Abstract

Over the last century, the ocean and atmosphere have suffered from extensive misuse, negatively impacting ocean health and essential services like climate stabilization and food security (1). To counteract this, there has been a push to deploy protected areas and reserves (herein MPAs) globally. These areas aim to protect and restore ocean health, playing a crucial role in societal well-being and setting a path towards a livable planet (2). However, the challenge lies in measuring, tracking, and communicating the performance of MPAs as they are highly variable, dynamic, and complex. Traditional assessments are infrequent (e.g., decadal) and resource-intensive — requiring teams of skilled observers and statisticians, a cost that is too onerous for most countries (3). Ignoring the performance of MPAs, however, poses significant risks.