"These were the barriers I kept coming up against": How an ecologist-turned-manager documented the scientific obstacles to MPA management, and his advice to improve the situation | MPA News

"Three years ago, Chris Cvitanovic and a team of researchers published a study that found that only 14% of the information cited in MPA management plans was from primary scientific sources – from journals, in other words. One reason for this shortfall was that most journal articles require expensive subscriptions, which managers and their agencies cannot afford. This study was the first to document a significant obstacle for MPA managers: management is supposed to be science-based, but most of the science is hidden behind paywalls. Unfortunately the situation has not improved much for MPA managers since that 2014 study. Below, MPA News talks with Cvitanovic about the role of academic research in MPA management and how it could be advanced. Chris is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Marine Socioecology at the University of Tasmania, Australia, specializing in knowledge exchange, stakeholder engagement, and the governance of marine resources."