Publications
75 results found
Adams VM, Mills M, Weeks R, et al., 2019, Implementation strategies for systematic conservation planning, Ambio, Vol: 48, Pages: 139-152, ISSN: 0044-7447
The field of systematic conservation planning has grown substantially, with hundreds of publications in the peer-reviewed literature and numerous applications to regional conservation planning globally. However, the extent to which systematic conservation plans have influenced management is unclear. This paper analyses factors that facilitate the transition from assessment to implementation in conservation planning, in order to help integrate assessment and implementation into a seamless process. We propose a framework for designing implementation strategies, taking into account three critical planning aspects: processes, inputs, and context. Our review identified sixteen processes, which we broadly grouped into four themes and eight inputs. We illustrate how the framework can be used to inform context-dependent implementation strategies, using the process of ‘engagement’ as an example. The example application includes both lessons learned from successfully implemented plans across the engagement spectrum, and highlights key barriers that can hinder attempts to bridge the assessment-implementation gap.
Biggs D, Ban NC, Castilla JC, et al., 2019, Insights on fostering the emergence of robust conservation actions from Zimbabwe's CAMPFIRE program, Global Ecology and Conservation, Vol: 17, ISSN: 2351-9894
One strategy to address threats to biodiversity in the face of ongoing budget constraints is to create an enabling environment that facilitates individuals, communities and other groups to self-organise to achieve conservation outcomes. Emergence (new activities and initiatives), and robustness (durability of these activities and initiatives over time), two related concepts from the common pool resources literature, provide guidance on how to support and enable such self-organised action for conservation. To date emergence has received little attention in the literature. Our exploratory synthesis of the conditions for emergence from the literature highlighted four themes: for conservation to emerge, actors need to 1) recognise the need for change, 2) expect positive outcomes, 3) be able to experiment to achieve collective learning, and 4) have legitimate local scale governance authority. Insights from the literature on emergence and robustness suggest that an appropriate balance should be maintained between external guidance of conservation and enabling local actors to find solutions appropriate to their contexts. We illustrate the conditions for emergence, and its interaction with robustness, through discussing the Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE) in Zimbabwe and reflect on efforts at strengthening local autonomy and management around the world. We suggest that the delicate balance between external guidance of actions, and supporting local actors to develop their own solutions, should be managed adaptively over time to support the emergence of robust conservation actions.
Strassburg BBN, Beyer HL, Crouzeilles R, et al., 2019, Strategic approaches to restoring ecosystems can triple conservation gains and halve costs, Nature Ecology and Evolution, Vol: 3, Pages: 62-70, ISSN: 2397-334X
International commitments for ecosystem restoration add up to one-quarter of the world’s arable land. Fulfilling them would ease global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity decline but could displace food production and impose financial costs on farmers. Here, we present a restoration prioritization approach capable of revealing these synergies and trade-offs, incorporating ecological and economic efficiencies of scale and modelling specific policy options. Using an actual large-scale restoration target of the Atlantic Forest hotspot, we show that our approach can deliver an eightfold increase in cost-effectiveness for biodiversity conservation compared with a baseline of non-systematic restoration. A compromise solution avoids 26% of the biome’s current extinction debt of 2,864 plant and animal species (an increase of 257% compared with the baseline). Moreover, this solution sequesters 1 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent (a 105% increase) while reducing costs by US$28 billion (a 57% decrease). Seizing similar opportunities elsewhere would offer substantial contributions to some of the greatest challenges for humankind.
