Biodiversity Evaluation for Ecosystem-Based Management in Daya Bay, South China Sea

In this study, we created a set of biodiversity indices (BI) to track the changes of biodiversity components in Daya Bay of the South China Sea. The timely information is thereby obtained for decision-making of biodiversity conservation. The calculated BI score ranged from 0.89 to 1.07 during the periods of 2004-2008, and the mean annual loss of biodiversity ranged from -3.98% to 3.17% and reduced gradually. The benthic diversity exhibited an increasing trend, while the loss of phytoplankton and zooplankton diversity was obvious. The assessment suggested that more work should focus on the improvement of water quality, protection and conservation of fisheries resources, and the control of thermal discharges from nuclear power plants.