Protecting the global ocean for biodiversity, food and climate

Enric Sala (), Juan Mayorga, Darcy Bradley, Reniel B. Cabral, Trisha B. Atwood, Arnaud Auber, William Cheung, Christopher Costello, Francesco Ferretti, Alan M. Friedlander, Steven D. Gaines, Cristina Garilao, Whitney Goodell, Benjamin S. Halpern, Audra Hinson, Kristin Kaschner, Kathleen Kesner-Reyes, Fabien Leprieur, Jennifer McGowan, Lance E. Morgan, David Mouillot, Juliano Palacios-Abrantes, Hugh P. Possingham, Kristin D. Rechberger, Boris Worm and Jane Lubchenco
Additional contact information
Enric Sala: Pristine Seas, National Geographic Society
Juan Mayorga: Pristine Seas, National Geographic Society
Darcy Bradley: University of California Santa Barbara
Reniel B. Cabral: University of California Santa Barbara
Trisha B. Atwood: Utah State University
Arnaud Auber: IFREMER, Unité Halieutique de Manche et Mer du Nord
William Cheung: The University of British Columbia
Christopher Costello: University of California Santa Barbara
Francesco Ferretti: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Alan M. Friedlander: Pristine Seas, National Geographic Society
Steven D. Gaines: University of California Santa Barbara
Cristina Garilao: GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
Whitney Goodell: Pristine Seas, National Geographic Society
Benjamin S. Halpern: University of California
Audra Hinson: Utah State University
Kristin Kaschner: Albert Ludwigs University
Kathleen Kesner-Reyes: Quantitative Aquatics
Fabien Leprieur: MARBEC, Université de Montpellier
Jennifer McGowan: The Nature Conservancy
Lance E. Morgan: Marine Conservation Institute
David Mouillot: MARBEC, Université de Montpellier
Juliano Palacios-Abrantes: The University of British Columbia
Hugh P. Possingham: The University of Queensland
Kristin D. Rechberger: Dynamic Planet
Boris Worm: Dalhousie University
Jane Lubchenco: Oregon State University

Nature, 2021, vol. 592, issue 7854, 397-402

Abstract: Abstract The ocean contains unique biodiversity, provides valuable food resources and is a major sink for anthropogenic carbon. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are an effective tool for restoring ocean biodiversity and ecosystem services1,2, but at present only 2.7% of the ocean is highly protected3. This low level of ocean protection is due largely to conflicts with fisheries and other extractive uses. To address this issue, here we developed a conservation planning framework to prioritize highly protected MPAs in places that would result in multiple benefits today and in the future. We find that a substantial increase in ocean protection could have triple benefits, by protecting biodiversity, boosting the yield of fisheries and securing marine carbon stocks that are at risk from human activities. Our results show that most coastal nations contain priority areas that can contribute substantially to achieving these three objectives of biodiversity protection, food provision and carbon storage. A globally coordinated effort could be nearly twice as efficient as uncoordinated, national-level conservation planning. Our flexible prioritization framework could help to inform both national marine spatial plans4 and global targets for marine conservation, food security and climate action.

Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (26)

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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03371-z

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