Stakeholder perceptions of a coastal marine protected area

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are an increasingly utilised marine and coastal management tool, designation rising steeply over the last twenty years. MPAs are most commonly designated for conservation objectives and the management is thus focused primarily on meeting conservation associated monitoring programs gathering data on a narrow suite of biological indicators. However, a wide range of potential social and economic impacts and the ability to meet the goals of an influenced by the often unmonitored perceptions and buy-in of local stakeholders. Here we examine stakeholder perceptions concerning a coastal MPA in South Australia. We conducted semi-structured interviews individuals engaged in the MPA' s planning and designation process, as well as those involved with management. We explored their understanding of the purpose of the MPA, whether they thought successful and the future management challenges the MPA might face. In particular, we focused on stakeholders indicators they thought should be used to monitor the ongoing performance of the MPA. varied between stakeholder groups, however, the majority of respondents highlighted the importance economic factors in the ongoing performance of the MPA. The vast majority of them suggested both biological socio-economic indicators that should be incorporated into monitoring programs. Our findings highlight MPA planning and management, when defining goals and developing monitoring programs, to incorporate social and economic, as well as, biological indicators.