Establishing baselines for recovery in a marine reserve (Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand) using local ecological knowledge

► We questioned long-term divers about decadal-scale changes in life within a marine reserve. ► Divers considered that numerous key species had undergone large declines in abundance. ► Only one species (snapper) increased strongly following full marine reserve protection in 1998. ► Our approach can be applied to other locations that have a long history of diving.