A Meta-Analysis of the Value of Marine Protected Areas for Pelagic Apex Predators

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) can conserve biodiversity and, under some circumstances, increase fishery yields. Despite the importance of predators to ecosystem function, few studies have addressed the efficacy of MPAs for pelagic apex predator species. We analyzed data from the Hawaii-based deep-set and US Atlantic pelagic longline fisheries to assess fishing effort and the catch and size of pelagic apex predator species around five different MPAs in the United States. Only two of the five MPAs benefited fisheries for the pelagic apex predator species that we selected: the DeSoto Canyon and East Florida Coast MPAs, both in the Atlantic Ocean. The size of yellowfin tuna around the DeSoto Canyon MPA borders has increased over time, as has fishing effort. In contrast, the size of swordfish has decreased near the boundary of the East Florida Coast MPA, although the catch of swordfish has increased. The increase in catch of smaller swordfish near the boundary of the East Florida Coast MPA reflects the importance of this nursery habitat for swordfish. These results show promise for the use of traditional MPAs for the conservation of pelagic apex predators and may provide insight into how to best design new MPAs for pelagic apex predators.