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- Marine protected areas promote stability of reef fish communities under climate warmingPublication . Benedetti-Cecchi, Lisandro; Bates, Amanda; Strona, Giovanni; Bulleri, Fabio; Horta e Costa, Barbara; Edgar, Graham J.; Hereu, Bernat; Reed, Dan; Stuart-Smith, Rick D.; Barrett, Neville; Kushner, David J.; Emslie, Mike; García-Charton, José Antonio; Gonçalves, Emanuel J.; Aspillaga, EnekoProtection from direct human impacts can safeguard marine life, yet ocean warming crosses marine protected area boundaries. Here, we test whether protection offers resilience to marine heatwaves from local to network scales. We examine 71,269 timeseries of population abundances for 2269 reef fish species surveyed in 357 protected versus 747 open sites worldwide. We quantify the stability of reef fish abundance from populations to metacommunities, considering responses of species and functional diversity including thermal affinity of different trophic groups. Overall, protection mitigates adverse effects of marine heatwaves on fish abundance, community stability, asynchronous fluctuations and functional richness. We find that local stability is positively related to distance from centers of high human density only in protected areas. We provide evidence that networks of protected areas have persistent reef fish communities in warming oceans by maintaining large populations and promoting stability at different levels of biological organization.
- Assessments of expected MPA outcomes can inform and improve biodiversity conservation: Case studies using The MPA GuidePublication . Sullivan-Stack, Jenna; Ahmadia, Gabby N.; Andradi-Brown, Dominic A; Barron, Alexandra; Brooks, Cassandra M.; Claudet, Joachim; Horta e Costa, Barbara; Estradivari, null; Field, Laurel C.; Giakoumi, Sylvaine; Gonçalves, Emanuel; Groulx, Natalie; Harris, Jean; Jessen, Sabine; Johnson, Steven Mana'oakamai; MacCarthy, Jessica; Maricato, Guilherme; Morgan, Lance; Nalven, Katharine Bear; Nocito, Emily S.; Pike, Elizabeth P; Sala, Enric; Tardin, Rodrigo; Villagomez, Angelo; Wright, Kendyl; Grorud-Colvert, KirstenGlobal, regional, and national targets have been set to protect and conserve at least 30 % of the ocean by 2030, in recognition of the important benefits of healthy ocean ecosystems, including for human well-being. Many of these targets recognize the importance of the quality, not just quantity, of areas that are included in the 30 %, such as marine protected areas (MPAs). For example, the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Global Biodiversity Framework Target 3 calls for areas to be effectively conserved and managed, ecologically representative, well-connected, and equitably governed. Protecting a percent area is not the sole goal – protection must be effective and equitable. To better understand the quality of biodiversity conservation afforded, in addition to the quantity of area protected, we looked at MPAs across 13 studies that used The MPA Guide and related tools to track Stage of Establishment and Level of Protection as measures of expected biodiversity conservation outcomes across diverse locations, scales, and cultural, political, and conservation contexts. We show that standardized assessments of MPA quality can help to (1) evaluate and improve existing MPAs; (2) plan new MPAs; (3) compare the quality of MPA protection across various scales; (4) track MPA quality, including progress towards coverage targets; (5) enable clear communication and collaboration, and (6) inform actions needed to achieve policy targets and their underlying environmental and social goals, among others. We share common opportunities, challenges, and recommendations for tracking MPA quality at various scales, and using these quality assessments to measure progress towards global targets.
