Examining the Role of MPAs in Ecosystem-Based Management, and Vice Versa: Five Examples

In the marine realm, the rising popularity in recent years of the concept of ecosystem-based management — or, alternatively, ecosystem approaches to management — has been swift, with management organizations at multiple levels endorsing it worldwide. The concept involves applying a holistic approach to resource management rather than focusing on a single species or sector. The fundamental idea is simple: because the elements of an ecosystem are interconnected (including species, habitats, and the range of system services they provide to humans), it makes sense to manage them as a whole rather than as a series of disconnected parts. With the global decline of many fish stocks and ocean health in general, managers are eager to implement a concept that promises a sustainable way forward.