Advancing the design and management of marine protected areas by quantifying the benefits of coastal ecosystems for communities
Katie K. Arkema, Laurel C. Field, Laura K. Nelson, Natalie C. Ban, Cailene Gunn, Sarah E. Lester
Abstract
Coastal ecosystems and the benefits they provide to people are at risk from a changing climate and increasing human activities. Marine protected areas (MPAs) serve as a widely used conservation tool, and research on MPAs has recently expanded from a traditional focus on ecological outcomes to the inclusion of ecosystem services. However, the extent to which quantitative assessment of ecosystem services has informed MPA design and management remains unclear. In this review, we aim to understand the literature on societal benefits of coastal ecosystems within MPAs. We find that only a third of the papers quantify societal benefits and tend to focus on cultural and provisioning services while neglecting regulating services and health metrics. Furthermore, a subset of habitats (e.g., corals, mangroves) have received the greatest attention. Studies rarely evaluate ecosystem services to inform specific management strategies or options for MPA siting, monitoring, and financing. Our results suggest that comprehensively quantifying social-ecological relationships could help to advance MPA science and practice, fostering coastal resilience.