The team led by Associate Professor Dong Jianwei from MSE published a research paper titled "Spatiotemporal response of water quality in fragmented mangroves to anthropogenic activities and recommendations for restoration" in the Environmental Research. By incorporating an improved Water Quality Index (WQI), the study evaluates the spatiotemporal characteristics of water quality in fragmented mangrove patches located in underdeveloped coastal areas, verifying the applicability of the WQI method in long-term assessment of water quality of mangrove patch. Meanwhile, K-means spatial clustering analysis and principal component analysis were used to reveal the main human activities and potential pollution sources that affect water quality of mangrove forest. This research can provide a basis for water quality assessment and management decision-making of coastal wetlands and marine ecosystems, and provide scientific guidance for management departments to protect and restore mangroves.

This research has received funding from the National Key R&D Program, the Chaoshan Coastal Zone Comprehensive Geological Survey, and the Nanjing Normal University Research Launch Fund. Cui Yang, a 2022 master's student in the MSE, is the first author, Dong Jianwei and Wang Hongbing are the corresponding authors.