Fully-protected marine reserves: a guide

Abstract

Life in the sea is diverse, exciting, good to eat and provides a myriad of services to humanity, many of which we barely even comprehend. However, human activities now pose serious threats to the oceans’ biodiversity and their capacity to support productive fisheries, recreation, water purification and other services we take for granted. These threats come at a time when we still know little about the life that exists in the sea. Even species we have been catching and eating for hundreds of years such as cod, tuna or halibut, have unknown secrets. We think we know enough to catch plenty today and still have enough left over for tomorrow. Then a fishery collapses, proving that in the sea, just as on land, humans can decimate animals which once had hugely abundant populations. If we do this to species we are supposed to be managing for our own benefit, what are the prospects for small, or deep-sea living creatures that have yet to be discovered? How safe is anything from the pollution, over fishing and habitat destruction we inflict on the sea? We desperately need new approaches to better manage the oceans. A growing number of people now believe there is a way to conserve marine biodiversity, restore dwindling fish stocks, promote sustainable tourism and safeguard ecosystem integrity.