[...]... management tools, explore the feasibility of implementation, and assess the scientific basis and adequacy of techniques for designing marine reserves and protected areas This report presents the findings of the study and provides recommendations for the application of marine reserves and protected areas as a tool in marine area management 4 MARINE PROTECTED AREAS: TOOLS FOR SUSTAINING OCEAN ECOSYSTEMS. .. to conserve marine species Marine and terrestrial ecosystems differ in that marine ecosystems are relatively open, while terrestrial ecosystems have more discrete boundaries As a consequence, migration and dispersal of organisms in various life stages are more characteristic of marine ecosystems Other dissimilarities originate from 17 18 MARINE PROTECTED AREAS: TOOLS FOR SUSTAINING OCEAN ECOSYSTEMS. .. costs and benefits, and need for stakeholder involvement in identifying goals and establishing management plans for MPAs and reserves Chapter 5 presents both the theoretical arguments and the empirical evidence for marine reserves in the form of a litera- 16 MARINE PROTECTED AREAS: TOOLS FOR SUSTAINING OCEAN ECOSYSTEMS ture review Planning and design are critical steps for successful establishment... the IUCN classification makes it impractical for quick reference to the more general goals of MPAs described in this report Therefore, the committee defined a simplified list of terms for the various types of protected areas, listed here in order of increasing levels of protection: 12 MARINE PROTECTED AREAS: TOOLS FOR SUSTAINING OCEAN ECOSYSTEMS • Marine Protected Area—a discrete geographic area that... defined methods for protecting vulnerable ocean habitats and conserving marine species, especially marine reserves and protected areas Based on evidence from existing marine area closures in both temperate and tropical regions, marine reserves and protected areas will be effective tools for addressing conservation needs as part of integrated coastal and marine area management MANAGING MARINE RESOURCES... in the United States to solve some of the pressing problems in marine management 1 2 MARINE PROTECTED AREAS: TOOLS FOR SUSTAINING OCEAN ECOSYSTEMS RECOGNIZING THE LIMITS The ocean inspires awe; its vast expanse of water spans most of the earth’s surface and fills the deep basins between continents From the surface, the ocean appears uniform and limitless, seemingly too immense to feel the impacts of... capacity for one site to “seed” another location through the dispersal of either adults or larvae to ensure the persistence and maintenance of genetic diversity for the resident protected species Sites that meet the ecological and oceanographic criteria must also be evaluated with respect to the patterns of stakeholder use in those areas Site identifi- 6 MARINE PROTECTED AREAS: TOOLS FOR SUSTAINING OCEAN ECOSYSTEMS. .. considered to stem the damage and ensure that marine ecosystems and their unique features are protected and restored In this regard, marine reserves and protected areas are more often proposed as major tools to relieve stress on marine resources and ecosystems This report evaluates the use of protected areas and reserves for the conservation of living marine resources, and makes recommendations on... facilitate rigorous ex- 8 MARINE PROTECTED AREAS: TOOLS FOR SUSTAINING OCEAN ECOSYSTEMS amination of the hypotheses concerning marine reserve design and implementation Research in reserves could provide estimates for important parameters in fishery models such as natural mortality rates and dispersal properties of larval, juvenile, and adult fish Other research programs could test marine reserve design... The adequacy of current efforts to use marine protected areas and reserves is assessed both as a management approach for restoring declining fish stocks and as a tool for conserving marine biological diversity This report recommends ways to improve the implementation of marine protected areas and reserves, and identifies future research that could assist in implementing these tools more effectively STUDY . pressing problems in marine management. 2 MARINE PROTECTED AREAS: TOOLS FOR SUSTAINING OCEAN ECOSYSTEMS RECOGNIZING THE LIMITS The ocean inspires awe; its. Administrative Associate The Ocean Studies Board (OSB) is pleased to present this report, Marine Protected Areas: Tools for Sustaining Ocean Ecosystems. It represents