Tempering Expectations of Recovery for Previously Exploited Populations in a Fully Protected Marine Reserve

Despite decades of protection within the fully protected Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, previously overharvested species such as monk seals, pearl oysters, and two lobster species have shown limited recovery. This study challenges the expectation that marine reserves alone can rapidly restore exploited populations to pre-exploitation levels. Researchers analyzed these cases, identifying factors like Allee effects, interspecific interactions, time lags, and large-scale climate changes as potential barriers to recovery. The findings suggest that overfishing may lead to irreversible losses in biodiversity and ecosystem function, leaving managers with difficult choices: waiting for slow recovery, active restoration, or accepting a less desirable alternate state.

Schultz, J. K., O’Malley, J. M., Kehn, E. E., Polovina, J. J., Parrish, F. A., & Kosaki, R. K. (2011). Tempering Expectations of Recovery for Previously Exploited Populations in a Fully Protected Marine Reserve. Journal of Marine Biology, 2011, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1155/2011/749131