Comparing the Performance of Four Very Large Marine Protected Areas with Different Levels of Protection

In the last decades, several targets for marine conservation were set to counter the effects of increasing fishing pressure, e.g., protecting 10% of the sea by 2020, and establishing large-scale marine protected areas (LSMPAs). Using the ‘reconstructed’ catch data for 1950 to 2018 made available by the Sea Around Us initiative, we show that the declaration of an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in 1983 by the U.S.A. and its protection by the U.S. Coast Guard had a much bigger impact on catches around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands than the subsequent creation of a LSMPA. This is similar to Pitcairn Islands, a UK territory. Trends differed sharply in the Galapagos and New Caledonia, where neither their EEZ declaration nor the LSMPA (by Ecuador in 1988 and by France in 2014) stopped local fisheries from continuous expansion. Our results also demonstrate that in the studied multizone LSMPAs continued local fishing induces a ‘fishing down’ effect wherein the mean trophic level (TL) declined, especially in the Galapagos, by 0.1 TL per decade. Stakeholders’ responses to a short questionnaire and satellite imagery lent support to these results in that they documented substantial fishing operations and ‘fishing the line’ within and around multizone LSMPAs. In the case of EEZs around less populated or unpopulated islands, banning foreign fishing may reduce catch much more than a subsequent LSMPA declaration. This confirms that EEZs are a tool for coastal countries to protect their marine biodiversity and that allowing fishing in an MPA, while politically convenient, may result in ‘paper parks’ within which fishing can cause the same deleterious effects as in wholly unprotected areas.

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A Synthesis of Opportunities for Applying the Telecoupling Framework to Marine Protected Areas

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11164450 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (16) ◽

pp. 4450

Author(s):

Vanessa Hull ◽

Christian J. Rivera ◽

Chad Wong

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Marine Protected Areas ◽

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Large Scale ◽

Polluted Water ◽

Marine Biodiversity ◽

The World ◽

The Face ◽

Sustainability Challenges ◽

Anthropogenic Threats

The world’s oceans face unprecedented anthropogenic threats in the globalized era that originate from all over the world, including climate change, global trade and transportation, and pollution. Marine protected areas (MPAs) serve important roles in conservation of marine biodiversity and ecosystem resilience, but their success is increasingly challenged in the face of such large-scale threats. Here, we illustrate the utility of adopting the interdisciplinary telecoupling framework to better understand effects that originate from distant places and cross MPA boundaries (e.g., polluted water circulation, anthropogenic noise transport, human and animal migration). We review evidence of distal processes affecting MPAs and the cutting-edge approaches currently used to investigate these processes. We then introduce the umbrella framework of telecoupling and explain how it can help address knowledge gaps that exist due to limitations of past approaches that are centered within individual disciplines. We then synthesize five examples from the recent telecoupling literature to explore how the telecoupling framework can be used for MPA research. These examples include the spatial subsidies approach, adapted social network analysis, telecoupled qualitative analysis, telecoupled supply chain analysis, and decision support tools for telecoupling. Our work highlights the potential for the telecoupling framework to better understand and address the mounting and interconnected socioeconomic and environmental sustainability challenges faced by the growing number of MPAs around the world.

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Going Big in the Pacific

Asia-Pacific Journal of Ocean Law and Policy ◽

10.1163/24519391-00501010 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 186-204 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Quentin Hanich ◽

Clive Schofield ◽

Chris Smyth

Keyword(s):

Pacific Ocean ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Marine Protected Areas ◽

Large Scale ◽

Marine Conservation ◽

Global Ocean ◽

Conservation Targets ◽

The Pacific ◽

The Pacific Ocean ◽

Definition Of

The definition of large-scale marine protected areas in the Pacific Ocean is fundamental to the achievement of global marine conservation targets. The threatened nature of the global ocean is emphasised, the evolution of global spatial targets for marine conservation outlined and the implementation of large-scale marine protected areas in Australia and the Pacific Ocean more broadly is reviewed. The article concludes with some reflections on the efficacy of such mechanisms in the Pacific.

