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A global assessment of the direct and indirect benefits of marine protected areas for coral reef conservation

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-19, 21:36 authored by Elisabeth StrainElisabeth Strain, Graham EdgarGraham Edgar, Ceccarelli, D, Richard Stuart-SmithRichard Stuart-Smith, Hosack, GR, Russell Thomson

Aim: Marine protected areas (MPAs) are increasingly implemented to conserve or restore coral reef biodiversity, yet evidence of their benefits for enhancing coral cover is limited and variable.

Location: 30 MPAs worldwide and nearby sites (within 10 km).

Taxa: Cover of key functional groups for coral (total, branching, massive and tabular), and algae (total, filamentous, foliose) and total biomass of reef fish trophic groups (excavator, scraper, browser, higher carnivore).

Methods: We used a global dataset obtained using standardized survey methods at 465 sites associated with 30 MPAs in 28 ecoregions to test the effects of five key MPA attributes (>10 years old, well‐enforced, no‐take, large and isolated) on coral cover, algal cover and reef fish biomass. We also tested the direct (reducing disturbance by human activities) versus indirect pathways (increasing grazing potential through recovering populations of herbivorous fishes) by which MPAs can influence coral and algal cover.

Results: Only well‐enforced, no‐take and old (>10 years) MPAs had higher total coral cover (response ratio 1.08–1.19×) than fished sites, mostly due to the increased cover of massive coral growth forms (1.34–2.06×). This effect arose through both the direct influence of protection and indirect benefits of depressed algal cover by recovering herbivorous fish biomass. Neither the direct (standardized coefficient = 0.06) nor indirect effects (standardized coefficient = 0.04) of no‐take protection on coral cover were particularly strong, likely reflecting regional differences in fishing gear, targeted species and trophic webs.

Conclusions: MPAs promote the persistence of some functional groups of corals, and thus represent an important management tool, globally.

History

Publication title

Diversity and Distributions

Volume

25

Pagination

9-20

ISSN

1366-9516

Department/School

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies

Publisher

Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Place of publication

9600 Garsington Rd, Oxford, England, Oxon, Ox4 2Dg

Rights statement

© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Marine biodiversity; Assessment and management of terrestrial ecosystems; Terrestrial biodiversity

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