Effects of marine protected areas under different management regimes in a hot spot of biodiversity and cumulative impacts from SW Atlantic

Author(s):Show less -

Motta, Fabio S. ^[1] ; Moura, Rodrigo L. ^{[2, 3]} ; Neves, Leonardo M. ^[4] ; Souza, Gabriel R. S. ^[5] ; Gibran, Fernando Z. ^[6] ; Francini, Carlo L. ^[7] ; Shintate, I, Gustavo ; Rolim, Fernanda A. ^[8] ; Marconi, Marina ^[8] ; Giglio, Vinicius J. ^[8] ; Pereira-Filho, Guilherme H. ^[8]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Fed Sao Paulo UNIFESP, Inst Mar, Lab Ecol & Conservacao Marinha LABECMar, Rua Dr Carvalho de Mendonca 144, BR-11070100 Santos, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed Rio de Janeiro, Inst Biol, CT-2, Rua Moniz de Aragao 360, Bl 2 Ilha Fundao, BR-21941972 Rio De Janeiro, RJ - Brazil

^[3] Univ Fed Rio de Janeiro, SAGE COPPE, CT-2, Rua Moniz de Aragao 360, Bl 2 Ilha Fundao, BR-21941972 Rio De Janeiro, RJ - Brazil

^[4] Univ Fed Rural Rio de Janeiro, Dept Ciencias Meio Ambiente, Av Pref Alberto da Silva Lavinas 1847, BR-25802100 Tres Rios, RJ - Brazil

^[5] Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias, Praca Infante Dom Henrique S-N, Parque Bitaru, BR-11330900 Sao Vicente, SP - Brazil

^[6] Univ Fed ABC, Ctr Ciencias Nat & Humanas, Rua Arcturus 03, BR-09606070 Sao Bernardo Do Campo, SP - Brazil

^[7] Inst Laje Viva, Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[8] Shintate, Gustavo, I, Univ Fed Sao Paulo UNIFESP, Inst Mar, Lab Ecol & Conservacao Marinha LABECMar, Rua Dr Carvalho de Mendonca 144, BR-11070100 Santos, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: REGIONAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE; v. 47, SEP 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 1

Abstract

Marine protected areas (MPAs) represent a useful tool for resource management, as well as to conserve and/or restore biological communities. The level of protection is key factor influencing the marine biodiversity, where a more enforced protection is expected to drive positive outcomes. In 2008, a large MPAs network (-11,380 km(2)) was established in one of off the most populated and industrialized areas in the world (i.e., Sao Paulo State coast, southeast Brazil). Given many goods and services provided by marine ecosystems, this MPA network represents the most challenging marine conservation initiative in Brazil. Harboring areas with different socio-ecological contexts and management regimes, this MPA network provides a unique opportunity to investigate the effects of cumulative impacts. We contrasted the biomass and size structure of reef fish in three subtropical islands under different levels of enforcement. We analyzed the influence of variables as island size, benthic cover, depth, topographic complexity, wave exposure, and protection level on the biomass of reef fish assemblages. Protection level was the main attribute responsible to explain the high biomass of fish target species and small territorial herbivores. In sites sheltered from the waves, the biomass of groupers was -1600% higher within enforced area than that from open-access area. Beyond the idea of positive effects of enforcement on reef fish biomass and size, we add evidences that even under multiple stressors, the area-based management is still a strong tool to marine conservation. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 17/22273-0 - Ecological effects of recreational diving in subtropical marine protected areas
• Grantee: Vinicius Jose Giglio Fernandes
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 19/19423-5 - Science applied to public use management and knowledge boundaries of Marine Protected Areas: from visitors' experience to biodiversity of subtropical mesophotic reefs
• Grantee: Fabio dos Santos Motta
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Regular Research Grants