Article
Environmental Sciences
Seth T. Sykora-Bodie, Jorge G. Alvarez-Romero, Javier A. Arata, Alistair Dunn, Jefferson T. Hinke, Grant Humphries, Christopher Jones, Pal Skogrand, Katharina Teschke, Philip N. Trathan, Dirk Welsford, Natalie C. Ban, Grant Murray, David A. Gill
Summary: As the global environmental crisis escalates, conservation professionals and policymakers are increasingly challenged by uncertainty and limited resources. By applying forecasting techniques from hazard prediction and risk assessment fields, they found that geopolitical and socioeconomic factors play a crucial role in predicting the likelihood of marine protected area designation in the Southern Ocean.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kelsey E. Roberts, Carly N. Cook, Jutta Beher, Eric A. Treml
Summary: Research indicates that Australia's MPA system is not a single network but rather numerous smaller networks delineated by natural breaks outside the Great Barrier Reef and Ningaloo Reef. Depending on the dispersal capacity of the taxa of interest, there may be between 25 and 47 individual ecological networks distributed across the Australian marine environment.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
Sian E. Rees, Matthew Ashley, Louisa Evans, Stephen Mangi, Emma V. Sheehan, Tom Mullier, Adam Rees, Martin J. Attrill
Summary: This study examines the spatial use and economic performance of a fishery before and after Marine Protected Area (MPA) designation over a 12-year period. The findings show an increase in vessels using static gear inside and outside the MPA post-designation, with a decrease in static gear landings but an increase in value, particularly linked to high value species like lobster. Fishing activity using mobile demersal gears within the MPA ceased in 2008, with an increase in effort outside the MPA. The study suggests that an integrated approach to fisheries management and marine conservation is necessary for sustainability.
FISHERIES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Fabio Favoretto, Catalina Lopez-Sagastegui, Enric Sala, Octavio Aburto-Oropeza
Summary: Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) that ban fishing can restore marine life and replenish nearby fisheries. The implementation of the largest fully protected MPA in North America did not lead to a decrease in catches or a displacement of fishing effort to unprotected areas. Our findings support the idea that well-designed MPAs can benefit marine ecosystems and the fisheries they support.
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Echelle S. S. Burns, Cori Lopazanski, Jason Flower, Lennon R. R. Thomas, Darcy Bradley, Sarah E. E. Lester
Summary: In response to the need for better protection of marine ecosystems, there has been a surge in efforts to establish new marine protected areas (MPAs) and MPA networks. Successful MPA design depends on factors such as size, level of protection, and the species and habitats being protected. To assist MPA planners, a review was conducted on 307 MPA design recommendations from various literature sources, resulting in the creation of a condensed set of 24 design guidelines, organized by conservation objectives. Examples of datasets, models, and tools for implementing these guidelines are also provided.
CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kerry Jennifer Sink, Amanda Talita Lombard, Colin Graham Attwood, Livingstone Tamsyn-Claire, Hedley Grantham, Stephen Dale Holness
Summary: South Africa implemented an ecologically representative Marine Protected Area (MPA) network to achieve biodiversity and fisheries management goals with minimal impact on offshore stakeholders. The network represents 131 marine ecosystem types in 5.4% of the ocean area. The process involved systematic conservation planning, stakeholder engagement, and trade-off considerations, leading to balanced compromises and the alignment of MPA objectives with ocean economy goals.
CONSERVATION LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Jennifer Sletten, Mimi D'Iorio, Mary G. Gleason, Alex Driedger, Timothe Vincent, Claire Colegrove, Dawn Wright, Virgil Zetterlind
Summary: Comprehensive, spatially explicit data that include regulatory information are essential for evaluating the level of protection provided by marine protected areas (MPAs) and other marine managed areas (MMAs) in U.S. waters. The analysis found that 85% of U.S. waters are in managed areas that restrict living resource extraction, with 52% at a low level of protection and 3% as highly protected no-take areas. States with the most no-take MPAs include Hawaii, California, and Oregon, while the majority of highly protected areas are in the low-populated areas of the Pacific.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pedro H. C. Pereira, Julia Caon Araujo, Gislaine V. Lima, Luis G. F. Cortes, Erandy Gomes, Rafael A. Magris
Summary: This study demonstrates the importance of considering scientific information and prioritization analysis, along with local stakeholders' knowledge, in designating and refining management zones within Marine Protected Areas. It shows that well-designed priority zones can be more effective in protecting endangered species such as parrotfish, and highlights the need for a systematic approach in maximizing conservation efforts.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
Heitor Schulz Macedo, Rodrigo Pereira Medeiros
Summary: This paper analyses the governance of the Environmental Protected Area of Anhatomirim in southern Brazil, finding that the 2013 management plan brought significant improvements and better incentives for stakeholders. However, the lack of inter-institutional and cross-scale connections remains a major weakness in achieving conservation objectives.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Chris Brown, Gabby N. Ahmadia, Dominic A. Andradi-Brown, Nur Arafeh-Dalmau, Christina A. Buelow, Max D. Campbell, Graham J. Edgar, Jonas Geldmann, David Gill, Rick D. Stuart-Smith
Summary: Well-resourced marine protected areas (MPA) are better managed and achieve improved ecological outcomes. This study investigates whether fees charged for entry into MPAs are associated with enhanced fish biomass and the effectiveness of MPA management. The findings suggest that entry fees are linked to greater fish biomass, particularly in MPAs with lower scores for management effectiveness. Additionally, the study indicates that entry fees contribute to budget security and staff capacity for critical management activities in MPAs.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Robert Y. Fidler, Dominic A. Andradi-Brown, Awaludinnoer, Defy Pada, Purwanto, Nur Ismu Hidayat, Gabby N. Ahmadia, Alastair R. Harborne
Summary: The study revealed that the impact of multiuse marine protected areas on reef-fish assemblages is primarily influenced by benthic characteristics rather than protection status. Increases in fish abundance were more pronounced in unprotected reefs, driven by an increase in herbivorous parrotfishes. However, sustainable use zones showed improvements in mean size and size-spectra compared to unprotected areas.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kalyan De, Sabyasachi Sautya, Santosh Gaikwad, Aditi Mitra, Mandar Nanajkar
Summary: This study evaluates the accumulation, origin, and fate of marine debris in the intertidal coral habitats of Mumbai, India. The results indicate that marine debris pollution poses a threat to coastal coral communities, and adopting integrated coastal zone management methods and policy frameworks can help mitigate the impact of debris in coastal environments.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Beatriz Zachello Nunes, Lucas Buruaem Moreira, Elvis Genbo Xu, Italo Braga Castro
Summary: This study provides a comprehensive overview of the occurrence, abundance, and distribution of microplastics (MPs) in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) worldwide, highlighting the potential impacts on these areas. MPs were found in 186 MPAs, with concentrations varying in sediment and biota samples. The findings raise urgent concerns about the effectiveness of the global system of protected areas and their proposed conservation goals.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Paolo Cortelezzi, Timothy G. Paulet, Jennifer M. Olbers, Jean M. Harris, Anthony T. F. Bernard
Summary: Chondrichthyans are globally threatened due to life-history traits and human impacts. This study assessed the status of chondrichthyan populations in the Robberg MPA in South Africa, and found that even small and partially protected MPAs can provide conservation benefits for threatened, endemic, and lesser-known species.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
Brice Trouillet, Stephen Jay
Summary: Systems of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are often developed in parallel, but lack integration due to the longer history and established institutional frameworks of marine conservation. However, there are various options available to link these processes more closely together.