Action

Designate a Marine Protected Area and prohibit all types of fishing, collecting and access

How is the evidence assessed?
  • Effectiveness
    not assessed
  • Certainty
    not assessed
  • Harms
    not assessed

Study locations

Key messages

  • One study examined the effects on corals of designating a Marine Protected Area and prohibiting all types of fishing, collecting and access. This study was in the Mediterranean.

COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES)

POPULATION RESPONSE (1 STUDY)

  • Condition (1 study): One replicated, site comparison study in the Mediterranean found that in protected areas, Corallium rubrum colonies were larger than in unprotected areas according to some diameter and height measurements, but similar according to others.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

  1. A replicated, site comparison study in 2003–2005 in three sites, with data from an additional 11 sites, off the coasts of France, Spain and Italy (Linares et al. 2010) found that in protected areas that prohibited all fishing, collecting and access, coral Corallium rubrum colonies were larger than in unprotected areas according to some diameter and height measurements, but similar according to others. Results were not tested for statistical significance. Average basal diameter in three protected areas (6–9 mm) was larger than in eight unprotected areas in all comparisons (4–5 mm), and average height (39–74 mm) was larger than in 10 unprotected areas (20–69 mm) in 28 of 30 comparisons. Maximum diameter was similar in protected (17–30 mm) and unprotected areas (7–32 mm), as was maximum height (protected: 150–190 mm, unprotected: 52–200 mm). For the 30 largest colonies at each site, height was larger in protected than in unprotected areas, but diameter was similar, and the percentage of colonies over a given size threshold tended to be larger in protected compared to unprotected areas (see paper for data). Three protected areas were selected, and areas where all activity was prohibited were chosen for sampling. Several transects/area were selected (2 m2 total area) and photographs were taken along transects, placing a 20 × 20 cm quadrat sequentially along the transect (two photographs/quadrat placement). Coral measurements were compared with values from previously published studies from 10 unprotected sites.

    Study and other actions tested
Please cite as:

Thornton A., Morgan, W.H., Bladon E.K., Smith R.K. & Sutherland W.J. (2024) Coral Conservation: Global evidence for the effects of actions. Conservation Evidence Series Synopsis. University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

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Coral Conservation

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Coral Conservation
Coral Conservation

Coral Conservation - Published 2024

Coral synopsis

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