美國和墨西哥科學家在新一期美國《國家科學院院刊》（PNAS）上聯(lián)合發(fā)表論文,，推選出全球20處水生哺乳動物的重點保護區(qū)域。

美國斯坦福大學和墨西哥國立自治大學的研究人員,，按照生物多樣性和獨特性的標準,，分析全球水生哺乳動物的棲息地分布情況,。

他們最終列出兩類重點保護區(qū)域,，并呼吁相應的保護措施能夠跟進。

科學家將美國夏威夷群島一帶,、中國長江流域,、俄羅斯貝加爾湖和地中海等9個區(qū)域劃為“不可代替性保護區(qū)域”，這些區(qū)域棲息著某些珍稀水生哺乳動物,。

此外,，他們將美國東部、日本,、阿根廷,、澳大利亞等11個地區(qū)和國家的沿海區(qū)域列入“生物多樣性保護區(qū)域”，這些區(qū)域集中了世界上84%的海洋哺乳動物種類,。

受過度捕撈,、水質(zhì)污染和氣候變暖等因素影響，近年來全球水生哺乳動物種類,、數(shù)量急劇下降,。此前有研究表明，超過三分之一的水生哺乳動物物種瀕臨滅絕,。(生物谷 Bioon.com)

doi:10.1073/pnas.1101525108
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PMID:
Global distribution and conservation of marine mammals

Pompa, Sandra; Ehrlich, Paul R.; Ceballos, Gerardo

We identified 20 global key conservation sites for all marine (123) and freshwater (6) mammal species based on their geographicranges. We created geographic range maps for all 129 species and a Geographic Information System database for a 46,184 1°x 1° grid-cells, ?10,000-km2. Patterns of species richness, endemism, and risk were variable among all species and species groups. Interestingly, marinemammal species richness was correlated strongly with areas of human impact across the oceans. Key conservation sites in theglobal geographic grid were determined either by their species richness or by their irreplaceability or uniqueness, becauseof the presence of endemic species. Nine key conservation sites, comprising the 2.5% of the grid cells with the highest speciesrichness, were found, mostly in temperate latitudes, and hold 84% of marine mammal species. In addition, we identified 11irreplaceable key conservation sites, six of which were found in freshwater bodies and five in marine regions. These key conservationsites represent critical areas of conservation value at a global level and can serve as a first step for adopting global strategieswith explicit geographic conservation targets for Marine Protected Areas.