Change detection in a Marine Protected Area (MPA) over three decades on Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean

Published source details Relles N.J., Patterson M.R. & Jones D.O.B. (2019) Change detection in a Marine Protected Area (MPA) over three decades on Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 99, 761-770.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Designate a Marine Protected Area and prohibit/limit recreational activities (including anchoring) Action Link

Designate a Marine Protected Area and prohibit/limit recreational activities (including anchoring)

A replicated, before-and-after, site comparison study in the early 1980s–2009 in four coral reef sites in Bonaire (Relles et al. 2019) found that one of two protected areas that prohibited diving/snorkelling showed an increase in hard coral cover, while the other, and two unprotected sites, showed declines. Results were not tested for statistical significance. The sheltered, protected area had higher hard coral cover and lower number of coral patches after protection (cover: 83%, patches: 3) than before (cover: 66%, patches: 7), but the exposed protected area and both unprotected areas (sheltered and exposed) had lower cover (after: 41–54%, before: 79–90%) and more patches (after: 3–9, before: 0–7) after protection. Authors also reported on other metrics including patch size and connectivity. Two marine reserves were established in 1991 that excluded divers and other underwater visitors. One was exposed to storms and the other was sheltered. Adjacent unprotected sites were also selected, one exposed and one sheltered. In the early 1980s, maps of coral cover were created through aerial photographs and scuba diving surveys. In 2008–2009, satellite images were acquired for the same locations, along with 17 underwater video transects. Habitat was classed as coral (live hard coral cover >20%), or sand (>50% sand) or sand-coral mixture (< 20% hard coral and < 50% sand, where additional cover could include octocorals).

(Summarised by: William Morgan)