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Why people matter in ocean governance: Incorporating human dimensions into large-scale marine protected areas

10.31230/osf.io/c5xqb ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Patrick Christie ◽

Nathan Bennett ◽

Noella J. Gray ◽

T. ‘Aulani Wilhelm ◽

Nai‘a Lewis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Marine Protected Areas ◽

Best Management Practices ◽

Research Agenda ◽

Large Scale ◽

Management Practices ◽

Marine Conservation ◽

Human Dimensions ◽

Think Tank ◽

Best Management

Large-scale marine protected areas (LSMPAs) are rapidly increasing. Due to their sheer size, complex sociopolitical realities, and distinct local cultural perspectives and economic needs, implementing and managing LSMPAs successfully creates a number of human dimensions challenges. It is timely and important to explore the human dimensions of LSMPAs. This paper draws on the results of a global “Think Tank on the Human Dimensions of Large Scale Marine Protected Areas” involving 125 people from 17 countries, including representatives from government agencies, non-governmental organizations, academia, professionals, industry, cultural/indigenous leaders and LSMPA site managers. The overarching goal of this eﬀort was to be proactive in understanding the issues and developing best management practices and a research agenda that address the human dimensions of LSMPAs. Identiﬁed best management practices for the human dimensions of LSMPAs included: integration of culture and traditions, eﬀective public and stakeholder engagement, maintenance of livelihoods and wellbeing, promotion of economic sustainability, conﬂict management and resolution, transparency and matching institutions, legitimate and appropriate governance, and social justice and empowerment. A shared human dimensions research agenda was developed that included priority topics under the themes of scoping human dimensions, governance, politics, social and economic outcomes, and culture and tradition. The authors discuss future directions in researching and incorporating human dimensions into LSMPAs design and management, reﬂect on this global eﬀort to co-produce knowledge and re-orient practice on the human dimensions of LSMPAs, and invite others to join a nascent community of practice on the human dimensions of large-scale marine conservation.

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Local overfishing patterns have regional effects on health of coral, and economic transitions can promote its recovery

10.1101/2021.08.15.456395 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Russell Milne ◽

Chris Bauch ◽

Madhur Anand

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Reef Fish ◽

Marine Protected Areas ◽

Large Scale ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Spillover Effect ◽

Marine Conservation ◽

Human Environment ◽

Fish Yield ◽

Economic Transitions

Overfishing has the potential to severely disrupt coral reef ecosystems worldwide, while harvesting at more sustainable levels instead can boost fish yield without damaging reefs. The dispersal abilities of reef species mean that coral reefs form highly connected environments, and the viability of reef fish populations depends on spatially explicit processes such as the spillover effect and unauthorized harvesting inside marine protected areas. However, much of the literature on coral conservation and management has only examined overfishing on a local scale, without considering how different spatial patterns of fishing levels can affect reef health both locally and regionally. Here, we simulate a coupled human-environment model to determine how coral and herbivorous reef fish respond to overfishing across multiple spatial scales. We find that coral and reef fish react in opposite ways to habitat fragmentation driven by overfishing, and that a potential spillover effect from marine protected areas into overfished patches helps coral populations far less than it does reef fish. We also show that ongoing economic transitions from fishing to tourism have the potential to revive fish and coral populations over a relatively short timescale, and that large-scale reef recovery is possible even if these transitions only occur locally. Our results show the importance of considering spatial dynamics in marine conservation efforts, and demonstrate the ability of economic factors to cause regime shifts in human-environment systems.

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The use of connectivity in the design of networks of marine protected areas

10.7287/peerj.preprints.26809v1 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Arieanna C Balbar ◽

Anna Metaxas

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Marine Protected Areas ◽

Conservation Planning ◽

Marine Conservation ◽

Population Connectivity ◽

Conservation Strategy ◽

Marine Biodiversity ◽

Conservation Areas ◽

Spatial Conservation Planning ◽

Ecological Conservation

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are an area-based conservation strategy commonly used to safeguard marine biodiversity and ecosystem services. Population connectivity governs the exchange of individuals among spatially fragmented habitats and is an essential criterion in the design of MPAs. However, detailed computational methods for connectivity are inconsistently applied in management decisions. We reviewed the scientific and management literature to explore the use of connectivity in MPAs located in countries with advanced marine spatial planning. Only 7.8% of 739 MPAs considered connectivity as an ecological criterion, although it has been increasingly used since 2007, suggesting progress in spatial conservation planning towards the use of ecological conservation objectives. In most cases, connectivity was measured implicitly using either rules of thumb or size and spacing guidelines. Of the MPAs that considered connectivity, 67% were for state marine conservation areas or reserves in California and commonwealth marine reserves in Australia. This pattern indicates substantial geographic biases and significant differences in conservation planning and prioritization among countries. We suggest that the incorporation of connectivity in conservation planning needs to become more accessible to practitioners. Prioritizing connectivity as an ecologically important criterion in MPA design will more adequately address metapopulation persistence and recovery.

