Conceptual frameworks and key questions for assessing the contribution of marine protected areas to shark and ray conservation.

ABSTRACT: Marine protected areas (MPAs) are key tools in addressing the global decline of sharks and rays, and marine parks and shark sanctuaries of various configurations have been established to conserve shark populations. However, assessments of their efficacy are compromised by inconsistent terminology, lack of standardized approaches to assess how MPAs contribute to shark and ray conservation, and ambiguity about how to integrate movement data in assessment processes. We devised a conceptual framework to standardize key terms (e.g., protection, contribution, potential impact, risk, threat) and used the concept of portfolio risk to identify key attributes of sharks and rays (assets), the threats they face (portfolio risk), and the specific role of MPAs in risk mitigation (insurance). Movement da

SUBMITTER: Chin A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10107163 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature