Network Of Marine Protected Areas Research Articles

Economics of Marine Protected Areas: Assessing the Literature for Marine Protected Area Network Expansions

Marine protected areas (MPAs) provide both conservation and economic benefits. Recent international conservation actors have called for a dramatic increase in the area of MPAs from almost 8% to 30% of marine area by 2030 in a policy called 30X30. Both the economics and conservation science literatures consider MPA decisions and MPA impact, although the economics literature focuses on fishery economic outcomes. This review uses an optimization framework for MPA decisions as a lens through which to evaluate the economics literature on MPAs in the context of the 30X30 expansion decisions. We argue for more economic analysis of MPA policy questions, including those around siting, design, restrictions, and management choices; impact evaluation; responses of people; low-income country settings and incomplete enforcement; spatial settings without metapopulations; and conservation rather than harvest objectives.

Connectivity of Coral Reefs and other Nearshore Habitats: Implications for Marine Resource Management in the Philippines

Marine protected areas (MPAs) have become a mainstay of marine resource management in the Philippines in the past three decades and there is growing advocacy to implement MPA networks — systems of MPAs that effectively protect sufficient proportions of the populations of targeted species. MPA networks aim to reduce fishery-induced mortality of targeted species during critical life stages. Thus, a primary consideration of protecting populations using MPA networks is connectivity — the linking of local populations through the movement of adults or juveniles and the dispersal of larvae. This paper discusses the implications of emerging new knowledge on connectivity for MPA-centric marine resource management in the Philippines, with focus on demersal fishes inhabiting coral reefs, seagrass beds, algal beds, mangroves, and other vital nearshore habitats. The major successes and shortcomings of implementing MPAs are summarized and the evidence for MPA networks improving fisheries via connectivity is assessed. Highlighted are five major challenges for managing marine resources using MPA networks.

Strong genetic structure and limited connectivity among populations of Clark’s Anemonefish (Amphiprion clarkii) in the centre of marine biodiversity

Populations of anemonefish species often show signs of local isolation due to limited dispersal potential and oceanographic conditions. Additionally, anthropogenic pressure, such as overharvesting and coral reef exploitation causes reduced population size, eventually leading to local extinction. The understanding of the genetic population structure, as well as the influence of both historical and current connectivity, is required to design effective marine protected area (MPA) networks. In this study, the genetic structure of Clark’s Anemonefish (Amphiprion clarkii) based on 209 individuals from 16 samples sites in the Indo-Malay Archipelago (IMA) is assessed through mitochondrial control region (mtCR) sequences and eight nuclear microsatellite loci. Results provided evidence of a significant genetic structure (mtCR: Φst = 0.42, Φct = 0.64; microsatellites: Fst = 0.01, Fct = 0.05). Genetic breaks were identified among Western (Padang Karimunjawa), Central (Sulawesi, Borneo, Bali, Komodo, Timor) and Eastern (Biak) IMA populations, with almost no gene flow. This matches with patterns obtained for congeneric and other coral reef taxa. Due to the restricted connectivity among these three regions, it is suggested to consider them as separate management areas in the design of MPA networks.

California’s lessons learned and recommendations for effective marine protected area network management

Establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) and MPA networks has increased globally following the passage of the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Strategic Plan for Biodiversity in 2010. Known as the Aichi Target 11, this plan calls for the protection of 10% of coastal and marine environments by 2020. Despite an increase of global efforts to implement MPAs, and more recently MPA networks, to achieve the Aichi Target 11, there is limited peer-reviewed literature about lessons learned and insights for effective implementation and management. With California home to one of the largest, scientifically guided, stakeholder-driven, ecologically connected networks of MPAs in the world, this paper offers guidance to MPA managers and policy makers on points of consideration prior to, during, and following, MPA implementation. Topics and recommendations are based on lessons learned from the design and implementation of California’s MPA Management Program. Recommendations range from the importance of using relevant designations during MPA planning and implementation, flexibility in enforcement measures and scientific monitoring, as well as addressing overlapping governance and authorities, and early and continued public outreach and engagement. Broadly, establishing an adaptive management process to provide a responsive framework for potential management changes including a mechanism for evaluating the efficacy of a network of MPAs following establishment is critical. While management of California’s MPA Network continues to evolve, these insights can inform other MPA network planning and management efforts.

