Unsustainable commercial fishing has destructive impacts on marine ecosystems, from stock depletion to physical habitat degradation. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a widely used conservation tool designed to protect biodiversity and promote ecosystem recovery. Lyme Bay, located off the south-west coast of England, has had 206km2 fully protected from bottom towed fishing since 2008, and is the UK’s largest MPA that adopts a whole-site approach. This study investigated long-term biodiversity trends in Lyme Bay using Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) surveys conducted between 2009 and 2024. Changes in abundance, taxa richness, and assemblage composition were assessed across four management regimes: Previous Voluntary Closures (PVC), Statutory Instrument (SI), Sensitive Areas (SA), and Open Controls (OC). Following MPA designation, abundance and taxa richness showed significant increases across all treatments. Assemblage composition also changed significantly through time, with PVC and SI communities becoming increasingly distinct from SA and OC areas. These patterns were primarily driven by changes in the abundance of Ctenolabrus rupestris, Trisopterus luscus, Pagurus spp., and Ophiothrix fragilis. Overall, these findings provide evidence of long-term biodiversity recovery within Lyme Bay and highlight the importance of sustained ecological monitoring for evaluating MPA effectiveness and guiding marine conservation.
promotor/supervisor feedback
nothing yet
