<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.18702">
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff><FONT size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=5>
<DIV class=journal-title><FONT size=2>Nature</FONT></DIV>
<DIV class=volume><FONT size=2>Volume: 506<SPAN>, </SPAN>Pages:
216–220</FONT></DIV>
<DIV class=published><FONT size=2>Date published:(13 February
2014)</TIME></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>doi:10.1038/nature13022</FONT></DIV></FONT>
<DIV class=article-heading><FONT size=5></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV class=article-heading><FONT size=5>Global conservation outcomes depend on
marine protected areas with five key features</FONT></DIV>
<DIV class="vcard c1"><A class=name
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140213#auth-1"
jQuery172002690176464577604="87"><SPAN class=fn>Graham J. Edgar</SPAN></A><SPAN
class=comma>,</SPAN><SUP><A
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#a1">1</A></SUP>
<A class=name
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140213#auth-2"
jQuery172002690176464577604="88"><SPAN class=fn>Rick D.
Stuart-Smith</SPAN></A><SPAN class=comma>,</SPAN><SUP><A
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#a1">1</A></SUP>
<A class=name
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140213#auth-3"
jQuery172002690176464577604="89"><SPAN class=fn>Trevor J. Willis</SPAN></A><SPAN
class=comma>,</SPAN><SUP><A
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#a2">2</A></SUP>
<A class=name
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140213#auth-4"
jQuery172002690176464577604="90"><SPAN class=fn>Stuart
Kininmonth</SPAN></A><SPAN class=comma>,</SPAN><SUP><A
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#a1">1</A>,
<A
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#a3">3</A></SUP>
<A class=name
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140213#auth-5"
jQuery172002690176464577604="91"><SPAN class=fn>Susan C. Baker</SPAN></A><SPAN
class=comma>,</SPAN><SUP><A
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#a4">4</A></SUP>
<A class=name
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140213#auth-6"
jQuery172002690176464577604="92"><SPAN class=fn>Stuart Banks</SPAN></A><SPAN
class=comma>,</SPAN><SUP><A
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#a5">5</A></SUP>
<A class=name
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140213#auth-7"
jQuery172002690176464577604="93"><SPAN class=fn>Neville S.
Barrett</SPAN></A><SPAN class=comma>,</SPAN><SUP><A
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#a1">1</A></SUP>
<A class=name
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140213#auth-8"
jQuery172002690176464577604="94"><SPAN class=fn>Mikel A. Becerro</SPAN></A><SPAN
class=comma>,</SPAN><SUP><A
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#a6">6</A></SUP>
<A class=name
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140213#auth-9"
jQuery172002690176464577604="95"><SPAN class=fn>Anthony T. F.
Bernard</SPAN></A><SPAN class=comma>,</SPAN><SUP><A
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#a7">7</A></SUP>
<A class=name
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140213#auth-10"
jQuery172002690176464577604="96"><SPAN class=fn>Just Berkhout</SPAN></A><SPAN
class=comma>,</SPAN><SUP><A
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#a1">1</A></SUP>
<A class=name
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140213#auth-11"
jQuery172002690176464577604="97"><SPAN class=fn>Colin D. Buxton</SPAN></A><SPAN
class=comma>,</SPAN><SUP><A
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#a1">1</A></SUP>
<A class=name
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140213#auth-12"
jQuery172002690176464577604="98"><SPAN class=fn>Stuart J.
Campbell</SPAN></A><SPAN class=comma>,</SPAN><SUP><A
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#a8">8</A></SUP>
<A class=name
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140213#auth-13"
jQuery172002690176464577604="99"><SPAN class=fn>Antonia T.
Cooper</SPAN></A><SPAN class=comma>,</SPAN><SUP><A
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#a1">1</A></SUP>
<A class=name
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140213#auth-14"
jQuery172002690176464577604="100"><SPAN class=fn>Marlene Davey</SPAN></A><SPAN
class=comma>,</SPAN><SUP><A
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#a1">1</A></SUP>
<A class=name
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140213#auth-15"
jQuery172002690176464577604="101"><SPAN class=fn>Sophie C. Edgar</SPAN></A><SPAN
class=comma>,</SPAN><SUP><A
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#a9">9</A></SUP>
<A class=name
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140213#auth-16"
jQuery172002690176464577604="102"><SPAN class=fn>Günter
Försterra</SPAN></A><SPAN class=comma>,</SPAN><SUP><A
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#a10">10</A></SUP>
<A class=name
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140213#auth-17"
jQuery172002690176464577604="103"><SPAN class=fn>David E. Galván</SPAN></A><SPAN
class=comma>,</SPAN><SUP><A
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#a11">11</A></SUP>
<A class=name
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140213#auth-18"
jQuery172002690176464577604="104"><SPAN class=fn>Alejo J.
Irigoyen</SPAN></A><SPAN class=comma>,</SPAN><SUP><A
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#a11">11</A></SUP>
<A class=name
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140213#auth-19"
jQuery172002690176464577604="105"><SPAN class=fn>David J.
