Clausius Ella, Edgar Graham J, Phillips Genevieve A C, Mellin Camille, Oh Elizabeth, Stuart-Smith Rick
University of Tasmania Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
Centre for Marine Socioecology & Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
Proc Biol Sci. 2025 Jul;292(2050):20242708. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2024.2708. Epub 2025 Jul 9.
Well-designed and managed marine protected areas (MPAs) can have positive outcomes for reef biodiversity, but their effectiveness for conservation outcomes is also influenced by local environmental and anthropogenic factors. To assess the importance of local factors on MPA effectiveness, we compared field-collected data on total reef fish biomass from 922 sites inside and outside a network of 49 MPAs across temperate Australia using modelled predictions of biomass based on local biogenic habitat, physical environment and anthropogenic factors. We found fish biomass was 34% greater in fully protected MPAs in temperate Australia than predicted if they were openly fished, whereas biomass in partially protected MPAs was equivalent to fished sites. Local biogenic habitat and physical environmental features significantly shaped shallow reef biomass across large spatial scales but their effects did not differ between fished and fully protected MPA sites, providing reassurance that regional habitat change inside and outside MPAs will not greatly affect relative effect sizes. These findings affirm the role of fishing in shaping fish biomass on shallow reefs across broad spatial scales and underscore the importance of strict protection from fishing. Strategic MPA design and management should consider local conditions to refine expectations, optimize fish biomass recovery and enhance conservation outcomes.
设计良好且管理得当的海洋保护区（MPA）能够对珊瑚礁生物多样性产生积极影响，但其保护成效也会受到当地环境和人为因素的影响。为了评估当地因素对MPA成效的重要性，我们利用基于当地生物源栖息地、物理环境和人为因素的生物量模型预测，比较了从澳大利亚温带地区49个MPA网络内外922个站点实地收集的珊瑚礁鱼类总生物量数据。我们发现，澳大利亚温带地区完全受保护的MPA中的鱼类生物量比开放捕捞情况下的预测值高34%，而部分受保护的MPA中的生物量与捕捞区域相当。当地生物源栖息地和物理环境特征在大空间尺度上显著影响着浅海珊瑚礁生物量，但在捕捞区域和完全受保护的MPA站点之间其影响并无差异，这让人放心，即MPA内外的区域栖息地变化不会对相对效应大小产生太大影响。这些发现证实了捕捞在广泛空间尺度上对浅海珊瑚礁鱼类生物量形成的作用，并强调了严格禁止捕捞的重要性。战略性MPA设计和管理应考虑当地条件，以完善预期、优化鱼类生物量恢复并提高保护成效。
