Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
A. Justin Nowakowski, Steven W. J. Canty, Nathan J. Bennett, Courtney E. Cox, Abel Valdivia, Jessica L. Deichmann, Thomas S. Akre, Sara E. Bonilla-Anariba, Sebastien Costedoat, Melanie McField
Summary: This study provides quantitative evidence that marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Mesoamerican region deliver co-benefits for fish and people, as indicated by higher fish abundances and improved well-being indicators near MPAs.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hunter S. Lenihan, Jordan P. Gallagher, Joseph R. Peters, Adrian C. Stier, Jennifer K. K. Hofmeister, Daniel C. Reed
Summary: The study found that the increase in lobster population inside Marine Protected Areas led to higher local fishing effort and total catch, but did not significantly affect catch-per-unit-effort.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
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)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Genevieve A. C. Phillips, Nils Krueck, Emily Ogier, Neville Barrett, Ian Dutton, Klaas Hartmann
Summary: In order to protect biodiversity and achieve the 30 by 30 goal, fully protected marine protected areas (MPAs) are important, but they may limit economic and social benefits. Partially protected areas (PPAs) allow for some extractive activities while aiming to conserve biodiversity and provide social and economic benefits. This study aims to review the implementation of PPAs in Australia and provide insights for global marine resource managers.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tugce Sensurat-Genc, Nadav Shashar, Meral Ozsueer, Aytac Ozguel
Summary: Shipwrecks serve as artificial reefs for recreational diving tourism, attracting divers. A study conducted in the Karaburun Peninsula, Turkey, explored divers' attitudes and preferences towards shipwrecks as ecological enhancers. The findings revealed that most divers prefer diving on natural reefs rather than shipwrecks.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
Nils C. Krueck, Colm Tong, Courtney Cox, Eric A. Treml, Kay Critchell, Iliana Chollett, Dedi S. Adhuri, Maria Beger, Dominic Muenzel, Daniel Holstein, Stuart J. Campbell, Raymond Jakub
Summary: This study demonstrates the critical importance of considering larval dispersal for Marine Protected Area (MPA) placement decisions to recover fish populations and fisheries, especially in overfished coral reef ecosystems in Indonesia. The research also suggests that MPA placement decisions can be effective based on simple and empirically measurable dispersal characteristics, maximizing larval export to surrounding areas.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jordi Tablada, Shane Geange, Carolyn J. Lundquist
Summary: The Sea Change-Tai Timu Tai Pari Hauraki Gulf Marine Spatial Plan is New Zealand's first marine spatial plan aimed at recovering fishing stocks and restoring degraded marine habitats. The plan could be improved by incorporating systematic conservation planning tools and newly available biodiversity datasets.
CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Patricia S. Albano, Chris Fallows, Monique Fallows, Olivia Schuitema, Anthony T. F. Bernard, Oliver Sedgwick, Neil Hammerschlag
Summary: The study shows that in the De Hoop Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Western Cape of South Africa, the relative abundance of sharks is significantly higher inside the MPA than outside, including both protected and commercially exploited shark species. All habitat types were represented in the MPA, and the relative abundance of sharks increased with distance from the reserve boundaries.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Juan Carlos Villasenor-Derbez, Stuart Fulton, Arturo Hernandez-Velasco, Imelda G. Amador-Castro
Summary: By quantifying the operational costs of maintaining community-based MPA monitoring programs in nine small-scale fishing communities in Mexico, it is found that the direct monetary benefits of community-based marine conservation can outweigh the costs of monitoring programs, supporting these management schemes.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
E. Ostale-Valriberas, J. Sempere-Valverde, A. Pavon-Paneque, S. Coppa, F. Espinosa, J. C. Garcia-Gomez
Summary: During the Anthropocene, species extinction rates are increasing unprecedentedly, largely due to urbanization processes fragmenting ecosystems. However, some species like the intertidal mollusc Patella ferruginea can maintain stable populations in urbanized ecosystems. Establishing Artificial Marine Micro-Reserves (AMMR) can effectively protect endangered species like P. ferruginea.
