Background: Mangrove forests as one of the most important coastal ecosystems
which provide important ecological and economic performance to the people of
the world, have been threatened by the development of human activities and
subsequent land use changes, in addition to the increasing oil resources risks and
destructive coastal installations. As the result of these threats, their ecological role
as habitats has been reduced and consequently, the species diversity and genetic
diversity of the ecosystem has been changed.
Aim: The aim of the present study was to rapid assessment of the mangrove
ecosystem health in Nayband Marine National Park using Mangrove Quality
Index (MQI) as well as the study of genetic diversity of Parasesarma persicum
crab as a key species of this ecosystem and the coorelation between the genetic
diversity and mangrove habitat quality.
Methodology: Based on the results of the present study the mangrove ecosystem
in station 4 showed highest impact by human activities : mangrove quality index
(MQI = 0.7) indicating serious destruction to these mangroves in this area. Station
2 in the northern part of Nayband gulf is in a more appropriate quality (MQI =
0.5). The results of the genetic assessment showed that the genetic diversity of the
crabs in the regions based on heterozygosity was between0.29 to 0.32 with a mean
of 0.30. The results display a significant correlation between mangrove
destruction and heterozygosity reduction (P<0.05).
Conclusions: based on the results of the present study, the MQI Mangrove
Quality Index is a suitable tool for monitoring the mangrove health. In addition,
the AFLP marker is an appropriate tool for studying the genetic diversity of the
crab species Parasesarma persicum on a habitat scale. The results indicated that
habitat destruction may directly reduce the genetic diversity of dependent species
of this ecosystem. The calculated MQI can be used in decision making by
managers and organaizers to protect the mangrov