Kushner</SPAN></A><SPAN class=comma>,</SPAN><SUP><A
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#a12">12</A></SUP>
<A class=name
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140213#auth-20"
jQuery172002690176464577604="106"><SPAN class=fn>Rodrigo Moura</SPAN></A><SPAN
class=comma>,</SPAN><SUP><A
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#a13">13</A></SUP>
<A class=name
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140213#auth-21"
jQuery172002690176464577604="107"><SPAN class=fn>P. Ed Parnell</SPAN></A><SPAN
class=comma>,</SPAN><SUP><A
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#a14">14</A></SUP>
<A class=name
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140213#auth-22"
jQuery172002690176464577604="108"><SPAN class=fn>Nick T. Shears</SPAN></A><SPAN
class=comma>,</SPAN><SUP><A
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#a15">15</A></SUP>
<A class=name
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140213#auth-23"
jQuery172002690176464577604="109"><SPAN class=fn>German Soler</SPAN></A><SPAN
class=comma>,</SPAN><SUP><A
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#a1">1</A></SUP>
<A class=name
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140213#auth-24"
jQuery172002690176464577604="110"><SPAN class=fn>Elisabeth M. A.
Strain</SPAN></A><SUP><A
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#a16">16</A></SUP>
<SPAN>& </SPAN><A class=name
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140213#auth-25"
jQuery172002690176464577604="111"><SPAN class=fn>Russell J.
Thomson</SPAN></A><SUP><A
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#a1">1</A></SUP>
</DIV>
<DIV class=first>1 Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of
Tasmania, GPO Box 252-49, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia 2 Institute of Marine
Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Ferry Road,
Portsmouth PO4 9LY, UK 3 Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University,
Kräftriket 2B, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden 4 School of Plant Science, University
of Tasmania, GPO Box 252, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia 5 Charles Darwin
Foundation, Puerto Ayora, Galapagos, Ecuador 6 The Bites Lab, Natural
Products and Agrobiology Institute (IPNA-CSIC), 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
7 Elwandle Node, South African Environmental Observation network, Private Bag
1015, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa 8 Wildlife Conservation Society, Indonesia
Marine Program, Jalan Atletik No. 8, Bogor Jawa Barat 16151, Indonesia
9 Department of Water, Perth, Western Australia 6000, Australia
10 Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Escuela de Ciencias del Mar, Pontificia
Universidad Catolica de Valpara<SPAN class=mb>ı</SPAN>so, Valpara<SPAN
class=mb>ı</SPAN>so, Chile 11 Centro Nacional Patagonico, Consejo Nacional
de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas, Bvd Brown 2915, 9120 Puerto Madryn,
Argentina 12 Channel Islands National Park, United States National Park
Service, 1901 Spinnaker Dr., Ventura, California 93001, USA 13 Instituto de
Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho 373,
Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil 14 Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San
Diego, Mail Code 0227, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, California 92093-0227, USA 15
Leigh Marine Laboratory, University of Auckland, 160 Goat Island Road, Leigh
0985, New Zealand 16 Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche ed
Ambientali, Università di Bologna, Via San Alberto, Ravenna 163-48123,
Italy</DIV><A
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140213#corres-auth"
jQuery172002690176464577604="35"></A>
<DL class=citation>
<DT><FONT size=3>In line with global targets agreed under the Convention on
Biological Diversity, the number of marine protected areas (MPAs) is
increasing rapidly, yet socio-economic benefits generated by MPAs remain
difficult to predict and under debate<SUP><A id=ref-link-5
title="Hilborn, R., Micheli, F. & De Leo, G. A. Integrating marine protected areas with catch regulation. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 63, 642-649 (2006)"
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#ref1">1</A>,
<A id=ref-link-6
title="Gell, F. R. & Roberts, C. M. Benefits beyond boundaries: the fishery effects of marine reserves. Trends Ecol. Evol. 18, 448-455 (2003)"
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#ref2">2</A></SUP>.
MPAs often fail to reach their full potential as a consequence of factors such
as illegal harvesting, regulations that legally allow detrimental harvesting,
or emigration of animals outside boundaries because of continuous habitat or
inadequate size of reserve<SUP><A id=ref-link-7
title="Edgar, G. J. Does the global network of marine protected areas provide an adequate safety net for marine biodiversity? Aquat. Conserv. 21, 313-316 (2011)"
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#ref3">3</A>,
<A id=ref-link-8
title="Mora, C. et al. Coral reefs and the global network of Marine Protected Areas. Science 312, 1750-1751 (2006)"
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#ref4">4</A>,
<A id=ref-link-9
title="Babcock, R. C. et al. Decadal trends in marine reserves reveal differential rates of change in direct and indirect effects. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 107, 18256-18261 (2010)"
href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v506/n7487/full/nature13022.html#ref5">5</A></SUP>.
Here we show that the conservation benefits of 87 MPAs investigated worldwide
increase exponentially with the accumulation of five key features: no take,
well enforced, old (>10 years), large (>100<SPAN class=mb><SPAN
class=mb> </SPAN></SPAN>km<SUP>2</SUP>), and isolated by deep water or sand.
Using effective MPAs with four or five key features as an unfished standard,
comparisons of underwater survey data from effective MPAs with predictions
based on survey data from fished coasts indicate that total fish biomass has
declined about two-thirds from historical baselines as a result of fishing.
Effective MPAs also had twice as many large (>250<SPAN class=mb><SPAN
class=mb> </SPAN></SPAN>mm total length) fish species per transect, five times
more large fish biomass, and fourteen times more shark biomass than fished
areas. Most (59%) of the MPAs studied had only one or two key features and
were not ecologically distinguishable from fished sites. Our results show that
global conservation targets based on area alone will not optimize protection
of marine biodiversity. More emphasis is needed on better MPA design, durable
management and compliance to ensure that MPAs achieve their desired
conservation value.</FONT></DT></DL></FONT></BODY></HTML>