Hugh Bollinger / Saturday, August 13, 2011

Marine reserve proves the promise

Marine reserves were a novel idea when they were pioneered on North America's West Coast two decades ago. Now protected zones have been established around the world. Conservation results vary but one reserve in Mexico has proved their promise in spades. The basic idea behind marine reserves is that they are a designated area of ocean-- based on scientific analysis --where fishing is banned and the natural ability of the marine environment is allowed to restore itself. As fish populations increase they naturally migrate out from the reserve to populate adjacent depleted areas where commercial and recreational fishing is permitted. Researchers from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography have now confirmed amazing results of just how fast a marine ecosystem can recover when fishing pressure has been removed. Very important for success is having local communities totally buy-in to the process. The marine reserve Scripps analyzed is at Cabo Pulmo National Park in Baja California. Their encouraging results vastly differ from what typically are "horror stories" from the oceans. The results of the Scripps research on increases in fish biomass is being published by the Public Library of Science (PLoS). As one researcher commented: "We could have never dreamt of such an extraordinary recovery of marine life at Cabo Pulmo. In 1999 there were only medium-sized fishes, but ten years later it is full of large parrotfish, groupers, snappers and even sharks." A short video from the Mexican reserve proves his point:

Cabo Pulmo Marine Reserve from Gulf Program on Vimeo.

Marine reserves should be further expanded everywhere to reproduce the astonishing results at Cabo Pulmo. Dive masters, sports fisherman, marine ecologists-- pay attention! WHB

Ivory fires...what a loss Fire & Ice

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Tags: ocean fisheries environmental restoration ocean conservation marine ecology Cabo Pulmo National Park marine reserves Scripps Institute of Oceanography

Marine reserve proves the promise

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