title: Integrating impact evaluation in the design and implementation of monitoring marine protected areas.
abstract: Quasi-experimental impact evaluation approaches, which enable scholars to disentangle effects of conservation interventions from broader changes in the environment, are gaining momentum in the conservation sector. However, rigorous impact evaluation using statistical matching techniques to estimate the counterfactual have yet to be applied to marine protected areas (MPAs). While there are numerous studies investigating 'impacts' of MPAs that have generated considerable insights, results are variable. This variation has been linked to the biophysical and social context in which they are established, as well as attributes of management and governance. To inform decisions about MPA placement, design and implementation, we need to expand our understanding of conditions under which MPAs are likely to lead to positive outcomes by embracing advances in impact evaluation methodologies. Here, we describe the integration of impact evaluation within an MPA network monitoring programme in the Bird's Head Seascape, Indonesia. Specifically we (i) highlight the challenges of implementation 'on the ground' and in marine ecosystems and (ii) describe the transformation of an existing monitoring programme into a design appropriate for impact evaluation. This study offers one potential model for mainstreaming impact evaluation in the conservation sector.
authors.affiliation: Oceans, World Wildlife Fund, 1250 24th Street, Washington, DC 20037, USA gabby.ahmadia@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gabby N
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6489-7377
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Ahmadia
authors.affiliation: Science and Innovation, World Wildlife Fund, 1250 24th Street, Washington, DC 20037, USA.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6981-1918
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Glew
authors.affiliation: Oceans, World Wildlife Fund, 1250 24th Street, Washington, DC 20037, USA.
authors.forename: Mikaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Provost
authors.affiliation: National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC), 1 Park Place, Suite 300, Annapolis, MD 21401, USA Luc Hoffmann Institute, WWF International, Avenue du Mont-Blanc, 1196 Gland, Switzerland.
authors.forename: David
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7550-1761
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.affiliation: Conservation International, Raja Ampat Marine Program, Jl. Kedondong, Puncak Vihara, Sorong, 98414 West Papua, Indonesia.
authors.forename: Nur Ismu
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Hidayat
authors.affiliation: The Nature Conservancy, Indonesia Marine Program, Jl. Sultan Hasanudin No. 31, Sorong 98414 West Papua, Indonesia Wildlife Conservation Society, Fiji Country Program, 11 Ma'afu Street, Suva, Fiji.
authors.forename: Sangeeta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mangubhai
authors.affiliation: The Nature Conservancy, Indonesia Marine Program, Jl. Sultan Hasanudin No. 31, Sorong 98414 West Papua, Indonesia.
authors.lastname: Purwanto
authors.affiliation: Research and Monitoring; Rare, Inc. 1310 N. Courthouse Rd, Ste 110, Arlington, VA 22201, USA.
authors.forename: Helen E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Fox
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D007214:Indonesia; D008386:Marine Biology
keywords: Bird's Head Seascape; Indonesia; conservation impact; coral reefs; counterfactual; monitoring