Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a key strategy to conserve ocean ecosystems around the globe. Like terrestrial protected areas, MPAs are most effective when they create a network, rather than act in isolation. However, in reality they are often managed as individual units, in part because connectivity between them remains unstudied, unknown, or nonexistent. This makes them less effective in reaching globally recognized conservation goals.
Well-connected MPAs benefit large migratory species in particular, including whales, seals, and turtles. Many of these species use or inhabit regions that are historically data-poor, despite the high levels of biodiversity that exist there. This lack of knowledge about marine connectivity, especially in under-studied areas, means that there is still a lot to learn about how to protect some of the most critical members of the marine ecosystem.
A new study steps into this gap by focusing on green turtles that inhabit the regional network of MPAs off the coast of West Africa named RAMPAO. The region hosts one of the largest green turtle nesting populations in the world and includes over two dozen MPAs. Researchers tagged 45 female turtles and tracked each of them for several months on average to determine where and how far they moved during nesting and foraging periods.
They found that the tracked turtles spent most of their time during nesting and foraging periods inside the MPA network. However, only 21% of key migration corridors were within MPA boundaries, leaving the majority of migratory movements outside of protected waters. These corridors, many of which are close to shore and face pressure from local fishing activities, are important connections between nesting and foraging sites, which can be over 1,000 km apart. Protecting these routes as part of the MPA network could help ensure that green turtle populations remain safe during long-distance movements.
In general, there are several ways to design and manage MPAs that could boost their effectiveness and help reach global conservation goals. Creating mobile boundaries that allow for dynamic protections and connections could diminish the impacts of climate change. Incorporating more measures of biodiversity or larval movement patterns could lead to better overall designs. In addition, there are several guides for how to create and support effective MPAs, such as the IUCN CCSG Marine Connectivity Working Group’s Guide to Marine Connectivity Policy and Marine Connectivity Conservation ‘Rules of Thumb’ for MPA and MPA Network Design. Guidelines set by the CBD’s Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework highlight critical conservation targets, and increasing connectivity between MPAs could help reach these goals.
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