Alvarez-Romero JG, Mills M, Adams VM, et al., 2018, Research advances and gaps in marine planning: towards a global database in systematic conservation planning, Biological Conservation, Vol: 227, Pages: 369-382, ISSN: 0006-3207
Systematic conservation planning (SCP) has increasingly been used to prioritize conservation actions, including the design of new protected areas to achieve conservation objectives. Over the last 10 years, the number of marine SCP studies has increased exponentially, yet there is no structured or reliable way to find information on methods, trends, and progress. The rapid growth in methods and marine applications warrants an updated analysis of the literature, as well as reflection on the need for continuous and systematic documentation of SCP exercises in general. To address these gaps, we developed a database to document SCP exercises and populated it with 155 marine SCP exercises found in the primary literature. Based on our review, we provide an update on global advances and trends in marine SCP literature. We found accelerating growth in the number of studies over the past decade, with increasing consideration of socioeconomic variables, land-sea planning, and ecological connectivity. While several studies aimed to inform conservation decisions, we found little evidence of input from practitioners. There are important gaps in geographic coverage and little correspondence with areas most threatened. Five countries lead most studies, but their networks suggest potential for capacity building through collaborations. The varying quality and detail in documentation of studies confirmed the limited opportunities to develop and assess the application of best practice in conservation planning. A global database to track the development, implementation, and impact of SCP applications can thus provide numerous benefits. Our database constitutes an important step towards the development of a centralized repository of information on planning exercises and can serve several roles to advance SCP theory and practice: it facilitates assessing geographic coverage and gaps; scientists and practitioners can access information to identify trends in the use of data, methods, and to
Teixeira JB, Moura RL, Mills M, et al., 2018, A habitat-based approach to predict impacts of marine protected areas on fishers, Conservation Biology, Vol: 32, Pages: 1096-1106, ISSN: 0888-8892
Although marine protected areas can simultaneously contribute to biodiversity conservation and fisheries management, the global network is biased toward particular ecosystem types because they have been established primarily in an ad hoc fashion. The optimization of trade‐offs between biodiversity benefits and socioeconomic values increases success of protected areas and minimizes enforcement costs in the long run, but it is often neglected in marine spatial planning (MSP). Although the acquisition of spatially explicit socioeconomic data is perceived as a costly or secondary step in MSP, it is critical to account for lost opportunities by people whose activities will be restricted, especially fishers. We developed an easily reproduced habitat‐based approach to estimate the spatial distribution of opportunity cost to fishers in data‐poor regions. We assumed the most accessible areas have higher economic and conservation values than less accessible areas and their designation as no‐take zones represents a loss of fishing opportunities. We estimated potential distribution of fishing resources from bathymetric ranges and benthic habitat distribution and the relative importance of the different resources for each port of total catches, revenues, and stakeholder perception. In our model, we combined different cost layers to produce a comprehensive cost layer so that we could evaluate of trade‐offs. Our approach directly supports conservation planning, can be applied generally, and is expected to facilitate stakeholder input and community acceptance of conservation.
Guerrero AM, Bennett NJ, Wilson KA, et al., 2018, Achieving the promise of integration in social-ecological research: a review and prospectus, Ecology and Society: a journal of integrative science for resilience and sustainability, Vol: 23, ISSN: 1195-5449
An integrated understanding of both social and ecological aspects of environmental issues is essential to address pressing sustainability challenges. An integrated social-ecological systems perspective is purported to provide a better understanding of the complex relationships between humans and nature. Despite a threefold increase in the amount of social-ecological research published between 2010 and 2015, it is unclear whether these approaches have been truly integrative. We conducted a systematic literature review to investigate the conceptual, methodological, disciplinary, and functional aspects of social-ecological integration. In general, we found that overall integration is still lacking in social-ecological research. Some social variables deemed important for addressing sustainability challenges are underrepresented in social-ecological studies, e.g., culture, politics, and power. Disciplines such as ecology, urban studies, and geography are better integrated than others, e.g., sociology, biology, and public administration. In addition to ecology and urban studies, biodiversity conservation plays a key brokerage role in integrating other disciplines into social-ecological research. Studies founded on systems theory have the highest rates of integration. Highly integrative studies combine different types of tools, involve stakeholders at appropriate stages, and tend to deliver practical recommendations. Better social-ecological integration must underpin sustainability science. To achieve this potential, future social-ecological research will require greater attention to the following: the interdisciplinary composition of project teams, strategic stakeholder involvement, application of multiple tools, incorporation of both social and ecological variables, consideration of bidirectional relationships between variables, and identification of implications and articulation of clear policy recommendations.Key words: human-environment systems; interdisciplinary; soc
