The no-take zone network of the Mexican Caribbean: assessing design and management for the protection of coral reef fish communities

Abstract

Understanding the effects and benefits provided by the design and management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is crucial for developing cost‐effective management actions. We characterized the management and design of no-take zone (NTZ) networks of eight Mexican Caribbean MPAs. To determine protection effectiveness, we followed a two-step approach. First, we evaluated the effect of the level of protection (NTZ, partial and unprotected areas), habitat structure and local human threats on four fish community metrics: total biomass, commercial fish biomass, mean trophic level and commercial fish mean size. If the protection afforded by the NTZ was significant, a second model was developed to evaluate design and management effectiveness. Total biomass, commercial fish biomass and mean trophic level were correlated significantly and positively with no-take protection; and, partially protected areas showed a significant and positive correlation with commercial fish biomass and mean trophic level. MPA age was the only significant and positive design and management characteristic that explained the variation in commercial fish biomass. This might be in part due to the suboptimal design of the MPA network that has mostly resulted from economic and social opportunities with little consideration for ecological guidelines and management capacities. Our findings suggest that to increase reef fish protection it would be necessary to include reef habitats with high coral cover and structural complexity inside NTZs. However, the effectiveness of an MPA network not only requires ecological considerations but also factors that include compliance, enforcement and true community participation to achieve greater benefits. Policymakers must ensure adequate design and management of MPAs in order to improve the effectiveness of marine resource protection, promoting both sustainable use and long-term biodiversity conservation.