Marine Protected Areas and Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures

As the Earth’s changing climate has deepened into a climate crisis, the Arctic region has emerged as one of the clearest indicators of the scale and pace of that change. As the ice melts, opportunities are expanding to exploit the Arctic’s oil and gas reserves, precious metals, fish stocks and maritime routes. Increased access and development will inevitably generate “system-wide environmental impacts” and will pose novel management challenges for the Arctic states. In the quest to find an effective balance between competing ocean activities and actors, marine protected areas (MPAs) and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) have emerged as indispensable tools to achieve ocean health, including in the Arctic. After first introducing these concepts, this article will discuss the Canadian and Russian domestic regimes for the establishment of MPAs and OECMs. The conclusion will then offer some insights into the key challenges confronting both states in the creation of effective networks of MPAs and OECMs in their Arctic regions.

Performance of deep-sea habitat suitability models assessed using independent data, and implications for use in area-based management

Marine spatial management requires accurate data on species and habitat distributions. For the deep sea, these data are lacking. Habitat suitability modelling offers a robust defensible means to fill data gaps, provided models are sufficiently reliable. We tested the performance of published models of 2 deep-sea habitat-forming taxa at low and high resolutions (~1 km and 200 m grid-cell size), across the extended exclusive economic zones of the UK and Ireland. We constructed new data-rich models and compared new and old estimates of the area of habitat protected, noting changes in the protected area network since 2015. Results of independent validation suggest that all published models perform worse than expected considering original cross-validation results, but model performance is still good or fair for Desmophyllum pertusum reef, with poorer performance for Pheronema carpenteri sponge models. High-resolution models using multibeam data out-perform low-resolution GEBCO-based models. Newly constructed models are good to excellent according to cross validation. New model spatial predictions reflect published models, but with a significant reduction in predicted extent. The current marine protected area network and the European Union ban on bottom trawling below 800 m protect 40 and 60% of D. pertusum reef-suitable habitat, respectively, and 11 and 100% of P. carpenteri-suitable habitat, respectively, within the model domain. We conclude that high-resolution models of D. pertusum reef distribution are a useful tool in spatial management. The poorer performing P. carpenteri model indicates areas for more detailed study. While low-resolution models can provide conservative estimates of percentage area-based conservation targets following the precautionary principle, high-resolution sea-floor mapping supports the development of better-performing models.

Towards Integrated Management of Regional Marine Protected Area Networks

Abstract Marine protected areas (MPA s) are an important tool for protecting marine ecosystems both within and beyond national jurisdiction, but the integrated management of MPA s is challenging due to the institutional fragmentation that exists in international ocean governance at global and regional levels. In the absence of fundamental reform of international ocean governance, integrated management of MPA s can at present only be achieved through cross-sectoral cooperation and coordination between relevant international institutions. Understanding regime interaction in this context requires an analysis of both the relevant legal framework and the manner in which coordination mechanisms operate in practice. This article carries out a case study of regime interaction between the Antarctic Treaty and the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, as well as other relevant institutions, in order to identify the key opportunities and challenges for promoting the integrated management of regional MPA networks in practice. It will also consider how the cooperative arrangements for the regional management of the Southern Ocean may provide lessons for the development of a new legally binding instrument for the conservation and management of biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

Potential Biodiversity Connectivity in the Network of Marine Protected Areas in Western Africa

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) must function as networks with sufficient stepping-stone continuity between suitable habitats to ensure the conservation of naturally connected regional pools of biodiversity in the long-term. For most marine biodiversity, population connectivity is mediated by passively dispersed planktonic stages with contrasting dispersal periods, ranging from a few hours to hundreds of days. These processes exert a major influence on whether threatened populations should be conserved as either isolated units or linked metapopulations. However, the distance scales at which individual MPAs are connected are insufficiently understood. Here, we use a biophysical model integrating high-resolution ocean currents and contrasting dispersal periods to predict connectivity across the Network of MPAs in Western Africa. Our results revealed that connectivity differs sharply among distinct ecological groups, from highly connected (e.g., fish and crustacea) to predominantly isolated ecosystem structuring species (e.g., corals, macroalgae and seagrass) that might potentially undermine conservation efforts because they are the feeding or nursery habitats required by many other species. Regardless of their dispersal duration, all ecological groups showed a common connectivity gap in the Bijagós region of Guinea-Bissau, highlighting the important role of MPAs there and the need to further support and increase MPA coverage to ensure connectivity along the whole network. Our findings provide key insights for the future management of the Network of MPAs in Western Africa, highlighting the need to protect and ensure continuity of isolated ecosystem structuring species and identifying key regions that function as stepping-stone connectivity corridors.