de Paula Costa MD, Mills M, Richardson AJ, et al., 2018, Efficiently enforcing artisanal fisheries to protect estuarine biodiversity, Ecological Applications, Vol: 28, Pages: 1450-1458, ISSN: 1051-0761
Artisanal fisheries support millions of livelihoods worldwide, yet ineffective enforcement can allow for continued environmental degradation due to overexploitation. Here, we use spatial planning to design an enforcement strategy for a pre‐existing spatial closure for artisanal fisheries considering climate variability, existing seasonal fishing closures, representative conservation targets and enforcement costs. We calculated enforcement cost in three ways, based on different assumptions about who could be responsible for monitoring the fishery. We applied this approach in the Patos Lagoon estuary (Brazil), where we found three important results. First, spatial priorities for enforcement were similar under different climate scenarios. Second, we found that the cost and percentage of area enforced varied among scenarios tested by the conservation planning analysis, with only a modest increase in budget needed to incorporate climate variability. Third, we found that spatial priorities for enforcement depend on whether enforcement is carried out by a central authority or by the community itself. Here, we demonstrated a method that can be used to efficiently design enforcement plans, resulting in the conservation of biodiversity and estuarine resources. Also, cost of enforcement can be potentially reduced when fishers are empowered to enforce management within their fishing grounds.
Giakoumi S, McGowan J, Mills M, et al., 2018, Revisiting "success" and "failure" marine protected areas: a conservation scientist perspective, Frontiers in Marine Science, Vol: 5, ISSN: 2296-7745
Marine protected areas (MPAs) form the cornerstone of marine conservation. Identifying which factors contribute to their success or failure is crucial considering the international conservation targets for 2020 and the limited funds generally available for marine conservation. We identified common factors of success and/or failure of MPA effectiveness using peer-reviewed publications and first-hand expert knowledge for 27 case studies around the world. We found that stakeholder engagement was considered to be the most important factor affecting MPA success, and equally, its absence, was the most important factor influencing failure. Conversely, while some factors were identified as critical for success, their absence was not considered a driver of failure, and vice versa. This mismatch provided the impetus for considering these factors more critically. Bearing in mind that most MPAs have multiple objectives, including non-biological, this highlights the need for the development and adoption of standardized effectiveness metrics, besides biological considerations, to measure factors contributing to the success or failure of MPAs to reach their objectives. Considering our conclusions, we suggest the development of specific protocols for the assessment of stakeholder engagement, the role of leadership, the capacity of enforcement and compliance with MPAs objectives. Moreover, factors defining the success and failure of MPAs should be assessed not only by technical experts and the relevant authorities, but also by other stakeholder groups whose compliance is critical for the successful functioning of an MPA. These factors should be considered along with appropriate ecological, social, and economic data and then incorporated into adaptive management to improve MPA effectiveness.
Mascia MB, Mills M, 2018, When conservation goes viral: the diffusion of innovative biodiversity conservation policies and practices, Conservation Letters, Vol: 11, ISSN: 1755-263X
Despite billions of dollars invested, “getting to scale” remains a fundamental challenge for conservation donors and practitioners. Occasionally, however, a conservation intervention will “go viral,” with rapid, widespread adoption that transforms the relationship between people and nature across large areas. The factors that shape rates and patterns of conservation interventions remain unclear, puzzling scientists and hindering evidence‐based policymaking. Diffusion of innovation theory—the study of the how and why innovations are adopted, and the rates and patterns of adoption—provides a novel lens for examining rates and patterns in the establishment of conservation interventions. Case studies from Tanzania and the Pacific illustrate that characteristics of the innovation, of the adopters, and of the social‐ecological context shape spatial and temporal dynamics in the diffusion of community‐centered conservation interventions. Differential trends in adoption mirrored the relative advantage of interventions to local villagers and villager access to external technical assistance. Theories of innovation diffusion highlight new arenas for conservation research and provide critical insights for conservation policy and practice, suggesting the potential to empower donors and practitioners with the ability to catalyze conservation at scale—and to do so at less cost and with longer‐lasting impacts.