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A new approach to selecting Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Southern Ocean

Antarctic Science ◽

10.1017/s0954102007000260 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 19 (2) ◽

pp. 189-194 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Jane Harris ◽

Marcus Haward ◽

Julia Jabour ◽

Eric J. Woehler

Keyword(s):

Southern Ocean ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Marine Environment ◽

Marine Protected Areas ◽

Critical Issue ◽

Marine Conservation ◽

Marine Biodiversity ◽

Tropical Regions ◽

High Conservation ◽

High Seas

AbstractConservation of the high seas marine environment poses a significant challenge to policy-makers and managers. Marine conservation efforts are often hindered by the lack of data and the difficulties in addressing multiple, and typically conflicting uses. The majority of extant Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are in coastal or tropical regions within national jurisdiction. Conservation of high seas MPAs has emerged on the international agenda as a critical issue requiring the application of novel approaches, international cooperation and political will. Knowledge and understanding of the marine environment and data on marine biodiversity are all typically limited for the high seas, and the use of surrogates to assist in the identification of areas of high conservation value is one possible mechanism to address and potentially overcome these limitations. Drawing upon a database spanning more than 20 years and containing approximately 140 000 records of seabird sightings at sea, this study assesses the potential use of seabirds as surrogates for marine biodiversity in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean. At-sea ranges, species diversity and the distributions of endangered species may be appropriate selectors or filters to identify areas with high conservation values. Integrating policy with science provides an appropriate mechanism to identify and prioritise MPAs in the Southern Ocean.

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Marine Protected Areas beyond National Jurisdiction: Some Practical Perspectives for Moving Ahead

The International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law ◽

10.1163/157180812x633636 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 27 (2) ◽

pp. 351-373 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Kristina M. Gjerde ◽

Anna Rulska-Domino

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Marine Protected Areas ◽

Biological Diversity ◽

Research Question ◽

Sustainable Use ◽

Marine Conservation ◽

Marine Biodiversity ◽

National Jurisdiction ◽

Political Commitments ◽

High Seas

Abstract Despite strong legal duties and political commitments for marine conservation and ecosystem-based management, biodiversity in the high seas and the Area (jointly referred to as areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ)) is under increasing threat. One important tool for enhancing conservation and multi-sectoral cooperation is the establishment and maintenance of representative networks of marine protected areas (MPAs). This commentary reviews potential avenues for accelerating progress towards representative MPA networks as part of a larger-scale effort towards improving the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction. It builds on the report by Petra Drankier, Marine Protected Areas in Areas beyond National Jurisdiction, Report on Research Question 2 of the Study on ‘Biological Diversity and Governance of the High Seas’ (2011), which describes the applicable global and regional conventions by discussing the strengths and weaknesses of proposed avenues for progress, including a possible multilateral agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOSC). The commentary concludes with some observations for a pragmatic path ahead.

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The use of connectivity in the design of networks of marine protected areas

10.7287/peerj.preprints.26809 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Arieanna C Balbar ◽

Anna Metaxas

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Marine Protected Areas ◽

Conservation Planning ◽

Marine Conservation ◽

Population Connectivity ◽

Conservation Strategy ◽

Marine Biodiversity ◽

Conservation Areas ◽

Spatial Conservation Planning ◽

Ecological Conservation

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Towards ecological and social impact through collaborative governance of a seascape of marine protected areas in Honduras

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605320001155 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Daniel Steadman

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Marine Protected Areas ◽

Large Scale ◽

Social Impact ◽

Sustainable Use ◽

Species Abundance ◽

Collaborative Governance ◽

Well Being ◽

Marine Biodiversity ◽

Marine Management

Abstract Protecting marine biodiversity and ensuring sustainable use through a seascape approach is becoming increasingly widespread in response to the ecological, social and institutional challenges of scaling ocean management. A seascape approach means clustering spatial management measures (marine protected areas) based around the principles of ecological connectivity, and developing or enhancing collaborative governance networks of relevant stakeholders (managers, community groups, non-governmental organizations) based around the principles of social connectivity. As with other large-scale approaches to marine management, there is minimal evidence of long-term impact in seascapes. This study uses a theory-based, participatory impact evaluation to assess perceived changes attributed to the Atlántida seascape in Honduras (initiated in 2015), encompassing three well-established marine protected areas and the non-legally managed waters between them. Using an adapted most significant change method, 15 interviews with a representative subset of seascape stakeholders yielded 165 stories of change, the majority (88%) of which were positive. Enhanced social capital, associated with cross-sectoral collaboration, inter-site conflict resolution and shared learning, was the most consistently expressed thematic change (32% of stories). Although most stories were expressed as activity- or output-related changes, a small proportion (18%) were causally linked to broader outcomes or impact around increased fish and flagship species abundance as well as interconnected well-being benefits for people. Although minimal (and occasionally attributed to prior initiatives that were enhanced by the seascape approach), this impact evidence tentatively links seascapes to recent related research around the effectiveness of appropriately scaled, ecosystem-based and collaboratively governed marine management that balances strict protection with sustainable use.

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