title: Expanding marine protected areas to include degraded coral reefs.
abstract: Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a commonly applied solution to coral reef degradation, yet coral reefs continue to decline worldwide. We argue that expanding the range of MPAs to include degraded reefs (DR-MPA) could help reverse this trend. This approach requires new ecological criteria for MPA design, siting, and management. Rather than focusing solely on preserving healthy reefs, our approach focuses on the potential for biodiversity recovery and renewal of ecosystem services. The new criteria would help identify sites with the highest potential for recovery and the greatest resistance to future threats (e.g., increased temperature and acidification) and sites that contribute to MPA connectivity. The DR-MPA approach is a compliment rather than a substitute for traditional MPA design approaches. We believe that the DR-MPA approach can enhance the natural, or restoration-assisted, recovery of DRs and their ecosystem services; increase total reef area available for protection; promote more resilient and better-connected MPA networks; and improve conditions for human communities dependent on MPA ecosystem services.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel. avigdor@tauex.tau.ac.il.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abelson
authors.affiliation: H. T. Harvey & Associates, 983 University Avenue, Building D, Los Gatos, CA, 95032-7637, U.S.A.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.affiliation: Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart Tasmania, 7001, Australia.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Edgar
authors.affiliation: Eilat Campus, Ben-Gurion University, Eilat, Israel.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shashar
authors.affiliation: Marine Science Institute University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-6150, U.S.A.
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Belmaker
authors.affiliation: Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), Earth System Knowledge Platform (ESKP), Bussestrasse 24, D-27570, Bremerhaven, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Krause
authors.affiliation: Global Marine Team of The Nature Conservancy at the Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, U.S.A.
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.affiliation: The Israel Society of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Kehilat New-York Street, Tel Aviv, 6775323, Israel.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brokovich
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Dalhousie University, Truro, NS B2N 5E3, Canada.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: France
authors.affiliation: Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-6150, U.S.A.
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Gaines
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa; D044822:Biodiversity; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D057894:Coral Reefs; D017753:Ecosystem; D006801:Humans
keywords: AMP; MPA; conservación; conservation; degradación de los ecosistemas; ecological rehabilitation; ecological restoration; ecosistemas marinos; ecosystem degradation; marine ecosystems; rehabilitación ecológica; restauración ecológica