Saunders MI, Bode M, Atkinson S, et al., 2017, Simple rules can guide whether land- or ocean-based conservation will best benefit marine ecosystems, PLoS Biology, Vol: 15, ISSN: 1544-9173
Coastal marine ecosystems can be managed by actions undertaken both on the land and in the ocean. Quantifying and comparing the costs and benefits of actions in both realms is therefore necessary for efficient management. Here, we quantify the link between terrestrial sediment runoff and a downstream coastal marine ecosystem and contrast the cost-effectiveness of marine- and land-based conservation actions. We use a dynamic land- and sea-scape model to determine whether limited funds should be directed to 1 of 4 alternative conservation actions—protection on land, protection in the ocean, restoration on land, or restoration in the ocean—to maximise the extent of light-dependent marine benthic habitats across decadal timescales. We apply the model to a case study for a seagrass meadow in Australia. We find that marine restoration is the most cost-effective action over decadal timescales in this system, based on a conservative estimate of the rate at which seagrass can expand into a new habitat. The optimal decision will vary in different social–ecological contexts, but some basic information can guide optimal investments to counteract land- and ocean-based stressors: (1) marine restoration should be prioritised if the rates of marine ecosystem decline and expansion are similar and low; (2) marine protection should take precedence if the rate of marine ecosystem decline is high or if the adjacent catchment is relatively intact and has a low rate of vegetation decline; (3) land-based actions are optimal when the ratio of marine ecosystem expansion to decline is greater than 1:1.4, with terrestrial restoration typically the most cost-effective action; and (4) land protection should be prioritised if the catchment is relatively intact but the rate of vegetation decline is high. These rules of thumb illustrate how cost-effective conservation outcomes for connected land–ocean systems can proceed without complex modelling.
Simoes E, de Sousa Junior WC, de Freitas DM, et al., 2017, Barriers and opportunities for adapting to climate change on the North Coast of So Paulo, Brazil, Regional Environmental Change, Vol: 17, Pages: 1739-1750, ISSN: 1436-378X
This paper examines barriers and opportunities for climate change adaptation in an urban coastal setting where adaptation is in its infancy. It draws on a diagnostic framework as a foundation for identifying and organising barriers and opportunities in terms of three broad phases of the adaptation process, i.e. (1) understanding the problem, (2) planning adaptation options and (3) managing implementation of such options. Data come from the analysis of documents (e.g. policy, plans and reports) and a survey of 49 representatives from 42 organisations (e.g. government, environmental non-governmental organisations, businesses and local industry and professional associations). Nineteen barriers and/or opportunities pertaining to the different phases of the adaptation process were identified. Three of those barriers (i.e. competing priorities, existing management context and existing ecological context) are our additions to the initial list of common barriers proposed in the diagnostic framework. Barriers pertaining to the understanding phase were the most frequently noted by respondents. The understanding phase was also one which most of the barriers were nevertheless considered as opportunities. Emerging critical barriers and/or opportunities for climate change adaptation included perception of signal, availability and accessibility of information, existing management context and leadership. We propose that addressing these barriers and opportunities would involve improving perception about climate change and availability and accessibility of information, fostering anticipatory planned adaptation through the existing management context and developing leadership for adaptation. Findings from this study may prove useful to other jurisdictions, particularly those where climate adaptation is at its early stages of development.
