Using Remote Video Systems to Measure Effectiveness of Small Scale MPAs in Saipipi, Samoa

• Main Authors: Quigley, Calvin, Gill, Dr. Richard
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: BYU ScholarsArchive 2019
• Subjects: remote video systems; MPA; Samoa; Biology; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2019/iss2019/101; https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/context/jur/article/1099/viewcontent/auto_convert.pdf

Coral reefs represent an invaluable natural, providing $30 billion dollars of fishing and recreational profits worldwide, and housing nearly a quarter of the oceans species [1, 2]. However, threats such as climate change, ocean acidification, coastal development and overharvesting have destroyed more than a fifth of the worlds coral reefs in recent decades[3]. One of the most common management plans that has been implemented to help protect and restore coral reefs is the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs)[4]. MPAs have been proven to be effective in helping restore fish populations and coral cover, however the majority of MPAs are large, covering multiple square kilometers[5]. In Saipipi, a small village in Samoa, the people have reserved a small MPA of approximately 300 square meters. My project sought to study the impact of this extremely small-scale MPA, and determine if it was effective in conserving and restoring reef fish populations on the reef in Saipipi.