Creating compliance: A cross-sectional study of the factors associated with marine protected area outcomes

A model for the economics of marine conservation is developed and tested using data from a global sample of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Results from logistic regressions indicate that significant determinants of positive MPA effects vary among MPA subgroups. These significant regressors include enforcement in later time periods and certain “goodwill building activities” carried out by MPA management, as well as a number of institutional and socioeconomic characteristics of the communities. Policy implications and recommendations for additional research are discussed.

► This research tests several hypotheses about the determinants of MPA outcomes.
► The relationship between enforcement and MPA outcomes is not as consistent as theory predicts.
► The activities associated with improvements in compliance varied markedly between subgroups.
► The present research suggests that the timing of policy intervention makes a difference.