Abstract
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a primary tool for conserving marine biodiversity. The literature presents a scattered picture regarding the extent to which co-management can be considered valuable. In this study we examine, what conditions are for co-management to make a contribution to conserving marine ecosystems (e.g., stopping coral bleaching and safeguarding fish populations). By combining data on MPA management practices with a novel source of global biodata collected by citizens (ReefCheck), we demonstrate that if co-management is part of a formal governmental strategy, coral reefs show up to 86% fewer bleached colonies and up to 12.2 times larger fish populations than co-managed MPAs lacking formalized governmental support.
Highlights
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are one of the primary tools for conserving marine biodiversity [1]
The results of this study indicate that co-management can have beneficial effects on fish populations, which is in agreement with conclusions from other studies [52,53]
In line with Gill et al.’s conclusion that inclusive management practices do not yield positive ecological impacts [26], co-management by itself cannot be considered an effective instrument to address the decline of fish populations or coral bleaching
Summary
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are one of the primary tools for conserving marine biodiversity [1]. MPA refers to “a clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values” [2]. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) defines MPAs as delineated zones that involve “the protective management of natural areas so as to keep them in their natural state” [3]. Evaluative studies show diverging results when it comes to the effectiveness of MPAs as a conservation tool, showing both promising as well as disappointing results in terms of conserving marine biodiversity or sustainably using marine resources [6,7,8,9,10]
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