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Evolving framework of studies on global gulf ecosystems with Sustainable Development Goals

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Abstract

Gulf ecosystems provide many beneficial services to humanity and play a key role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, the sustainability of gulf ecosystems has been severely threatened by climatic and anthropogenic stresses. Using network analysis of article records downloaded from Web of Science, we summarize the current research framework of gulf ecosystems via the perspectives of research themes, interdisciplinarity, and international collaborations. Research themes involve nutrient and eutrophication, biodiversity, mangrove and sediment pollution, and ecosystem service and climate change. Nevertheless, these themes usually focus on gulf ecosystems themselves with little consideration of their connectivity with other ecosystems. Interdisciplinarity has remained mostly within natural sciences while international collaborations exist mainly between developed and developing countries and among developed countries. Combined with the SDGs, we propose the future research framework where research themes should consider the impacts of terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems on gulf ecosystems at the watershed scale. Interdisciplinarity between natural and social and management sciences needs to be promoted by utilizing the advantages of data sciences. Collaborations with developing countries led by China, Mexico, Brazil, and India need to be strengthened. The evolved research framework could offer decision support for stakeholders to manage gulf ecosystems and achieve the SDGs.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Zhaofeng Guo and Qianlinglin Qiu for valuable comments, and Wendong Wang for assistance with the layout of Fig. 7.

Funding

This work was supported financially by Ministry of Science and Technology of China (MSTC) with National Key Research and Development Program (2017YFE0119000) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) with Young Scientists Programs (31300397); and International Young Scientists Program (41850410497). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this work are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of MSTC and NSFC

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Fujian Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecology, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1799 Jimei Ave, Jimei District, Xiamen, 361021, Fujian, China

    Dong Liu, Yaoyang Xu & Maede Faghihinia

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Dong Liu

  3. Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Urban Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, Ningbo Urban Environment Observation and Research Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315800, Zhejiang, China

    Yaoyang Xu & Maede Faghihinia

  4. Water@Leeds Research Institute, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK

    Paul Kay & Faith Ka Shun Chan

  5. School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK

    Paul Kay & Faith Ka Shun Chan

  6. School of Geographical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo, 315100, China

    Faith Ka Shun Chan

  7. Department of Geography and Spatial Information Techniques, Center for Land and Marine Spatial Utilization and Governance Research, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China

    Naicheng Wu

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  1. Dong Liu
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Dong Liu and Yaoyang Xu conceived the initial idea, and all authors developed the concepts and structure of the manuscript. All authors contributed equally to further content development and revisions of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Yaoyang Xu.

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Liu, D., Xu, Y., Faghihinia, M. et al. Evolving framework of studies on global gulf ecosystems with Sustainable Development Goals. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 18385–18397 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-18005-0

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