The persistence in time of distributional patterns in marine megafauna impacts zonal conservation strategies

The main type of zonal conservation approaches corresponds to Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which are spatially defined and generally static entities aiming at the protection of some target populations by the implementation of a management plan. For highly mobile species the relevance of an MPA over time might be hampered by temporal variations in distributions or home ranges. In the present work, we used habitat model-based predicted distributions of cetaceans and seabirds within the Bay of Biscay from 2004 to 2017 to characterise the aggregation and persistence of mobile species distributional patterns and the relevance of the existing MPA network. We explored the relationship between population abundance and spatial extent of distribution to assess the aggregation level of species distribution. We used the smallest spatial extent including 75% of the population present in the Bay of Biscay to define specific core areas of distributions, and calculated their persistence over the 14 studied years. We inspected the relevance of the MPA network with respect to aggregation and persistence. We found that aggregation and persistence are two independent features of marine megafauna distributions. Indeed, strong persistence was shown in both aggregated (bottlenose dolphins, auks) and loosely distributed species (northern gannets), while some species with aggregated distributions also showed limited year-to-year persistence in their patterns (black-legged kittiwakes). We thus have demonstrated that both aggregation and persistence have potential impact on the amount of spatio-temporal distributional variability encompassed within static MPAs. Our results exemplified the need to have access to a minimal temporal depth in the species distribution data when aiming to designate new site boundaries for the conservation of mobile species.

Hotspots for rockfishes, structural corals, and large-bodied sponges along the central coast of Pacific Canada

Biological hotspots are places with outstanding biodiversity features, and their delineation is essential to the design of marine protected areas (MPAs). For the Central Coast of Canada’s Northern Shelf Bioregion, where an MPA network is being developed, we identified hotspots for structural corals and large-bodied sponges, which are foundation species vulnerable to bottom contact fisheries, and for Sebastidae, a fish family which includes species that are long-lived (> 100 years), overexploited, evolutionary distinctive, and at high trophic levels. Using 11 years of survey data that spanned from inland fjords to oceanic waters, we derived hotspot indices that accounted for species characteristics and abundances and examined hotspot distribution across depths and oceanographic subregions. The results highlight previously undocumented hotspot distributions, thereby informing the placement of MPAs for which high levels of protection are warranted. Given the vulnerability of the taxa that we examined to cumulative fishery impacts, prospective MPAs derived from our data should be considered for interim protection measures during the protracted period between final network design and the enactment of MPA legislations. These recommendations reflect our scientific data, which are only one way of understanding the seascape. Our surveys did not cover many locations known to Indigenous peoples as biologically important. Consequently, Indigenous knowledge should also contribute substantially to the design of the MPA network.

Spatial Planning Insights for Philippine Coral Reef Conservation Using Larval Connectivity Networks

The marine habitats of the Philippines are recognized to be some of the most biodiverse systems globally yet only 1.7% of its seas are designated as marine protected areas (MPAs) with varying levels of implementation. Many of these MPAs were established based on local-scale conservation and fisheries objectives without considering larger-scale ecological connections. The connectivity of reefs through larval dispersal is important in the regional-scale resilience against anthropogenic disturbances and is considered a significant criterion in planning for MPAs. In this study, we provide insights into the delineation of ecologically connected MPA networks using larval dispersal modeling and network analysis. We characterized the network properties of the Philippine coral reefs, organized as 252 reef nodes, based on the larval connectivity networks of a branching coral, sea urchin, and grouper. We then evaluated the distribution of the existing 1,060 MPAs relative to the connectivity patterns. All reef nodes were found to be highly interconnected with a mean shortest path ranging from 1.96 to 4.06. Reef nodes were then ranked according to their relative importance in regional connectivity based on five connectivity indices. Despite the between-organism and between-index variability in rankings, there were reefs nodes, mostly located offshore and at major straits, which consistently ranked high. We found that the distribution of existing MPAs partially capture some of the regional connectivity functions but there is a spatial mismatch between the primarily coastal MPAs and the high-ranking reef nodes. Furthermore, network partitioning identified subnetworks and dispersal barriers. The existing MPAs were found to be disproportionately distributed to a few subnetworks and that the largest subnetworks do not contain the greatest number of MPAs. Considering these gaps, we suggest expanding the coverage of protected areas especially in underrepresented reef networks to meaningfully capture national-scale connectivity and meet global conservation objectives.

