Extended Abstract



Introduction



Biodiversity conservation has become one of the most critical environmental challenges of the twenty-first century. Rapid population growth, urban expansion, industrial development, and increasing pressure on natural resources have resulted in widespread habitat degradation and ecosystem fragmentation across the globe. Among these drivers, large-scale industrialization is recognized as one of the primary causes of biodiversity loss because it fundamentally alters land cover patterns, increases human disturbances, and reduces the capacity of ecosystems to sustain ecological processes and services.



Coastal environments are particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances. These areas often support a wide range of valuable ecosystems, including wetlands, mangrove forests, estuaries, coral communities, and coastal habitats that provide important ecological, economic, and social benefits. At the same time, coastal regions attract extensive industrial, commercial, and urban development due to their strategic locations and access to marine transportation networks. Consequently, balancing economic development and environmental conservation has become a major challenge in many coastal regions worldwide.



The northern coast of the Persian Gulf represents one of the most important economic and ecological regions of Iran. The establishment and rapid expansion of the Pars Special Economic Energy Zone (PSEEZ) has transformed this region into a major center for oil, gas, and petrochemical industries associated with the South Pars Gas Field, one of the largest natural gas reservoirs in the world. Since its establishment in 1998, the PSEEZ has experienced substantial growth in industrial infrastructure, transportation networks, residential settlements, ports, and maritime activities. While these developments have generated significant economic opportunities and contributed substantially to national energy production, concerns have increased regarding their environmental impacts on surrounding ecosystems.



One of the most environmentally significant areas adjacent to the PSEEZ is Nayband National Marine Park. This protected area is recognized as the first national marine park in Iran and contains a diverse range of terrestrial, coastal, and marine ecosystems. Mangrove forests, mudflats, sandy beaches, wetlands, rocky shores, and marine habitats within the park support numerous plant and animal species and provide important ecosystem services. However, the proximity of industrial activities to these ecologically sensitive habitats raises concerns regarding habitat degradation, biodiversity decline, and ecosystem fragmentation.



Assessing habitat quality is an essential component of biodiversity conservation and sustainable environmental management. Habitat quality reflects the ability of an ecosystem to provide suitable conditions for species survival and ecological functioning. Traditional field-based ecological assessments are often expensive, time-consuming, and difficult to implement over large geographic areas. Recent advances in remote sensing technologies and spatial modeling have created new opportunities for evaluating habitat conditions at regional and landscape scales.



The Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) Habitat Quality Model has emerged as one of the most widely applied tools for assessing habitat quality and habitat degradation. By integrating land use information with spatial representations of anthropogenic threats, the model provides a quantitative framework for evaluating biodiversity conditions and identifying areas that are vulnerable to environmental degradation.



The primary objective of this study was therefore to investigate long-term changes in habitat quality and habitat degradation in the PSEEZ and surrounding environments between 1986 and 2018. Specifically, the study aimed to: (1) quantify land use and land cover changes over a 32-year period; (2) assess temporal and spatial variations in habitat quality; (3) identify major drivers of habitat degradation; and (4) evaluate potential implications of industrial expansion for biodiversity conservation and sustainable environmental planning.



Materials and Methods



Study Area



The study area is located along the northern coastline of the Persian Gulf in southern Iran and includes the Pars Special Economic Energy Zone and adjacent ecosystems. The region encompasses industrial complexes, urban settlements, transportation corridors, ports, wetlands, mangrove forests, coastal habitats, and protected areas associated with Nayband National Marine Park.



The area has experienced extensive industrial development since the late 1990s. Numerous gas refineries, petrochemical facilities, export terminals, residential developments, and transportation infrastructures have been established, making it one of the most rapidly developing industrial regions in the country.



### Remote Sensing Data



Multi-temporal Landsat imagery was employed to analyze long-term land use and land cover changes. Satellite images representing 1986, 1998, and 2018 were selected to characterize environmental conditions before and after major industrial development.



To support maritime traffic assessment and improve spatial analysis, Sentinel-2 imagery was additionally incorporated. A total of 127 satellite images were analyzed to identify ship locations and estimate maritime traffic density patterns.



### Land Use and Land Cover Classification



Land use and land cover maps were generated using the Random Forest classification algorithm. This machine-learning approach has been widely recognized for its robustness, flexibility, and high classification accuracy in remote sensing applications.



Major land cover categories included built-up areas, industrial lands, vegetation, wetlands, barren lands, and water bodies. Training and validation datasets were developed using reference information derived from satellite imagery and ancillary spatial data.



Classification performance was evaluated using standard accuracy assessment procedures. Overall accuracies exceeded 93%, indicating that the generated land cover maps provided a reliable basis for subsequent habitat quality analyses.



Habitat Quality Assessment



Habitat quality and habitat degradation were modeled using the InVEST Habitat Quality Model. The model estimates habitat conditions by considering both habitat suitability and the influence of anthropogenic threats.



