Determining and predicting the sensitivity of marine habitats to anthropogenic stressors

Key Points

• This research aims to assess and predict how marine habitats respond to human-related stresses.
• Standardized 73 monitoring datasets of bottom-dwelling fish and benthic fauna across Europe.
• Developed sensitivity indices to evaluate habitat responses.
• Conducted hotspot analyses to identify vulnerable areas for protection.
• Identified uniform recommendations for establishing marine protected areas.
• Highlighted varying sensitivity levels of marine habitats across different regions.
• Demonstrated the impact of anthropogenic stressors on marine diversity.

Abstract