Tampa, United States - February 24, 2025 A groundbreaking study from the University of South Florida has sounded the alarm on the pressing need to safeguard marine ecosystems in shallow coastal waters, spotlighting habitats like those showcased in a new video of flats ecosystems, which mirror the vital areas examined in the research. Known as tidal flats, these shallow waters along the shoreline—teeming with life—are under siege from human activity and worsening weather, threatening fish populations, global seafood supplies, and the economies that rely on them. The research, titled “Habitat management and restoration as missing pieces in flats ecosystems conservation and the fishes and fisheries that they support,” will be published online in Fisheries at 10 a.m. ET on February 24, 2025. Led by a team of marine experts, the study unveils 10 key strategies for boaters, anglers, wildlife managers, and policymakers to protect these critical ecosystems, vividly brought to life in the accompanying video. Central to their plan is treating fish like tarpon as flagship species, whose preservation could safeguard countless other creatures thriving in these same waters. The team stresses that habitat management and restoration must become priorities in coastal planning and development. By weaving these efforts into local government strategies, they say, communities can create resilient shorelines and shallow-water habitats—scenes of which unfold in the video—that sustain marine biodiversity and human prosperity alike. “The ecological connections between these ecosystems and other marine habitats are vital for the lifecycle of various species, many of which are integral to fisheries,” said Lucas Griffin, an assistant professor in USF’s Department of Integrative Biology and a lead researcher on the study. Griffin, who has tracked fish migration patterns for a decade in places like the Florida Keys, has watched tidal flats—similar to those in the video—change dramatically. In the Keys, a biodiversity hotspot, these habitats support wildlife and prized recreational fish like tarpon, permit, and bonefish, driving millions of dollars into the local economy each year. But dangers are mounting: coastal development, harmful algal blooms, scorching heat waves, and boats scarring delicate seagrass beds are unraveling these ecosystems at an alarming pace. “Despite their importance, there is not a lot of direct habitat management to protect these ecosystems,” Griffin cautioned. “We need to address questions like how much good habitat remains, what can be restored, and what has already been lost.” The study blames a deadly combination of overfishing, habitat degradation, rampant coastal development, and shifting environmental conditions for the worldwide decline of tidal flats, with Florida’s fiercer hurricanes and heat waves adding fuel to the fire. The video underscores these threats while highlighting the beauty at stake. The researchers’ full list of actionable principles, detailed in the journal article, offers a lifeline for recovery. “Effective habitat management and restoration are critical, but have been overlooked for flats ecosystems,” Griffin said. “Implementing these principles can help secure the biodiversity, fisheries, and ecosystem services that millions of people depend on.” As coastal marine ecosystems teeter on the edge, the USF study—paired with gripping visuals of flats ecosystems in the video—delivers a urgent call to action, pressing communities globally to save these fragile habitats before they, and the life they cradle, vanish forever.