate warming. Analyses of the geographic ranges of 3235 species of reef fish, corals, snails, and lobsters revealed that between 7.2% and 53.6% of each taxon have highly restricted ranges, rendering them vulnerable to extinction. Restricted-range species are clustered into centers of endemism, like those described for terrestrial taxa. The 10 richest centers of endemism cover 15.8% of the world's coral reefs (0.012% of the oceans) but include between 44.8 and 54.2% of the restricted-range species. Many occur in regions where reefs are being severely affected by people, potentially leading to numerous extinctions. Threatened centers of endemism are major biodiversity hotspots, and conservation efforts targeted toward them could help avert the loss of tropical reef biodiversity.

1 Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge MA 02138, USA.
2 Environment Department, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK.
3 Australian Institute of Marine Science, Private Mail Box No. 3, Townsville MC, Queensland, 4810, Australia.
4 Center for Applied Biodiversity Science, Conservation International, 1919 M Street, N.W., Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036, USA.
5 Ocean Voice International, Post Office Box 20060, Royal Post Office Perth Mews, Perth, Ontario, Canada K7H 3M6.
6 Eastern Ontario Biodiversity Museum, Box 1860, Kemptville, Ontario, Canada K0G 1J0.
7 United Nations Environment Programme-World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 0DL, UK.
8 Western Australian Museum, Francis Street, Perth, WA 6000, Australia.
*   To whom correspondence should be addressed at the Environment Department, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK. E-mail: cr10{at}york.ac.uk

dagger    Deceased.

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