Drivers of ecological effectiveness of marine protected areas: A meta-analytic approach from the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean (Brazil)

With the rapid global increase in the number and extent of marine protected areas (MPAs), there is a need for methods that enable an assessment of their actual contribution to biodiversity conservation. In Brazil, where MPAs have been designated to replenish biodiversity, there is a lack of regional-scale analysis of MPA impacts and the factors related to positive ecological change. This study aims to quantify the magnitude of the ecological effects of Brazilian MPAs and test whether some study and MPA characteristics (e.g., taxonomic group studied, exploitation level of species, MPA area, protection time, management effectiveness, level of connectedness, etc.) were underlying factors associated with their performance. We conducted a structured search in a database of scientific articles, selecting comparative studies of direct biodiversity metrics inside and outside MPAs offering different protection levels (i.e., fully- or partially-protected MPAs) or within MPAs with distinct zones. We then carried out a meta-analysis based on 424 observations found in 18 articles. Averaged across all studies, we found that MPAs had a 17% increase in the abundance of species, length of individuals, and community diversity. When compared to open-access areas, fully-protected MPAs increased biodiversity by 45%. However, MPAs offering partial protection had variable effects, ranging from significant positive to significant negative effects. MPA effects depended on the taxonomic group and exploitation level of species, with the strongest positive effects seen on exploited fish species and benthic invertebrates. Partially-protected MPAs that reported strong positive effects required long time of protection (>15years) and high level of connectivity. Conversely, fully-protected MPAs (i.e., no-take ones) could be effective even when small, under intense fishing pressure in their surroundings, and regardless of their level of connectivity. We used the Brazilian MPAs as a case study, but these results can contribute to a more comprehensive assessment of the association between ecological impacts of MPAs and drivers of conservation success, and offer key information to consolidate MPA networks that sustain biodiversity.

Marine Protected Area Networks in Indonesia: Progress, Lessons and a Network Design Case Study Covering Six Eastern Provinces

Indonesia is the largest archipelagic nation in the world with 17,504 islands, a coastline of 108,000 km and 15.8% (27,255 km2) of the world’s coral reefs. This paper reviews the status of marine protected areas (MPAs) and networks of MPA in Indonesia, draws on lessons learned, and highlights what has been learned from the design of a network of MPAs for Fisheries Management Area (FMA) 715 across six eastern provinces as an example of how such work can be adapted for other parts of the country and elsewhere. Nationally, the 235,622 km2 of MPAs are mostly large (average 2,380 km2) with use zones and small no-take areas (<15 percent). MPAs are implemented by provincial governments or one of 2 national agencies. The design of a network of MPAs across FMA 715 began with 14 MPAs covering 1,977,276 ha or 4% of the marine waters of FMA 715 in 2016. Now there are 48 MPAs covering 3,062,206 hectares in the planning area, and the design process identified an additional 44 Areas of Interest required to establish new MPAs to augment the existing MPAs in FMA 715 to achieve the objectives of enhancing fisheries, protecting biodiversity, adapting to climate change while supporting community livelihoods and traditional practices. Issues identified in the process are that the scale and complexity of science and management needed is beyond what most stakeholders can easily comprehend; that implementation cuts across multiple jurisdictions with a still-new formal mandate for planning and managing the large network area; and, that the present process could only be possible with outside facilitating expertise. Finally, since the national conservation agency is currently finalizing legal guidelines for the planning and implementation of sub-national networks of MPA, this process has educated many and the result will lend legal and governance support to the continued planning and implementation of the FMA 715 MPA Network and for other areas.

Advancing marine conservation through ecological connectivity: Building better connections for better protection

The incorporation of ecological connectivity, the unimpeded movement of species and the flow of natural processes that sustain life on Earth, into protected area design and management is critical to achieving conservation outcomes. However, the understanding and implementation of ecological connectivity in marine protected areas (MPAs) lags behind that of their terrestrial counterparts. Here, we highlight the important role of ecological connectivity in the design and management of MPA networks through an introduction to marine connectivity and the challenges and benefits of incorporating it into management. The paper also provides guidance for policy and practice, including “rules of thumb” for incorporating connectivity into MPA design and management, and case studies. MPA managers have the potential to increase the effectiveness, adaptability, and resilience of the resources under their stewardship through the purposeful incorporation of ecological connectivity into MPA design and management.

