Communicating for Success - Ensuring MPA's are valued

Abstract

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are one of the most effective tools we have established to promote conservation and diversity in the ocean today. From the clear blue reefs of the Caribbean to the icy waters of the Arctic, MPAs have made a proven difference. In a recent study, scientists explicitly identified five key features of successful MPAs: No-take reserve, well Enforced, Old, Large, and Isolated (NEOLI). The more of these features an MPA encompasses, the more successful it is. Of the MPAs with all five NEOLI features, there is a "224% increase in fish biomass; over 800% increase in large fish, grouper, and jack biomass; and a nearly 2000% increase in shark biomass, however less than 5% of the MPAs in this study had all 5 features." These statistics provide a source of encouragement that MPAs work and a sense of urgency to make them even more effective. One of the most fundamental tools that managers can use to incite such change is strategic communication.