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Global marine protected areas to prevent extinctions.

Lindsay N K Davidson¹, Nicholas K Dulvy¹

¹Earth to Ocean Research Group, Biological Science, 8888 University Drive, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6,Canada.

Nature Ecology & Evolution

|August 17, 2017

Summary

Protecting marine biodiversity requires targeted action. Expanding marine protected areas (MPAs) by 3% in 70 nations could safeguard half the ranges of 99 imperilled endemic sharks, rays, and chimaeras.

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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.