Abstract

There is a greater experience, about determinations of limits, in terrestrials protected areas than in marine ones. In MPAs endemism is a not valid criterion; them the spawning areas of reef coral fishes, mainly snappers and groupers, has been the strong criterion to select spaces to protect and to establish limits in tropical regions. This paper takes this theme according to the new knowledge about routes to spawning and pre-spawning aggregations of snappers. The theme in Cuban AMPs is analyzed. Them, is recommended to take the phenomena from the reproduction until the recruitment as a single criteria for the limits establishment in MPAs. Are incorporated recommendations for a new approach of the theme, and is proved that the current limits do not satisfy the conservation needs, because the pre-spawning aggregations sites, spawning routes to and nursery areas are not incorporated whithin MPAs. This problem diminishes or annuls the conservation effort for the reproduction of snappers and groupers. This approach is associated to the controversy on the size and number of MPAs.

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