Assessing trade-offs in large marine protected areas

Area of Science:

• Marine conservation science
• Ecosystem management
• Social-ecological systems analysis

Background:

• Large marine protected areas (LMPAs) are a growing strategy in marine conservation.
• LMPAs are presumed to minimize trade-offs due to their size, unlike smaller MPAs.
• Empirical evaluations of multiple outcomes in LMPAs are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically evaluate social and ecological outcomes across multiple large marine protected areas.
• To identify and categorize trade-offs occurring within and between social and ecological objectives in LMPAs.

Main Methods:

• Systematic coding of social and ecological outcomes for 12 large marine protected areas.
• Analysis of trade-offs, including supply, supply-demand, and demand trade-offs.
• Identification of outcomes influenced by external factors.

Main Results:

• Evidence of three distinct types of trade-offs was found: supply, supply-demand, and demand trade-offs.
• Divergent social and ecological outcomes were observed, often influenced by factors outside the LMPA's direct scope.
• Trade-offs can emerge in large marine protected areas despite their scale.

Conclusions:

• Trade-offs are a significant consideration in the planning and design of large marine protected areas.
• Integrating LMPAs with broader conservation initiatives can enhance their effectiveness across multiple objectives.
• Effective management requires acknowledging and addressing inherent trade-offs within LMPAs.