Global marine protected areas to prevent extinctions

Area of Science:

• Marine conservation biology
• Systematic conservation planning
• Fisheries management

Background:

• Global marine protected areas (MPAs) aim for biodiversity representation but inadequately protect threatened species.
• A small fraction of threatened species' ranges are currently within the global MPA network.
• Prioritizing conservation actions beyond MPAs is crucial for preventing marine extinctions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prioritize conservation actions for sharks, rays, and chimaeras (Chondrichthyes) using systematic conservation planning.
• To identify key marine areas and nations for protecting imperilled endemic chondrichthyans.
• To inform strategies for preventing marine extinctions.

Main Methods:

• Systematic conservation planning approaches were applied to chondrichthyans, a class with a high proportion of threatened species.
• Hotspot analysis was used to identify nations and areas critical for imperilled endemic chondrichthyans.
• Geographic range data for 99 imperilled endemic chondrichthyans were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Expanding the MPA network by 3% across 70 nations could cover 50% of the geographic range of 99 imperilled endemic chondrichthyans.
• Twelve nations were identified as hotspots, harboring over half of these imperilled endemics.
• Four key nations are major fishing nations lacking basic chondrichthyan fisheries management.

Conclusions:

• Targeted expansion of MPAs and improved fisheries management in specific nations are vital for chondrichthyan conservation.
• Conservation efforts must consider geopolitical realities to enable sustainable fisheries and species protection.
• Prioritizing actions in 12 hotspot nations can significantly contribute to preventing marine extinctions.