Understanding the effectiveness of Marine Parks in South Australia

The South Australia's network of 19 multiple use marine parks came into full effect in October 2014. The establishment of a state-wide network simultaneously has enabled a strategic approach to prioritising management... [ view full abstract ]

The South Australia's network of 19 multiple use marine parks came into full effect in October 2014. The establishment of a state-wide network simultaneously has enabled a strategic approach to prioritising management strategies to achieve the goals for the objects of the Act. The marine park management plans being implemented include specific zoning arrangements and management strategies, and are required to be reviewed within 10 years. A Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Program has been established to evaluate the effectiveness of these plans and to support their review.
This talk presents the elements of the Program, which aims to assess whether the marine parks management plans are effective in delivering the benefits they are expected to deliver. Some of the key elements to be discussed are the program logic and key evaluation questions. These questions inform the development of the monitoring program which includes ecological, social, economic and management themes, and provide the basis for the review of the management plans. The current activities of the ongoing monitoring program, including national collaborations, government capabilities and citizen science all of which provide information and data required to answer the key evaluation questions will also be highlighted.
The talk will conclude with a discussion of existing and future research projects, and opportunities for research partnerships. Our approach is to seek projects that fill knowledge gaps, as well as contribute knowledge towards social, economic and environmental evaluation. The research program will further test assumptions that underpin the expected outcomes of the marine parks as well as, potentially, offering new and improved techniques for monitoring.