Magris RA, Pressey RL, Mills M, et al., 2017, Integrated conservation planning for coral reefs: Designing conservation zones for multiple conservation objectives in spatial prioritisation, Global Ecology and Conservation, Vol: 11, Pages: 53-68, ISSN: 2351-9894
Decision-makers focus on representing biodiversity pattern, maintaining connectivity, and strengthening resilience to global warming when designing marine protected area (MPA) systems, especially in coral reef ecosystems. The achievement of these broad conservation objectives will likely require large areas, and stretch limited funds for MPA implementation. We undertook a spatial prioritisation of Brazilian coral reefs that considered two types of conservation zones (i.e. no-take and multiple use areas) and integrated multiple conservation objectives into MPA planning, while assessing the potential impact of different sets of objectives on implementation costs. We devised objectives for biodiversity, connectivity, and resilience to global warming, determined the extent to which existing MPAs achieved them, and designed complementary zoning to achieve all objectives combined in expanded MPA systems. In doing so, we explored interactions between different sets of objectives, determined whether refinements to the existing spatial arrangement of MPAs were necessary, and tested the utility of existing MPAs by comparing their cost effectiveness with an MPA system designed from scratch. We found that MPAs in Brazil protect some aspects of coral reef biodiversity pattern (e.g. threatened fauna and ecosystem types) more effectively than connectivity or resilience to global warming. Expanding the existing MPA system was as cost-effective as designing one from scratch only when multiple objectives were considered and management costs were accounted for. Our approach provides a comprehensive assessment of the benefits of integrating multiple objectives in the initial stages of conservation planning, and yields insights for planners of MPAs tackling multiple objectives in other regions.
Latawiec AE, Crouzeilles R, Brancalion PHS, et al., 2016, Natural regeneration and biodiversity: a global meta-analysis and implications for spatial planning, Biotropica, Vol: 48, Pages: 844-855, ISSN: 0006-3606
Natural regeneration offers a cheaper alternative to active reforestation and has the potential to become the predominant way of restoring degraded tropical landscapes at large‐scale. We conducted a meta‐analysis for tropical regions and quantified the relationships between both ecological and socioeconomic factors and biodiversity responses in naturally regenerating areas. Biogeographic realms, past disturbance, and the human development index (HDI) were used as explanatory variables for biodiversity responses. In addition, we present a case study of large‐scale natural regeneration in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and identify areas where different forms of restoration would be most suitable. Using our dataset for tropical regions, we showed that natural regeneration was predominantly reported within: the Neotropical realm; areas that were intensively disturbed; and countries with medium HDI. We also found that biodiversity in regenerating forests was more similar to the values found in old growth forests in: countries with either low, high, or very high HDI; less biodiverse realms; and areas of less intensive past disturbance. Our case study from Brazil showed that the level of forest gain resulting from environmental legislation, in particular the Brazilian Forest Code, has been reduced, but remains substantial. Complementary market incentives and financial mechanisms to promote large‐scale natural regeneration in human‐modified agricultural landscapes are also needed. Our analysis provides insights into the factors that promote or limit the recovery of biodiversity in naturally regenerating areas, and aids to identify areas with higher potential for natural regeneration.
Mills M, Leon JX, Saunders MI, et al., 2016, Reconciling Development and Conservation under Coastal Squeeze from Rising Sea Level, CONSERVATION LETTERS, Vol: 9, Pages: 361-368, ISSN: 1755-263X
Bayraktarov E, Saunders MI, Abdullah S, et al., 2016, The cost and feasibility of marine coastal restoration., Ecological Applications, Vol: 26, Pages: 1055-1074, ISSN: 1939-5582
Land-use change in the coastal zone has led to worldwide degradation of marine coastal ecosystems and a loss of the goods and services they provide. Restoration is the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed and is critical for habitats where natural recovery is hindered. Uncertainties about restoration cost and feasibility can impede decisions on whether, what, how, where, and how much to restore. Here, we perform a synthesis of 235 studies with 954 observations from restoration or rehabilitation projects of coral reefs, seagrass, mangroves, salt-marshes, and oyster reefs worldwide, and evaluate cost, survival of restored organisms, project duration, area, and techniques applied. Findings showed that while the median and average reported costs for restoration of one hectare of marine coastal habitat were around US$80000 (2010) and US$1600000 (2010), respectively, the real total costs (median) are likely to be two to four times higher. Coral reefs and seagrass were among the most