Article
Agricultural Economics & Policy
Heidi J. Albers, Madison F. Ashworth
Summary: Marine protected areas (MPAs) provide both conservation and economic benefits. This review calls for more economic analysis of MPA policy questions.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF RESOURCE ECONOMICS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Katherine D. Millage, Juan Carlos Villasenor-Derbez, Darcy Bradley, Matthew G. Burgess, Hunter S. Lenihan, Christopher Costello
Summary: Marine protected areas are important for conservation, but the increase in fish biomass within MPAs creates incentives for poaching. Fishing activities persist in most MPAs worldwide, raising concerns about monitoring and enforcement. A proposal for a Conservation Finance Area (CFA) utilizes leased fishing zones within MPAs to finance monitoring and enforcement, leading to greater conservation success.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Casey M. White, Sangeeta Mangubhai, Lukas Rumetna, Cassandra M. Brooks
Summary: Raja Ampat in Indonesia, located in the Coral Triangle, has a rich history of traditional management and has seen the implementation of community-based marine protected areas (MPAs). Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have played a significant role in the adoption and management of the Raja Ampat MPA Network by employing various bridging strategies. The effectiveness of this bottom-up approach facilitated by NGOs has been highlighted, but more stakeholder perspectives should be considered in future research.
Article
Oceanography
W. Navarro, A. Orfila, A. Orejarena-Rondon, J. C. Velez, S. Lonin
Summary: A novel approach using X-Band radar technology was studied to estimate wave energy dissipation on a coral reef barrier, revealing prominent features of coral reefs including reef morphological structure and wave energy dissipation. The results showed that the reef attenuates incident waves by approximately 75% due to frictional processes and wave breaking, and the estimated parameters are comparable to those reported in other shallow coral reef lagoons.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Charles Loiseau, Lauric Thiault, Rodolphe Devillers, Joachim Claudet
Summary: Cumulative impact assessments play a key role in ecosystem-based management, but their local application is still scarce. By applying the cumulative impact assessment framework to Moorea's coral reef, it was found that land-based activities play a critical role in overall impact, highlighting the potential for local implementation of the cumulative human impact framework to improve ecological outcomes.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Limnology
Tania M. M. Kenyon, Christopher Doropoulos, Kennedy Wolfe, Gregory E. E. Webb, Sophie Dove, Daniel Harris, Peter J. J. Mumby
Summary: This article reviews the dynamics of rubble beds on coral reefs, with a focus on the changes expected in the generation, mobilization, binding, and coral recruitment of rubble on future reefs. It predicts that major disturbances, such as storms and coral bleaching, will increase in intensity and frequency, leading to larger quantities of coral rubble. With smaller recovery windows and increased bioerosion, smaller and less complex rubble pieces will be generated more often. The time available for binding will be reduced, and changing ocean chemistry may affect the efficacy of binders. Ultimately, increased rubble cover will negatively impact coral recruitment into rubble beds.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Amelia A. A. Desbiens, Peter J. J. Mumby, Symon Dworjanyn, Eva E. Plaganyi, Sven Uthicke, Kennedy Wolfe
Summary: This study investigated the predators of crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS) and found 26 novel predators, but only 10 species regularly consumed juvenile CoTS. Most predation resulted in severed bodies and missing arms, rather than total consumption. The research highlights the importance of predators during the juvenile stage in controlling CoTS populations.
Article
Ecology
Kennedy Wolfe, Tania M. Kenyon, Amelia Desbiens, Kimberley de la Motte, Peter J. Mumby
Summary: Declines in habitat complexity have led to ecological degradation in various ecosystems. Coral reefs have served as a model for studying such changes, but previous research has mainly focused on corals and fish, overlooking the dominant role of small cryptic organisms. This study used a hierarchical framework to explore whether broad seascape parameters or nested microhabitat processes better describe cryptofauna communities in coral rubble. The results showed that microhabitat complexity influenced sessile organism cover, which in turn shaped the motile cryptofauna community.
ECOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Robert A. B. Mason, Yves-Marie Bozec, Peter J. Mumby
Summary: This article analyses the future scenarios of the Great Barrier Reef under various realistic drivers and finds that under a limited warming scenario, the coral cover can eventually recover to present-day levels. However, under higher warming scenarios, the coral cover declines drastically and may even disappear.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Thomas J. Richards, Katrina McGuigan, J. David Aguirre, Adriana Humanes, Yves-Marie Bozec, Peter J. Mumby, Cynthia Riginos
Summary: Global environmental change is happening rapidly, with coral reefs being one of the most threatened ecosystems. To ensure the survival of wild populations, adaptation is necessary. However, our understanding of the complex ecological and evolutionary dynamics of corals is limited, hindering predictions about their ability to adapt to future conditions.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Robert A. B. Mason, Yves-Marie Bozec, Peter J. Mumby
Summary: Boat anchoring is a common practice at coral reefs with high economic or social value, but its impact on reef resilience has been understudied. Using an individual-based model, we simulated the effects of anchor damage on coral populations and estimated the carrying capacity of anchoring for different coral assemblages. We found that even a small to medium-sized recreational vessel can cause 0 to 3.1 anchor strikes per hectare per day. In a case study of the Great Barrier Reef, we demonstrated that mitigating anchoring can lead to significant coral gains under bleaching scenarios.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Kennedy Wolfe, Amelia A. A. Desbiens, Peter J. J. Mumby
Summary: Patterns of movement of marine species can provide valuable information about reproduction and dispersal strategies, species interactions, trophodynamics, and vulnerability to change, which is crucial for population and ecosystem management. In coral reefs, the highest density and diversity of metazoan taxa are found in dead coral and rubble, but the energy stored in rubble is mainly accessible to small individuals, limiting its availability to higher trophic levels.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Carolina Castro-Sanguino, Yves-Marie Bozec, Scott A. Condie, Cameron S. Fletcher, Karlo Hock, Chris Roelfsema, David A. Westcott, Peter J. Mumby
Summary: CoTS outbreaks on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia have caused significant damage to coral ecosystems. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the current CoTS control program and suggests increasing control efforts to ensure coral persistence in the face of climate change impacts.
Article
Biology
Liam Lachs, Adriana Humanes, Daniel R. Pygas, John C. Bythell, Peter J. Mumby, Renata Ferrari, Will F. Figueira, Elizabeth Beauchamp, Holly K. East, Alasdair J. Edwards, Yimnang Golbuu, Helios M. Martinez, Brigitte Sommer, Eveline van der Steeg, James R. Guest
Summary: As marine species adapt to climate change, their heat tolerance will be under strong selection, but trade-offs between heat tolerance and other traits may compromise adaptation. The study focused on reef-building corals and found no trade-offs between heat tolerance and fecundity or growth. Surprisingly, faster-growing corals tended to bleach and die at higher levels of heat stress. Overall, this suggests that some high-performing corals excel across multiple traits and trade-offs may not be major barriers to adaptation or evolution interventions.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Elizabeth Buccheri, Gerard F. Ricardo, Russell C. Babcock, Peter J. Mumby, Christopher Doropoulos
Summary: This study investigated the sensitivity of coral reproduction to changes in sperm concentration and contact time between gametes. The results showed that fertilisation was most successful at high sperm concentrations and longer contact times, with variations between different coral species.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Liam Lachs, Simon D. D. Donner, Peter J. J. Mumby, John C. C. Bythell, Adriana Humanes, Holly K. K. East, James R. R. Guest
Summary: Recurrent mass bleaching events pose a threat to coral reefs and their future. However, this study suggests that the thermal tolerance of coral assemblages in a remote Pacific coral reef system has been increasing, leading to less severe bleaching impacts. Future climate projections indicate that further increases in thermal tolerance could substantially reduce bleaching trajectories, highlighting the importance of reducing carbon emissions.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)