International Journal of Marine Science, 2025, Vol.15, No.2, 65-74 http://www.aquapublisher.com/index.php/ijms 69 ecological processes such as nutrient cycling and larval replenishment (Figure 2) (El-Naggar, 2020; Ahmad et al., 2024). The cumulative effect of multiple stresses weakens the stability of coral reef systems and threatens the sustainability of their ecological service functions. Figure 2 Coral reef degradation in Pakistan: (A, B, E) caused by thermal stress leading to coral bleaching, and (C, D) caused by bioerosion (Adopted from Ahmad et al., 2024) Image caption: The red circles in the pictures clearly emphasize the areas where degradation is attributed to bioerosion (Adopted from Ahmad et al., 2024) 5 Coral Reef Protection and Management Strategies 5.1 Construction and optimization of marine protected area network The scientific planning of coral reef reserve networks plays a crucial role in maintaining fish diversity and ecological functions. Studies have shown that well-managed protected areas (even if the area is limited) can significantly increase fish biomass, species richness and individual size compared with non-protected areas, verifying their supporting efficacy for coral reef health (MacNeil et al., 2015; Bayley et al., 2019). The effectiveness of protection not only depends on regional demarcation, but also requires strengthening the law enforcement supervision and ecological monitoring system to ensure the achievement of protection goals and the connection of ecological corridors (Ban et al., 2023). Optimizing the protected area network requires a comprehensive assessment of biophysical parameters such as habitat heterogeneity and ecological connectivity. Establishing a composite management unit including core no-fishing zones and sustainable utilization zones can not only promote the recovery of fish populations but also alleviate socio-economic contradictions (Fidler et al., 2021). Strategic layout of the protected area network to
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