Does the global network of marine protected areas provide an adequate safety net for marine biodiversity?

The global network of marine protected areas (MPAs) remains insufficient to adequately safeguard marine biodiversity, despite recent expansions such as those around the Phoenix Islands and Chagos Archipelago. Currently, less than 1% of the world's oceans is covered by MPAs, with only a fraction (<0.001%) designated as 'no-entry' zones, which offer the highest level of protection. A critical gap exists in empirical research addressing whether existing MPAs effectively benefit threatened species, with a stark imbalance in research focus—only 23 papers (largely reviews) mention threatened species compared to 951 on fisheries, highlighting a lack of field-based studies specifically targeting endangered marine species.

Edgar, G. J. (2011). Does the global network of marine protected areas provide an adequate safety net for marine biodiversity? Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 21(4), 313–316. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.1187