Marine reserves are areas of the sea where fishing is not allowed. They provide refuges where populations of exploited species can recover and habitats modified by fishing can regenerate. In some places, closed areas have been used for fisheries management for centuries [1] and, until recently, natural refugia also existed, inaccessible through depth, distance or adverse conditions. Developments in technology have left few areas of fishing interest beyond our reach. Recently, the idea of marine reserves as fisheries management tools has re-emerged with developing interest in ecosystembased management, and observations of incidental fisheries benefits from reserves established for conservation. In light of new evidence, we argue that, by integrating large-scale networks of marine reserves into fishery management, we could reverse global fishery declines and provide urgently needed protection for marine species and their habitats.Marine reserves are predicted to benefit adjacent fisheries through two mechanisms: net emigration of adults and juveniles across borders, termed 'spillover', and export of pelagic eggs and larvae. Inside reserves, populations increase in size, and individuals live longer, grow larger and develop increased reproductive potential [2]. Enhanced production of eggs and larvae inside reserves is predicted to lead to net export and increased settlement of juvenile animals outside the boundaries.Using marine reserves for fisheries management is controversial. Critics argue that most commercial species are too mobile to benefit, that marine reserves are only appropriate in very specific cases (usually small-scale tropical fisheries) and that it is too risky to implement them on a larger scale until we have more and stronger experimental proof of their efficacy (Box 1). Fishers worry that reducing fishing grounds will decrease catches and increase travelling time. They are also cynical about the levels of compliance to closed-area regulations that can realistically be expected.Until recently, most insights into reserve function came from theoretical research. However, empirical evidence is increasing and demonstrations of effects outside reserve boundaries are emerging from a wide range of habitats and fisheries. Here, we examine this new body of evidence, and ask what we can expect of well managed reserves. To do this, we focus on reserves that have been effectively enforced for at least five years, and draw upon studies of more limited fisheries closures that provide insight into Box 1. Improving studies of marine reserves Some scientists question many of the findings that we discuss here. They point out, rightly, that most studies of reserves employ designs that cannot unequivocally deliver a verdict on whether they work. Many compare a single reserve with one or more control sites. Because in some cases (but certainly not all), reserves were chosen because they have good quality habitats, this leaves open the possibility that differences detected are habitat rather than protection effects. Sim...