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Marine protected areas stage of establishment and level of protection are good predictors of their conservation outcomes
Journal article   Open access

Marine protected areas stage of establishment and level of protection are good predictors of their conservation outcomes

Barbara Horta e Costa, Carmela de Benito-Abelló, Elizabeth Pike, John Turnbull, Jessica MacCarthy, Nikki Harasta, Eliza Fragkopoulou, Julia Roessger, Jenna Sullivan-Stack, Kirsten Grorud-Colvert, …
Cell reports sustainability, Vol.2(4), 100345
2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crsus.2025.100345
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Published14.49 MBDownloadView
CC BY-NC V4.0,  Open Access

Abstract

ecological outcomes effect sizes global targets harvested fish levels of protection marine conservation marine protected areas meta-analysis MPA guide MPA quality stages of establishment
Despite the importance of active management and strong protection in driving marine protected areas (MPA) performance, coverage area remains the sole indicator for global targets. To assess whether conservation quality lags behind quantity, we conducted a global meta-analysis of 123 MPAs. We show that MPAs’ Levels of Protection and Stages of Establishment are reliable proxies for MPAs’ ecological outcomes; hence, they are good candidates for tracking MPA quality. Actively managed MPAs have significantly higher fish density and biomass than non-protected surrounding areas, while MPAs that are only implemented do not. The effectiveness of actively managed MPAs can be maximized if they are fully or highly protected. Lightly and minimally protected areas that are only implemented can deliver negative outcomes. Our findings highlight the important interplay between stages and levels as developed in the MPA Guide and support the need to include both in conservation targets to track not only MPA quantity but also quality. [Display omitted] •First study linking the MPA guide levels and stages directly to ecological outcomes•Actively managed and strongly regulated MPAs can succeed in recovering fish•Implemented MPAs that are minimally protected show detrimental outcomes for fish•We call for using the MPA guide criteria in understanding global coverage of MPAs Currently, there is a global commitment to improve ocean health by covering 30% of the ocean with effective marine protected areas (MPAs) by 2030. Here, we tested, for the first time, the effects of both levels of protection and stages of establishment of a new science-based framework—the MPA guide—in the recovery of harvested fish across 123 MPAs globally. Our findings reflect the important interplay between levels and stages and tie them directly to conservation outcomes. Actively managed MPAs, with evidence of monitoring and enforcement, have more positive ecological outcomes than those that are only implemented. Studied MPAs show they need to be actively managed and strongly regulated to effectively recover fish, while implemented MPAs that are minimally or lightly protected can lead to detrimental outcomes. We call for using standardized and comparable criteria in understanding global coverage to track MPA quality as well as quantity. Global targets should track MPA quality and quantity. This is the first study using a new science-based framework across 123 MPAs and tying levels of protection and stages of establishment directly to outcomes. Actively managed MPAs have positive outcomes, whereas those only implemented do not. Implemented MPAs that are minimally protected show detrimental outcomes for fish. “Strict protection” could refer to fully protected or actively managed, highly protected areas. We call for using the MPA guide to understand global coverage.

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#14 Life Below Water

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