expensive ecosystems to restore. Mangrove restoration projects were typically the largest and the least expensive per hectare. Most marine coastal restoration projects were conducted in Australia, Europe, and USA, while total restoration costs were significantly (up to 30 times) cheaper in countries with developing economies. Community- or volunteer-based marine restoration projects usually have lower costs. Median survival of restored marine and coastal organisms, often assessed only within the first one to two years after restoration, was highest for saltmarshes (64.8%) and coral reefs (64.5%) and lowest for seagrass (38.0%). However, success rates reported in the scientific literature could be biased towards publishing successes rather than failures. The majority of restoration projects were short-lived and seldom reported monitoring costs. Restoration success depended primarily on the ecosystem, site selection, and techniques appli
Crouzeilles R, Beyer HL, Mills M, et al., 2015, Incorporating habitat availability into systematic planning for restoration: a species-specific approach for Atlantic Forest mammals, DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS, Vol: 21, Pages: 1027-1037, ISSN: 1366-9516
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- Citations: 49
Horigue V, Pressey RL, Mills M, et al., 2015, Benefits and Challenges of Scaling Up Expansion of Marine Protected Area Networks in the Verde Island Passage, Central Philippines, PLOS ONE, Vol: 10, ISSN: 1932-6203
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- Citations: 21
Bode M, Tulloch AIT, Mills M, et al., 2015, A conservation planning approach to mitigate the impacts of leakage from protected area networks, CONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Vol: 29, Pages: 765-774, ISSN: 0888-8892
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- Citations: 30
Mills M, Weeks R, Pressey RL, et al., 2015, Real-world progress in overcoming the challenges of adaptive spatial planning in marine protected areas, BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION, Vol: 181, Pages: 54-63, ISSN: 0006-3207
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- Citations: 45
Bell J, Saunders MI, Leon JX, et al., 2014, Maps, laws and planning policy: Working with biophysical and spatial uncertainty in the case of sea level rise, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY, Vol: 44, Pages: 247-257, ISSN: 1462-9011
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- Citations: 23
Lechner AM, Raymond CM, Adams VM, et al., 2014, Characterizing Spatial Uncertainty when Integrating Social Data in Conservation Planning, CONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Vol: 28, Pages: 1497-1511, ISSN: 0888-8892
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- Citations: 33
Tulloch AIT, Tulloch VJD, Evans MC, et al., 2014, The Value of Using Feasibility Models in Systematic Conservation Planning to Predict Landholder Management Uptake, CONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Vol: 28, Pages: 1462-1473, ISSN: 0888-8892
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- Citations: 23
Moon K, Adams VM, Januchowski-Hartley SR, et al., 2014, A Multidisciplinary Conceptualization of Conservation Opportunity, CONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Vol: 28, Pages: 1484-1496, ISSN: 0888-8892
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- Citations: 38
Tallis H, Lubchenco J, 2014, A call for inclusive conservation, NATURE, Vol: 515, Pages: 27-28, ISSN: 0028-0836
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- Citations: 224
Mills M, Nicol S, Wells JA, et al., 2014, Minimizing the Cost of Keeping Options Open for Conservation in a Changing Climate, CONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Vol: 28, Pages: 646-653, ISSN: 0888-8892
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- Citations: 17
Mills M, Alvarez-Romero JG, Vance-Borland K, et al., 2014, Linking regional planning and local action: Towards using social network analysis in systematic conservation planning, BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION, Vol: 169, Pages: 6-13, ISSN: 0006-3207
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- Citations: 101
Butt N, Beyer HL, Bennett JR, et al., 2013, Biodiversity Risks from Fossil Fuel Extraction, SCIENCE, Vol: 342, Pages: 425-426, ISSN: 0036-8075
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- Citations: 88
Pressey RL, Mills M, Weeks R, et al., 2013, The plan of the day: Managing the dynamic transition from regional conservation designs to local conservation actions, BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION, Vol: 166, Pages: 155-169, ISSN: 0006-3207
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- Citations: 91
Magris RA, Mills M, Fuentes MMPB, et al., 2013, Analysis of Progress Towards a Comprehensive System of Marine Protected Areas in Brazil, NATUREZA & CONSERVACAO, Vol: 11, Pages: 81-87, ISSN: 1679-0073
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- Citations: 33
Mills M, Pressey RL, Ban NC, et al., 2013, Understanding characteristics that define the feasibility of conservation actions in a common pool marine resource governance system, Conservation Letters, Vol: 6, Pages: 418-429, ISSN: 1755-263X
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