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