Identification and delineation of mariculture area based on Maxent and Marxan: A case study in Jiangsu, China

The increasing productivity of mariculture has earned it recognition as a promising strategy for meeting human protein demands. However, with the rapid development of the marine economy and the increasing demand for marine space, trade-offs between mariculture activities and other sea-use activities become more complex. Sustainable development of the mariculture industry requires the application of advanced spatial planning to identify suitable mariculture sites. This study examined the potential application of the Maxent-Marxan integrated method for mariculture spatial planning and developed a set of technical process for mariculture site selection, with the marine area of Jiangsu Province used as a case study. Based on environmental data for the Jiangsu Province marine area, the Maxent model was used to predict potentially suitable habitats for seven main mariculture species across four major categories. Subsequently, in combination with marine spatial usage data, the Marxan model was used to control costs and conduct zoning studies, ultimately establish an overall feasible planning scheme for mariculture in Jiangsu Province. The results indicated the total planned mariculture area of 9794.2 km2, representing 31.85 % of the marine area in Jiangsu Province. Identified suitable areas for shellfish, algae, fish, crustacean, and integrated shellfish-crustacean mariculture were 2147.32 km2, 2761.82 km2, 2135 km2, 1520.33 km2, and 1229.73 km2, respectively. The results confirmed the applicability and scientific validity of the Maxent model for predicting suitable habitats for individual mariculture species. The Maxent-Marxan integrated method can provide scientific support for the selection of mariculture sites for different types of mariculture species, and help decision-makers in coordinating the relationships between food demand, ecological conservation, and socio-economic development during the mariculture planning process, so as to make informed spatial planning decisions. This study provided a scientific reference for the application of the Maxent-Marxan integrated method to mariculture planning.