How effective are MPAs? Predation control and 'spill-in effects' in seagrass-coral reef lagoons under contrasting fishery management

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are heavily promoted as a panacea for marine conservation, but lagging and sometimes idiosyncratic protection effects bring their overall effectiveness into question. In Kenyan lagoons, seagrass overgrazing by the sea urchin Tripneustes gratilla has been linked to removal of predators, but overgrazing has also been observed within well-protected MPAs. In this study we investigated the effectiveness of Kenyan MPAs in facilitating predation control over sea urchins, particularly T gratilla, in relation to system (seagrass or coral reef), distance to reefs, and seagr... Mehr ...