British scientists from the University of Plymouth have discovered that shipwrecks play an important role in maintaining marine biological systems, providing shelter for algae, fish, corals and other creatures. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Marine Ecology.
According to scientists, there are nearly 50 thousand sunken ships at the bottom along the coastline of the British Isles. Many of them have been there for more than a century, protecting these areas from trawling with their presence.
With the support of local ship crews, researchers collected video footage of the sunken ships and their surroundings within a 50-meter radius and monitored areas more than 150 meters away from the wreck site.
It turns out that the average density of marine life near shipwrecks is 240% higher than where trawling takes place. Within a 50-meter radius of the debris, this figure increases to 340%.
“Industrial use of bottom fishing gear has been widespread since the 1800s and has significantly altered marine communities and ecosystems. Outside of legally protected areas at sea, only areas inaccessible to trawlers are afforded any protection, so shipwreck sites are rarely exposed to trawl nets,” he said. lead author of the study is Jenny Hickman.
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