ABSTRACT
Introduction As a response to declining sh stocks and threats to marine ecosystems, marine reserves (areas closed to shing) have been widely advocated as conservation tools and means to achieving more sustainable use of marine resources [1]–[3]. e rationale behind their use lies in the dual opportunity they could oer to protect ecosystems and ecological processes while also enhancing sheries via densitydependent spillover and larval dispersal of target species into shing areas [1], [3]–[5]. However, while evidence has shown that marine reserves can meet conservation targets [6]–[8], the role they may have on sheries is less understood. Previous studies have focused on benets to adjacent sheries via density-dependent spillover of adult sh from reserves [6], [9] or have been based primarily on larval transport models [3], [10]–[12], lacking validation through eld monitoring and oceanographic data.
