Marine Management Area Science

Project scientists and conservation partners develop and agree on a detailed work plan for each study before the research begins. The work plan describes the objectives, methods, research team, conservation partners, target audiences, capacity-building efforts, anticipated conservation impacts, anticipated peer-reviewed articles and anticipated Science-to-Action products.

Click links below to download PDF versions of work plans.

Management Effectiveness

1. Global analysis of MMA effectiveness
1. Phase 1 (PDF - 558 KB)
2. Phase 2 (PDF - 1 MB)
2. Decision-support tool to predict MMA effectiveness
1. Panama (PDF - 455 KB)
2. Global and Belize (PDF - 978 KB)
3. Core ecological monitoring
1. Belize (PDF - 165 KB)
2. Brazil (PDF - 356 KB)
3. Fiji (PDF - 182 KB)
4. Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape (PDF - 376 KB)
4. Core socioeconomic and governance monitoring
1. Belize (PDF - 117 KB)
2. Brazil (PDF - 322 KB)
3. Fiji (PDF - 233 KB)
4. Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape-Panama (PDF - 251 KB)
5. Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape-Ecuador (PDF - 125 KB)
5. Ecological effects of no-take MMAs in the Philippines (PDF - 68 KB)
6. Diagnostic system for ecosystem health
7. Advanced biosensors
   1. Genomic and molecular assays for identifying environmental stress (PDF - 235 KB)
   2. Rapid microbial monitoring of reef health (PDF - 229 KB)
8. Extinction resistance (PDF - 71 KB)

Connectivity

1. Connectivity between shallow- and deep-water conch populations (PDF - 84 KB)
2. Modeling larval dispersal of reef-dwelling species (PDF - 89 KB)
3. Habitats used by reef-dwelling species during early life stages
1. Belize (PDF - 138 KB)
2. Brazil (PDF - 159 KB)
4. Genetic linkages among coral and fish populations in Fiji (PDF - 232 KB)
5. Do MMAs in Hawaii replenish populations of fish living outside? (PDF - 297 KB)
6. Importance of habitats between coral reefs
1. Belize (PDF - 197 KB)
2. Brazil (PDF - 1 MB)
7. Locations of multi-species spawning aggregations

Climate Change Adaptation

1. Potential for MMAs to boost corals’ resilience to stresses associated with climate change
1. Bahamas (PDF - 311 KB)
2. University of Miami (PDF - 117 KB)
2. Resilience and status of coral reefs after a major bleaching event (PDF - 243 KB)

Economic, Social and Cultural Significance of Marine Resources

1. Economic values of goods and services associated with MMAs
1. Belize (PDf - 129 KB)
2. Brazil (PDF - 100 KB)
3. Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape-Panama (PDF - 239 KB)
4. Fiji (PDF - 274 KB)
2. Cultural roles of goods and services associated with MMAs
1. Belize (PDF - 67 KB)
2. Brazil (PDF - 61 KB)
3. Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape-Panama (PDF - 119 KB)
4. Fiji (PDF - 250 KB)
3. Global socioeconomic conditions of MMAs (PDF - 85 KB)

Balance of Conservation and Economic Development

1. Analysis of economic incentives in MMAs around the world (PDF - 72 KB)
2. Ecotourism effects on spawning fish in Belize (PDF - 108 KB)
3. MMA cost effectiveness (PDF - 68 KB)

1. Analysis of MMA enforcement and recommendations for improvement in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape (PDF - 383 KB)