...Elizabeth Selig, conservation scientist with Conservation International and the study’s lead author, says corals living in marine protected areas can be just as susceptible to ocean warming as their unprotected neighbors.
“Marine protected areas (MPAs) can protect coral reefs from localized problems, particularly overfishing and terrestrial run-off,” says Selig, who led the study as part of her dissertation in Bruno’s lab.
“However, the magnitude of losses from increased ocean temperatures as a result of climate change seems to be overwhelming these positive effects. This paper suggests that we need to rethink our current planning for MPAs in order to maximize the benefits they can provide.”
Globally, corals reefs are being degraded by a number of factors including overfishing, sedimentation, and rising ocean temperatures due to greenhouse gas emissions, Selig says....