- Setting performance indicators for coastal marine protected areas: An expert-based methodologyPublication . Cardoso-Andrade, Mariana; Queiroga, Henrique; Rangel, M; Sousa, Inês; Belackova, Adela; Bentes, Luis; Oliveira, Frederico; Monteiro, Pedro; Sales Henriques, Nuno; Afonso, Carlos M. L.; Silva, Ana F.; Quintella, Cristina; Costa, José L.; Pais, Miguel P.; Henriques, Sofia; Batista, Marisa I.; Franco, Gustavo; Gonçalves, Emanuel J.; Henriques, Miguel; Leonardo, Teresa; Coelho, Paula; Comas-González, Robert; Fernández, Laura P.; Quiles-Pons, Carla; Costa, André; Espírito-Santo, Cristina; Castro, João J.; ARENAS, FRANCISCO; Ramos, Sandra; Ferreira, Vasco; Gonçalves, Jorge M. S.; Horta e Costa, BarbaraMarine Protected Areas (MPAs) require effective indicators to assess their performance, in compliance with the goals of relevant national and international commitments. Achieving and prioritizing shortlists of multidisciplinary indicators demands a significant effort from specialists to depict the multiple conservation and socioeconomic interests, and the large complexity of natural systems. The present paper describes a structured expert-based methodology (process and outputs) to co-define a list of multidisciplinary MPA performance indicators. This work was promoted by the management authority of coastal MPAs in mainland Portugal to gather a consensual and feasible list of indicators that would guide the design of a future national monitoring program. Hence, Portuguese coastal MPAs served as a case study to develop such a process between 2019 and 2020. In the end, participants (1) agreed on a shortlist of prioritized indicators (i.e., environmental, governance, and socioeconomic indicators) and (2) defined minimum monitoring frequencies for the indicators in this list, compatible with the potential replicability of the associated survey methods. The present approach recommends that management plans incorporate monitoring procedures and survey methods, with a validated list of indicators and associated monitoring periodicity, agreed among researchers, MPA managers and governance experts. The proposed methodology, and the lessons learned from it, can support future processes aiming to define and prioritize MPA performance indicators
- UN Ocean Conference needs transparent and science-based leadership on ocean conservationPublication . Horta e Costa, Barbara; Goncalves, Jorge; Gonçalves, Emanuel J.The United Nations Ocean conference convened in June 2022. Heads of state, businesses, and civil society organizations met in Lisbon to discuss how to scale up ocean action to achieve SDG 14 goals. In the face of the existential challenges of the climate emergency and species extinction crisis, bold and decisive action on ocean conservation through a shift in the protection paradigm is needed now. Recognizing existing barriers (e.g., political, organizational, social, economic) that operate at various scales (e.g., international, regional and national) and that are precluding achieving a healthy ocean is key and has to be addressed with strong leadership and sound commitments. A roadmap with clear steps and achievements including metrics assessing protection levels, stages of establishment, management effectiveness and equity is now needed to guarantee the success of marine conservation goals. Portugal can and should help lead the way by adopting such a roadmap and approach, but post-2020 decisions need to incorporate, beyond area goals, both the quality and effectiveness of ocean protection through metrics and standards such as those provided by the MPA Guide, Green List and Blue Parks.
- Ocean protection quality is lagging behind quantity: Applying a scientific framework to assess real marine protected area progress against the 30 by 30 targetPublication . Pike, Elizabeth P; MacCarthy, Jessica; Hameed, Sarah; Harasta, Nikki; Grorud-Colvert, Kirsten; Sullivan-Stack, Jenna; Claudet, Joachim; Horta e Costa, Barbara; Gonçalves, Emanuel J.; Villagomez, Angelo; Morgan, LanceThe international community set a global conservation target to protect at least 30% of the ocean by 2030 (“30 × 30”) to reverse biodiversity loss, including through marine protected areas (MPAs). However, varied MPAs result in significantly different conservation outcomes, making MPA coverage alone an inadequate metric.We used TheMPA Guide framework to assess the the world’s largest 100 MPAs by area, representing nearly 90% of reported global MPA coverage and 7.3% of the global ocean area, and analyzed the distribution of MPA quality across political and ecological regions. A quarter of the assessed MPA coverage is not implemented, and one-third is incompatible with the conservation of nature. Two factors contribute to this outcome: (1) many reported MPAs lack regulations or management, and (2) some MPAs allow high-impact activities. Fully and highly protected MPAs account for one-third of the assessed area but are unevenly distributed across ecoregions in part because some nations have designated large, highly protected MPAs in their overseas or remote territories. Indicators of MPA quality, not only coverage, are needed to ensure a global network of MPAs that covers at least 30% of the ocean and effectively safeguards representative marine ecosystems from destructive human activities.
