Abstract
Structural change in both the habitat and reef-associated fish assemblages within spatially managed coral reefs can provide key insights into the benefits and limitations of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). While MPA zoning effects on particular target species are well reported, we are yet to fully resolve the various affects of spatial management on the structure of coral reef communities over decadal time scales. Here, we document mixed affects of MPA zoning on fish density, biomass and species richness over the 21 years since establishment of the Saba Marine Park (SMP). Although we found significantly greater biomass and species richness of reef-associated fishes within shallow habitats (5 meters depth) closed to fishing, this did not hold for deeper (15 m) habitats, and there was a widespread decline (38% decrease) in live hard coral cover and a 68% loss of carnivorous reef fishes across all zones of the SMP from the 1990s to 2008. Given the importance of live coral for the maintenance and replenishment of reef fishes, and the likely role of chronic disturbance in driving coral decline across the region, we explore how local spatial management can help protect coral reef ecosystems within the context of large-scale environmental pressures and disturbances outside the purview of local MPA management.
Highlights
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are often used as a spatial management tool to balance harvesting pressures against the need to conserve biodiversity and maintain key ecosystem processes [1,2,3]
Significant effects of spatial zoning within the Saba Marine Park were apparent for several aspects of the coral reef community, with strong heterogeneity and temporal trends suggesting changes have occurred among survey years (Table 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3)
Despite effective spatial protection of the Saba Marine Park (SMP) by local managers for 21 years, we found no significant difference in overall fish density between open and closed zones
Summary
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are often used as a spatial management tool to balance harvesting pressures against the need to conserve biodiversity and maintain key ecosystem processes [1,2,3]. Decades of MPA implementation have enabled studies of the long-term effects of MPAbased management on reef ecosystems [11,12,13]. While still rare, these decadal-scale examinations have revealed some of the marked benefits of well-managed no-take MPAs in maintaining high biodiversity coral reef ecosystems across the Indo-Pacific [7,12,13,14]. Studies that have explored how key functional elements of the coral reef community have changed over time have been revealing for our understanding of why changes have occurred across fished and no-take zones [1,4,13]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
