Data from: Temperate marine protected area provides recruitment subsidies to local fisheries

The utility of marine protected areas (MPAs) as a means of protecting exploited species and conserving biodiversity within MPA boundaries is supported by strong empirical evidence. However, the potential contribution of MPAs to fished populations beyond their boundaries is still highly controversial; empirical measures are scarce and modelling studies have produced a range of predictions, including both positive and negative effects. Using a combination of genetic parentage and relatedness analysis, we measured larval subsidies to local fisheries replenishment for Australasian snapper (Chrysophrys auratus: Sparidae) from a small (5.2 km2), well-established, temperate, coastal MPA in northern New Zealand. Adult snapper within the MPA contributed an estimated 10.6% (95% CI: 5.5-18.1%) of newly settled juveniles to surrounding areas (approx. 400 km2), with no decreasing trend in contributions up to 40 km away. Biophysical modelling of larval dispersal matched experimental data, showing larvae produced inside the MPA dispersed over a comparable distance. These results demonstrate that temperate MPAs have the potential to provide recruitment subsidies at magnitudes and spatial scales relevant to fisheries management. The validated biophysical model provides a cost-efficient opportunity to generalize these findings to other locations and climate conditions, and potentially informs the design of MPA networks for enhancing fisheries management.

海洋保护区（Marine Protected Areas，MPAs）在保护受开发物种、维持保护区边界内生物多样性方面的效用，已有坚实的实证证据支撑。然而，海洋保护区对其边界外捕捞种群的潜在贡献仍极具争议：相关实证测算极为匮乏，且模型研究得出了涵盖正负效应在内的一系列预测结果。本研究结合遗传亲权分析与亲缘关系分析方法，对新西兰北部一座小型（5.2平方千米）、成熟运营的温带近岸海洋保护区内的澳大拉西亚真鲷（Chrysophrys auratus：Sparidae）所产出的、用于补充当地渔业种群的幼体补给量进行了测算。该保护区内的成年澳大拉西亚真鲷，预估可为周边约400平方千米区域内新定居幼鱼提供10.6%的补充贡献（95%置信区间：5.5%~18.1%），且在40千米范围内，贡献量未出现下降趋势。针对幼体扩散的生物物理模型模拟结果与实验数据高度吻合，表明该保护区内产出的幼体扩散距离与实测结果相当。上述结果证实，温带海洋保护区能够在契合渔业管理需求的量级与空间尺度上，为渔业种群补充提供幼体补给。该经过验证的生物物理模型可为将本研究成果推广至其他区域与气候场景提供成本高效的途径，同时有望为设计可强化渔业管理效果的海洋保护区网络提供决策参考。