To fulfill their conservation potential and provide safeguards for biodiversity, marine protected areas (MPAs) need coordinated research and monitoring for informed management through effective evaluation of ecosystem dynamics. However, coordination is challenging, often due to knowledge gaps caused by inadequate access to data and resources, compounded by insufficient communication between scientists and managers. We propose to use the world's largest MPA in the Ross Sea, Antarctica as a model system to create a comprehensive framework for an interdisciplinary network supporting research and monitoring that could be implemented in other remote large-scale international MPAs. Our proposed framework has three key components: (i) policy engagement, including delineation of policy needs and ecosystem metrics to assess MPA effectiveness; (ii) community partner engagement to elevate diverse voices, build trust, and share resources; and (iii) integrated science comprising three themes. These themes are: advancement of data science and cyberinfrastructure to facilitate data synthesis and sharing; biophysical modeling towards understanding ecosystem changes and uncertainties; and execution of observational and process studies to address uncertainties and evaluate ecosystem metrics. This proposed framework can improve MPA implementation by generating policy-relevant science through this coordinated network, which can in turn improve MPA effectiveness in the Ross Sea and beyond.

中文翻译：

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在大规模国际海洋保护区建立研究和监测的协调框架：以罗斯海地区为模型系统


为了发挥其保护潜力并为生物多样性提供保障，海洋保护区 （MPA） 需要协调研究和监测，通过有效评估生态系统动态进行知情管理。然而，协调具有挑战性，这通常是由于数据和资源获取不足造成的知识差距，以及科学家和管理人员之间沟通不足造成的。我们建议以南极洲罗斯海世界上最大的 MPA 作为模型系统，为支持研究和监测的跨学科网络创建一个综合框架，该网络可以在其他偏远的大型国际 MPA 中实施。我们提议的框架有三个关键组成部分：（i） 政策参与，包括描述政策需求和生态系统指标以评估 MPA 的有效性;（ii） 社区合作伙伴参与，以提升不同的声音、建立信任和共享资源;（iii） 综合科学，包括 3 个主题。这些主题是：推进数据科学和网络基础设施，促进数据合成和共享;生物物理建模，以了解生态系统的变化和不确定性;以及执行观察和过程研究，以解决不确定性并评估生态系统指标。这个拟议的框架可以通过这个协调网络产生与政策相关的科学来改善 MPA 的实施，这反过来可以提高罗斯海及其他地区的 MPA 有效性。