2.5 Identifying the conservation gaps
For subsequent analysis, the binary maps were utilized to calculate the extent of suitable habitat and retrieve information on all marine protected areas within the Indo-Pacific core area, Data online from the world’s protected areas (http://www.protectedplanet.net, WDPA) in June 2023. ArcGIS was employed to conduct an overlay analysis by combining the distribution data of these protected areas with the potential distribution range of T. maxima . This analysis aimed to assess current protection gaps and identify areas lacking protection for theT. maxima species in the Indo-Pacific core area. Furthermore, to evaluate the effectiveness of the existing protected area system forT. maxima in the Indo-Pacific core area, we also calculated the ratio between the species’ distribution area within the established protected areas and its potential distribution area. This ratio serves as a measure to determine the level of effective protection provided to the species.
Results