Designing a network of marine protected areas in California: Achievements, costs, lessons learned, and challenges ahead

Gleason, Mary; Fox, Evan; Ashcraft, Susan; Vasques, Jason; Whiteman, Elizabeth; Serpa, Paulo; Saarman, Emily; Caldwell, Meg; Frimodig, Adam; Miller-Henson, Melissa; Kirlin, John J.; Ota, Becky; Pope, Elizabeth M.; Weber, Mike; Wiseman, Ken

doi:10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2012.08.013

Cited by 95 publications

(83 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Twelve publications in the database report on the scholarship and applications of knowledge that helped to inform different aspects of the MLPA process, from early stages to implementation (Table S3). Among these are some documenting the planning process itself (e.g., Fox et al, 2013;Gleason et al, 2013;Gleason et al, 2010). More recent studies refer to the MLPA process and build on the knowledge generated during this process to develop new methods to evaluate and improve the MPA network design.…”

Section: Development Implementation and Impact Of Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Research advances and gaps in marine planning: towards a global database in systematic conservation planning

Álvarez‐Romero

Mills

Adams

et al. 2018

Biological Conservation

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Systematic conservation planning (SCP) has increasingly been used to prioritize conservation actions, including the design of new protected areas to achieve conservation objectives. Over the last 10 years, the number of marine SCP studies has increased exponentially, yet there is no structured or reliable way to find information on methods, trends, and progress. The rapid growth in methods and marine applications warrants an updated analysis of the literature, as well as reflection on the need for continuous and systematic documentation of SCP exercises in general. To address these gaps, we developed a database to document SCP exercises and populated it with 155 marine SCP exercises found in the primary literature. Based on our review, we provide an update on global advances and trends in marine SCP literature. We found accelerating growth in the number of studies over the past decade, with increasing consideration of socioeconomic variables, land-sea planning, and ecological connectivity. While several studies aimed to inform conservation decisions, we found little evidence of input from practitioners. There are important gaps in geographic coverage and little correspondence with areas most threatened. Five countries lead most studies, but their networks suggest potential for capacity building through collaborations. The varying quality and detail in documentation of studies confirmed the limited opportunities to develop and assess the application of best practice in conservation planning. A global database to track the development, implementation, and impact of SCP applications can thus provide numerous benefits. Our database constitutes an important step towards the development of a centralized repository of information on planning exercises and can serve several roles to advance SCP theory and practice: it facilitates assessing geographic coverage and gaps; scientists and practitioners can access information to identify trends in the use of data, methods, and tools; reviewers and editors of journals can assess whether studies have covered important literature and developments; donors and non-government organizations can identify regions needing further work; and practitioners and policy-makers can learn from previous plans.

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Section: Development Implementation and Impact Of Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Research advances and gaps in marine planning: towards a global database in systematic conservation planning

Álvarez‐Romero

Mills

Adams

et al. 2018

Biological Conservation

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“…The California MPA network planning process was funded through a public-private funding partnership, and the significant and consistent injection of funding that this partnership provided has been highlighted as a key reason for the ultimate success of this process Gleason et al, 2013). A similar approach has been taken for marine spatial planning (MSP) in British Columbia, Canada.…”

Section: Provide Consistent and Appropriate Fundingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Fully engaging stakeholders in the planning process will increase, though not guarantee, stakeholder buy-in and compliance (Guénette and Alder, 2007;Gleason et al, 2013;Lubchenco and Grorud-Colvert, 2015). MSP is a relatively new approach to marine resource management that brings together multiple stakeholders and marine users to develop zoning plans and management guidelines for the use of ocean resources.…”

Section: Build Consensus On Mpas and Implement Marine Spatial Planningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measuring MPAs in Continental North America: How Well Protected Are the Ocean Estates of Canada, Mexico, and the USA?

et al. 2017

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Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a well-established conservation strategy, employed around the world to protect important marine species and ecosystems and support the recovery of declining populations. The continental waters of North America contain remarkable biodiversity, but many species face increasing pressure from overexploitation, climate change, and other anthropogenic impacts. Canada, Mexico, and the USA have pledged to protect at least 10% of their marine and coastal waters by 2020 as signatories to the Convention on Biological Diversity, and have made efforts to establish MPAs. These MPAs vary widely in terms of levels of protection and designation processes; information that is not reflected in official statistics. To this end, we critically examined progress toward the CBD target for marine protection in continental North American waters to determine how well ocean ecosystems are protected by MPAs. We reviewed government data to determine whether MPAs met four criteria: legal designation, permanence, presence of an administrative structure, and a completed management plan. Sites that met all four criteria were categorized as "implemented." Any sites that failed to meet one or more criterion were considered "incompletely implemented" and excluded from the analysis. We also calculated the amount of "fully-protected" MPAs in which all extractive uses are prohibited. We found that <1% of North America's continental ocean is protected, and only 0.04% is fully-protected. Canada has the least area protected with just 0.11% in implemented MPAs, and 0.01% in fully-protected MPAs. Mexico and the USA have 1.62 and 1.29% in implemented MPAs, and 0.11 and 0.03% in fully-protected MPAs, respectively. Results show that many North American MPAs are incompletely implemented and therefore currently fail to provide adequate protection. The inclusion of such sites in official government statistics can inflate the perception of how much, and how well, the ocean is protected. We outline some of the major challenges to MPA establishment in each country and offer recommendations to increase the number and effectiveness of MPAs in North America.

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“…Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a spatial management tool widely used to sustain living marine resources. MPAs in the CCLME region are established under a number of authorities and differ in their specific objectives, regulations, and levels of protection (Gleason et al 2013); collectively, they cover more than 114,000 square nm and 40% of the US Exclusive Economic Zone (National Marine Protected Areas Center, 2013). Of these, the most restrictive MPAs are designated as fully no-take areas.…”

Section: Management Optionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using integrated, ecosystem-level management to address intensifying ocean acidification and hypoxia in the California Current large marine ecosystem

Klinger

Chornesky

Whiteman³

et al. 2017

Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene

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Ocean acidification is intensifying and hypoxia is projected to expand in the California Current large marine ecosystem as a result of processes associated with the global emission of CO 2 . Observed changes in the California Current outpace those in many other areas of the ocean, underscoring the pressing need to adopt management approaches that can accommodate uncertainty and the complicated dynamics forced by accelerating change. We argue that changes occurring in the California Current large marine ecosystem provide opportunities and incentives to adopt an integrated, systems-level approach to resource management to preserve existing ecosystem services and forestall abrupt change. Practical options already exist to maximize the benefits of management actions and ameliorate impending change in the California Current, for instance, adding ocean acidification and hypoxia to design criteria for marine protected areas, including consideration of ocean acidification and hypoxia in fisheries management decisions, and fully enforcing existing laws and regulations that govern water quality and land use and development.

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Designing a network of marine protected areas in California: Achievements, costs, lessons learned, and challenges ahead

Cited by 95 publications

References 34 publications

Research advances and gaps in marine planning: towards a global database in systematic conservation planning

Research advances and gaps in marine planning: towards a global database in systematic conservation planning

Measuring MPAs in Continental North America: How Well Protected Are the Ocean Estates of Canada, Mexico, and the USA?

Using integrated, ecosystem-level management to address intensifying ocean acidification and hypoxia in the California Current large marine ecosystem

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