Habitat evolution and biological trends in the Pearl River Estuary
Huang Weijie
Wang Jianguo
Chen Wenlong
Zhang Min
Wu Qian
Jiang Jian
Guo Fang
He Yingqing
Chen Xiaoxuan
Abstract：The Pearl River Estuary,situated in the core area of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area,stands out as one of the most complex estuarine habitats globally,characterized by a habitat structure that exhibits a high degree of openness,sensitivity,vulnerability,and relatively low stability.The escalating urbanization and continuous expansion of the marine economy in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area have led to an increasing human impact on the Pearl River Estuary ecosystem.Consequently,substantial changes have occurred in the estuarine habitat structure and aquatic biological communities.This article provides a comprehensive overview of the morphological and water environment changes in the Pearl River Estuary,analyzing the influences of human activities and climate change,and presents recommendations for the protection of the aquatic ecosystem in the Pearl River Estuary.It provides strategic references for ecological security of Pearl River Estuary and high-quality development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Keywords：the Pearl River Estuaryhabitat structureaquatic communitieschanging trendspreservation suggestions
Publication Date：2023-11-27
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：6( 16-21 )