Successful parks for sharks: No-take marine reserve provides conservation benefits to endemic and threatened sharks off South Africa

Sharks are among the most threatened vertebrates on the planet. Marine protected areas (MPAs) have been widely established and promoted as a shark conservation tool. However, the geographic ranges of most imperiled shark species (endemic and threatened) fall outside the current global networks of MPAs, leaving the protective benefits of this tool questionable for the shark species of highest conservation concern. The Western Cape of South Africa is a hotspot for endemic and threatened shark species. Here, we examined the potential protective benefit of a no-take marine reserve (the De Hoop MPA) for imperiled shark species using baited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS). Eleven shark species were documented, with six of 11 species (55%) classified as threatened with extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. The composition of the shark assemblage was dominated by small to mid-sized species, including small endemics. Species-specific habitat preferences were identified, with all these habitats represented in the MPA. Frequency of occurrence and relative abundance of sharks on BRUVS were significantly higher inside the De Hoop MPA than outside. Both protected and commercially exploited sharks species exhibited higher relative abundance inside the MPA. Relative abundance also increased inside the MPA with increasing distance from the reserve boundaries. Our findings suggest that no-take MPAs can be an effective tool for protecting shark species of conservation concern, including threatened endemics, particularly if the MPA adequately incorporates their preferred habitats.

Effects of marine protected areas under different management regimes in a hot spot of biodiversity and cumulative impacts from SW Atlantic

Marine protected areas (MPAs) represent a useful tool for resource management, as well as to conserve and/or restore biological communities. The level of protection is key factor influencing the marine biodiversity, where a more enforced protection is expected to drive positive outcomes. In 2008, a large MPAs network (∼11,380 km 2) was established in one of off the most populated and industrialized areas in the world (i.e., São Paulo State coast, southeast Brazil). Given many goods and services provided by marine ecosystems, this MPA network represents the most challenging marine conservation initiative in Brazil. Harboring​ areas with different socio-ecological contexts and management regimes, this MPA network provides a unique opportunity to investigate the effects of cumulative impacts. We contrasted the biomass and size structure of reef fish in three subtropical islands under different levels of enforcement. We analyzed the influence of variables as island size, benthic cover, depth, topographic complexity, wave exposure, and protection level on the biomass of reef fish assemblages. Protection level was the main attribute responsible to explain the high biomass of fish target species and small territorial herbivores. In sites sheltered from the waves, the biomass of groupers was ∼1600% higher within enforced area than that from open-access area. Beyond the idea of positive effects of enforcement on reef fish biomass and size, we add evidences that even under multiple stressors, the area-based management is still a strong tool to marine conservation.

Marine conservation versus offshore oil and gas extraction: Reconciling an intensifying dilemma in Atlantic Canada

Conflicts between the drive to expand offshore oil and gas development and the effort to protect marine areas are intensifying globally. These competing imperatives are manifested acutely off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, where petroleum interests overlap with diverse protected areas: while the Government of Nova Scotia fosters the expansion of its offshore petroleum sector, the Government of Canada is advancing Marine Protected Area networks that place limits on extractive industrial activities offshore. This paper examines how this conflict is being managed through the process of offshore petroleum licensing with a focus on call for bids that spatially overlap with or are adjacent to conservation areas. Drawing on interviews with 25 marine stakeholders (government, fishers, environmental, and Indigenous groups), we found that consultation processes failed to resolve conflicts, sector trade-offs were poorly understood, and petroleum interests were prioritized over biodiversity protection. Efforts by the offshore oil and gas regulator to secure a social licence to operate have not been successful. An evolving program of marine spatial planning in the Scotian bioregion has the potential to address broader issues at this contentious intersection.

