The Influence of Stakeholder Engagement on Caribbean MPA Outcomes

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are established to protect a region&rsquo;s biodiversity. Existing MPA research primarily focuses on ecological outcomes, but social outcomes and stakeholder engagement should receive a similar focus to ensure the MPAs are both effective and equitable. Recently, the rate of MPA establishment has rapidly increased in response to the &ldquo;30x30&rdquo; objective of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and previous targets. This study aims to assess the state of evidence on the relationship between stakeholder engagement and MPA ecological outcomes and identify any direct influence of stakeholder engagement on MPA fish biomass. We conducted a peer-reviewed and grey literature search revealing a research gap in social outcomes and stakeholder engagement in 27 Caribbean MPAs. Only 3.8% of search results included information relevant to the ecological or social outcomes of the MPAs; most were ecological studies. Due to time constraints, we narrowed our study to four MPAs in the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef region to investigate the influence of stakeholder engagement on MPA ecological outcomes. No direct links to stakeholder engagement were identified, but MPA age and historical fishing pressures were linked to fish biomass levels in one of four MPAs. As rapid MPA establishment continues, the need for a complete understanding of the social and ecological implications of MPAs becomes greater. This thesis calls for stronger integration of social and natural sciences regarding MPA research, and in the meantime, increased stakeholder engagement in existing and future MPAs for both social and ecological benefit.</span>