Several biodiversity threats were incorporated into the analysis, including industrial facilities, roads, agricultural lands, urban settlements, ports, and maritime traffic. Each threat was assigned an ecological weight and influence distance according to its expected environmental impact.



Habitat sensitivity values were defined for different land cover types based on ecological characteristics and vulnerability to disturbance. The resulting model outputs included spatially explicit maps of habitat quality and habitat degradation for each study year.



Ship Traffic Analysis



Maritime transportation represents a significant source of environmental pressure in coastal ecosystems. Ship traffic density was estimated through vessel detection using Landsat and Sentinel-2 imagery. Spatial hotspot analysis was then applied to identify areas experiencing intensive maritime activity. These results were integrated into the habitat quality modeling framework as an additional biodiversity threat.



Results



Land Use and Land Cover Dynamics



The analysis revealed substantial land use transformations between 1986 and 2018. Industrial development emerged as the dominant driver of landscape change throughout the study area.



Built-up and industrial areas expanded considerably following the establishment of the PSEEZ. The extent of developed lands increased from approximately 2,058 hectares in 1998 to 4,815 hectares in 2018. This expansion was primarily concentrated along coastal zones and transportation corridors.



Simultaneously, natural habitats experienced significant reductions in area and connectivity. Wetlands, vegetation-covered lands, and coastal ecosystems were particularly affected by industrial and urban encroachment.



Habitat Degradation Patterns



The results indicated a dramatic increase in habitat degradation during the study period. Mean habitat degradation values increased from 0.0007 in 1986 to 0.0012 in 1998 and reached 0.0128 in 2018.



The proportion of habitats exposed to degradation increased from only 1.16% in 1986 to approximately 27.40% in 2018. These findings suggest that habitat degradation intensified rapidly following industrial development and became nearly eighteen times greater than conditions observed before establishment of the PSEEZ.



Spatial analyses demonstrated that degradation hotspots were concentrated around industrial complexes, petrochemical facilities, urban settlements, transportation networks, and port infrastructures.



Habitat Quality Changes



Although average habitat quality remained relatively high, a declining trend was observed throughout the study period. Habitat quality values decreased from 0.9895 in 1986 to 0.9888 in 1998 and subsequently to 0.9779 in 2018.



Protected ecosystems generally maintained higher habitat quality scores than unprotected areas. Nevertheless, increasing anthropogenic pressures have begun to affect habitats located near industrial development zones.



Maritime Traffic Impacts



Ship traffic analysis revealed extensive maritime activity around industrial ports and export terminals. Several traffic hotspots were identified in areas characterized by intensive industrial operations. These activities contributed additional environmental pressures through disturbance, pollution risks, and increased coastal infrastructure development.



Discussion and Conclusion



The results provide clear evidence that rapid industrial expansion has substantially altered ecological conditions in the PSEEZ during the last three decades. The observed increase in habitat degradation and decline in habitat quality demonstrate the environmental consequences of large-scale industrial development in ecologically sensitive coastal regions.



The dramatic expansion of industrial infrastructure, urban settlements, and transportation networks has increased anthropogenic pressure on surrounding ecosystems. Similar patterns have been reported in industrialized coastal regions worldwide, where economic development often results in habitat fragmentation, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem degradation.



An important finding of this study is the growing environmental pressure on ecosystems associated with Nayband National Marine Park. Although the protected status of the park has contributed to maintaining relatively high habitat quality, degradation hotspots are expanding toward ecologically valuable habitats. If current development trends continue, the ecological integrity of these ecosystems may be increasingly threatened.



The integration of remote sensing data and the InVEST Habitat Quality Model proved highly effective for evaluating biodiversity conditions across large spatial and temporal scales. The methodology enabled the identification of degradation hotspots, assessment of long-term ecological trends, and quantification of relationships between industrial development and habitat condition.



The findings have important implications for environmental management and spatial planning. Conservation efforts should prioritize ecologically sensitive habitats located near industrial development zones. Establishment of ecological buffer zones, restoration of degraded habitats, stricter environmental regulations, and continuous biodiversity monitoring could help reduce future environmental impacts.



Furthermore, incorporating ecosystem service assessments into regional planning processes would support more balanced decision-making and facilitate the integration of environmental considerations into development strategies. Sustainable management approaches are particularly important in regions where economic growth depends heavily on industrial activities located near vulnerable ecosystems.



In conclusion, this study demonstrates that industrial development within the Pars Special Economic Energy Zone has significantly increased habitat degradation and reduced habitat quality between 1986 and 2018. Although many natural habitats continue to provide important ecological functions, increasing anthropogenic pressures threaten their long-term sustainability. The generated spatial information provides valuable support for biodiversity conservation, environmental monitoring, and sustainable development planning. Future management strategies should seek to balance economic development objectives with the protection of ecologically important habitats to ensure the long-term resilience of coastal ecosystems in the Persian Gulf region.