Do marine protected areas protect shallow coral reef systems? A resilience-based management approach in Tropical Southwestern Atlantic reefs

Adequate methods to evaluate the extension of global and local damage on coral reefs, and to minimize it, are urgent. The Tropical Southwestern Atlantic reefs are partially protected by Marine Protected Areas (MPA) that apply spatial zoning as a management strategy. A resilience-based management approach was used to evaluate the effectiveness of no-take areas in improving reef resilience, inside the largest coastal MPA of Brazil. Ecological indicators were used to calculate resilience scores, to test the hypothesis that no-take reefs present higher resilience than tourism reefs. Score values indicated medium–high resilience for both. Despite the similar values, the contribution of the indicators to the score varied between reefs. Herbivorous fish biomass was the main indicator influencing higher scores. Management through spatial zoning and the compliance of this regulation raised the resilience of coral reefs. The main management actions recommended are the creation of no-take areas in coastal habitats such as mangroves and seagrass beds.