Browsing by Author "Grorud-Colvert, Kirsten"
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- 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; Field, Laurel C.; Giakoumi, Sylvaine; Gonçalves, Emanuel; Groulx, Natalie; Harris, Jean; Jessen, Sabine; Johnson, Steven Mana'oakamai; MacCarthy, Jessica M.C.; Maricato, Guilherme; Morgan, Lance; Nalven, Katharine Bear; Nocito, Emily S.; Pike, Elizabeth P.; Sala, Enric; Tardin, Rodrigo; Villagomez, Angelo; Wright, Kendyl; Grorud-Colvert, Kirsten; Horta e Costa, BarbaraGlobal, 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.
- Marine protected areas stage of establishment and level of protection are good predictors of their conservation outcomesPublication . Horta e Costa, Barbara; de Benito Abelló, Carmela; Pike, Elizabeth; Turnbull, John; MacCarthy, Jessica; Harasta, Nikki; Fragkopoulou, Eliza; Roessger, Julia; Sullivan-Stack, Jenna; Grorud-Colvert, Kirsten; Gill, David; Morgan, Lance; Gonçalves, Emanuel J.; Zupan, Mirta; Gonçalves, Jorge Manuel Santos; Claudet, JoachimDespite 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.