Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation

The exotic coral reefs of the Abrolhos Bank are a valuable source of goods and services for many Brazilians. The Abrolhos coral reefs are home to the most productive reef fisheries on the entire Brazilian coast and attract tourists each year with their natural beauty. Yet in the last fifty years, commercial fishing has replaced artisanal fishing, the Atlantic forest cover has vanished, and oil and gas exploration has begun. A network of marine protected areas (MPAs) is an achievable and effective solution to protect this coral reef ecosystem before the sustainability of the local fisheries and tourism industry are compromised. This study identifies gaps in knowledge about Abrolhos coral reef ecosystem and provides a much needed framework for the collection and analysis of data essential for MPA network design including identifying threats, understanding the factors that maintain coral reef resilience, determining methods for monitoring MPA success, and identifying obstacles to establishing MPAs.