AUTHOR=Villaseñor-Derbez Juan Carlos , Amador-Castro Imelda G. , Hernández-Velasco Arturo , Torre Jorge , Fulton Stuart 

TITLE=Two Decades of Community-Based Marine Conservation Provide the Foundations for Future Action

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.893104

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2022.893104

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=As a member of the ”High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy”, Mexico has committed to expand community-based marine conservation. We draw from more than two decades of experience to outline how existing resources may be leveraged to help inform the country's ambitious conservation plans:
- A total of 514.95 $km^2$ have already been protected under community-based marine reserves.
- 14 years of ecological survey data, more than 130 community surveyors, more than one hundred publications, and an entire digital infrastructure provide a solid platform on which to continue building the community-based marine conservation movement.
- Parallel and complimentary efforts have advanced regulation, action, data access and transparency, and coordination.
- Future interventions should innovate, but leverage existing resources and continue to involve communities.