How to Meet New Global Targets in the Offshore Realms: Biophysical Guidelines for Offshore Networks of No-Take Marine Protected Areas

Networks of no-take marine protected areas (MPAs), where all extractive activities are prohibited, are the most effective tool to directly protect marine ecosystems from destructive and unsustainable human activities. No-take MPAs and MPA networks have been globally implemented in coastal seas, and their success has been significantly enhanced where science-based biophysical guidelines have informed their design. Increasingly, as human pressure on marine ecosystems is expanding further offshore, governments are establishing offshore MPAs—some very large—or MPA networks. Globally, there are growing calls from scientists, non-government organisations, and national governments to set global conservation targets upwards of 30%. Given that most of the ocean is found either in the high seas or offshore within national Exclusive Economic Zones, large offshore MPAs or networks of MPAs must be a major component of these global targets for ocean protection. However, without adequate design, these offshore MPAs risk being placed to minimise conflict with economic interests, rather than to maximise biodiversity protection. This paper describes detailed biophysical guidelines that managers can use to design effective networks of no-take MPAs in offshore environments. We conducted a systematic review of existing biophysical design guidelines for networks of MPAs in coastal seas, and found consistent elements relating to size, shape, connectivity, timeframes, and representation of biophysical features. However, few of the guidelines are tailored to offshore environments, and few of the large offshore MPAs currently in place were designed systematically. We discuss how the common inshore design guidelines should be revised to be responsive to the characteristics of offshore ecosystems, including giving consideration of issues of scale, data availability, and uncertainty. We propose 10 biophysical guidelines that can be used to systematically design offshore networks of MPAs which will also contribute to the global goal of at least 30% protection globally. Finally, we offer three priority guidelines that reflect the unique conservation needs of offshore ecosystems: emphasising the need for larger MPAs; maximising the inclusion of special features that are known and mapped; and representing minimum percentages of habitats, or, where mapped, bioregions. Ultimately, MPA guidelines need to be embedded within an adaptive management framework, and have the flexibility to respond to emerging knowledge and new challenges.

Assessing the population-level conservation effects of marine protected areas.

Marine protected areas (MPAs) cover 3–7% of the world's ocean, and international organizations call for 30% coverage by 2030. Although numerous studies show that MPAs produce conservation benefits inside their borders, many MPAs are also justified on the grounds that they confer conservation benefits to the connected populations that span beyond their borders. A network of MPAs covering roughly 20% of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary was established in 2003, with a goal of providing regional conservation and fishery benefits. We used a spatially explicit bioeconomic simulation model and a Bayesian difference‐in‐difference regression to examine the conditions under which MPAs can provide population‐level conservation benefits inside and outside their borders and to assess evidence of those benefits in the Channel Islands. As of 2017, we estimated that biomass densities of targeted fin‐fish had a median value 81% higher (90% credible interval: 23–148) inside the Channel Island MPAs than outside. However, we found no clear effect of these MPAs on mean total biomass densities at the population level: estimated median effect was –7% (90% credible interval: –31 to 23) from 2015 to 2017. Our simulation model showed that effect sizes of MPAs of <30% were likely to be difficult to detect (even when they were present); smaller effect sizes (which are likely to be common) were even harder to detect. Clearly, communicating expectations and uncertainties around MPAs is critical to ensuring that MPAs are effective. We provide a novel assessment of the population‐level effects of a large MPA network across many different species of targeted fin‐fish, and our results offer guidance for communities charged with monitoring and adapting MPAs.

Effects of changing ocean temperatures on ecological connectivity among marine protected areas in northern British Columbia

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are important conservation tools for safeguarding marine systems, yet they are increasingly impacted by climate change. Connectivity is a fundamental aspect of MPA design and evaluation, but regional patterns of marine ecological connectivity are often not well understood, nor how connectivity patterns may be affected by climate change. Our objective was to assess how ecological connectivity between MPAs may shift with projected ocean temperature changes in the Northern Shelf Bioregion in British Columbia, Canada, and demonstrate a potential approach that can be used in other systems. We conducted a case study with Dungeness Crab (Metacarcinus magister) and Shortspine Thornyhead (Sebastolobus alascanus) using benthic temperature outputs from a regional ocean model for hindcast (1981–2010) and future (2041–2070) periods coupled with species’ environmental preference information. We evaluated MPA exposure to projected temperature changes and suitability for the adult stage of the focal species. Using existing least-cost and circuit theory-based tools more often applied in terrestrial systems, we identified potential linkages between MPAs via adult movement, simulating both optimal and probabilistic paths, then compared MPA interconnectedness between time periods. There was a marked decrease in MPA suitability and interconnectedness for Shortspine Thornyhead under projected future climates, while there was a marked increase in MPA suitability for Dungeness Crab and minor increase in MPA interconnectedness. Given the contrasting results in connectivity changes when examining just two species, this study highlights the challenge of building climate resilience in MPA network designs with multispecies objectives.