- Co-design of a marine protected area zoning and the lessons learned from itPublication . Horta e Costa, Barbara; Guimarães, M. Helena; Rangel, M; Ressurreicao, Adriana; Monteiro, Pedro; Oliveira, Frederico; Bentes, Luis; Sales Henriques, Nuno; Sousa, Inês; Alexandre, Sofia; Pontes, João; Afonso, Carlos M. L.; Belackova, Adela; Marçalo, Ana; Cardoso-Andrade, Mariana; Correia, António José; Lobo, Vanda; Gonçalves, Emanuel J.; Pitta e Cunha, Tiago; Gonçalves, Jorge M. S.Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a tool to safeguard marine natural systems, yet their effectiveness depends on how well they are integrated into the existing socioeconomic context. Stakeholder engagement in MPA design can contribute to increasing integration. This study focuses on the co-design of an MPA between researchers, public administration, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations. The proposed MPA is in Portugal and includes an area that is a hotspot for biodiversity and economic activities. This is the first MPA proposal in mainland Portugal co-designed using a participatory approach. This study highlights the steps of the zoning process and synthesizes the eight main lessons learned, useful for other cases, particularly for relatively small coastal MPAs with multiple socioeconomic activities. Three zoning proposals were developed and discussed within the participatory process. The proposals considered the best scientific and local knowledge available and were defined using ecological, socioeconomic, and shape-area guiding principles. In an iterative manner and following a participatory approach, compromises with stakeholders were achieved, and a final proposal, scientifically sound and socially accepted by most stakeholders, was delivered to the government. The final zoning plan will achieve ambitious conservation goals, including the largest fully protected area to be declared in mainland Portugal, while minimizing the impacts on the existing economic activities and promoting its sustainability. This process resulted in valuable lessons that may be applied elsewhere and guide future MPA implementation or rezoning of existing ones. These transdisciplinary and participatory processes can be time and resource-consuming but are vital for ensuring MPA effectiveness.
- Ocean protection quality is lagging behind quantity: Applying a scientific framework to assess real marine protected area progress against the 30 by 30 targetPublication . Pike, Elizabeth P; MacCarthy, Jessica M. C.; Hameed, Sarah; Harasta, Nikki; Grorud-Colvert, Kirsten; Sullivan-Stack, Jenna; Claudet, Joachim; Horta e Costa, Barbara; Gonçalves, E.J.; Villagomez, Angelo; Morgan, LanceThe international community set a global conservation target to protect at least30% of the ocean by 2030 (“30 × 30”) to reverse biodiversity loss, includingthrough marine protected areas (MPAs). However, varied MPAs result in sig-nificantly different conservation outcomes, making MPA coverage alone aninadequate metric. We used The MPA Guide framework to assess the the world’slargest 100 MPAs by area, representing nearly 90% of reported global MPA cov-erage and 7.3% of the global ocean area, and analyzed the distribution of MPAquality across political and ecological regions. A quarter of the assessed MPAcoverage is not implemented, and one-third is incompatible with the conserva-tion of nature. Two factors contribute to this outcome: (1) many reported MPAslack regulations or management, and (2) some MPAs allow high-impact activi-ties. Fully and highly protected MPAs account for one-third of the assessed areabut are unevenly distributed across ecoregions in part because some nations havedesignated large, highly protected MPAs in their overseas or remote territories.Indicators of MPA quality, not only coverage, are needed to ensure a global net-work of MPAs that covers at least 30% of the ocean and effectively safeguardsrepresentative marine ecosystems from destructive human activities
- Ocean protection quality is lagging behind quantity: Applying a scientific framework to assess real marine protected area progress against the 30 by 30 targetPublication . Pike, Elizabeth P; MacCarthy, Jessica; Hameed, Sarah; Harasta, Nikki; Grorud‐Colvert, Kirsten; Sullivan‐Stack, Jenna; Claudet, Joachim; Horta e Costa, Barbara; Gonçalves, Emanuel J.; Villagomez, Angelo; Morgan, LanceThe international community set a global conservation target to protect at least 30% of the ocean by 2030 (“30 × 30”) to reverse biodiversity loss, including through marine protected areas (MPAs). However, varied MPAs result in significantly different conservation outcomes, making MPA coverage alone an inadequate metric.We used TheMPA Guide framework to assess the the world’s largest 100 MPAs by area, representing nearly 90% of reported global MPA coverage and 7.3% of the global ocean area, and analyzed the distribution of MPA quality across political and ecological regions. A quarter of the assessed MPA coverage is not implemented, and one-third is incompatible with the conservation of nature. Two factors contribute to this outcome: (1) many reported MPAs lack regulations or management, and (2) some MPAs allow high-impact activities. Fully and highly protected MPAs account for one-third of the assessed area but are unevenly distributed across ecoregions in part because some nations have designated large, highly protected MPAs in their overseas or remote territories. Indicators of MPA quality, not only coverage, are needed to ensure a global network of MPAs that covers at least 30% of the ocean and effectively safeguards representative marine ecosystems from destructive human activities.