1. Limpets are one of the most successful intertidal algal grazers in the north‐eastern Atlantic. They provide valuable ecosystem services, playing a pivotal role in maintaining rocky shore ecological balance and have an important economic value, being subject to high levels of exploitation in several oceanic archipelagos. Limpets represent one of the most profitable economic activities of small‐scale fisheries in the Madeira archipelago. However, limpets are extremely vulnerable to anthropogenic impacts, such as overharvesting, habitat fragmentation, and pollution.
2. The protection effects and the effectiveness of marine protected areas (MPAs) on the population dynamics of two historically highly exploited limpet species, Patella aspera and Patella candei, were analysed through a comparative study of size, reproduction, and biomass in the Madeira archipelago.
3. The effects of protection from MPAs on limpet populations resulted in a differential increase on size at first maturity, shell size, and capture per unit effort according to the degree of protection.
4. Old and enforced MPAs showed the best‐preserved limpet populations in the study area, and both variables (age and enforcement) best explained the observed variability among the MPAs studied.
5. A thorough and multidisciplinary study is necessary to obtain a reliable picture of commercial stocks of the two targeted species (P. aspera and P. candei). Genetic analysis and studies on the food source of limpets may shed light to develop integrative conservation strategies.

中文翻译：

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海洋保护区对海洋群岛开发软体动物的保护作用

1. 残肢是东北大西洋最成功的潮间带藻类放牧者之一。它们提供了宝贵的生态系统服务，在维持多岩石的海岸生态平衡中发挥着关键作用，并具有重要的经济价值，在一些大洋洲群岛受到高度开发。在马德拉群岛，小规模渔业是小规模渔业中最有利可图的经济活动之一。但是，帽贝极易受到人为影响，例如过度捕捞，栖息地破碎和污染。
2. 通过对马德拉群岛的大小，繁殖和生物量进行比较研究，分析了海洋保护区（MPA）对两个历史高度开发的帽贝物种Pat蝶和Pat蝶的种群动态的保护作用和有效性。
3. 受保护的MPA对帽贝种群的影响导致首次成熟时的大小，壳大小以及根据保护程度的每单位工作量捕获量的差异增加。
4. 旧的和强制执行的MPA在研究区域中显示出保存得最好的帽贝种群，并且两个变量（年龄和执行力）都能最好地解释所研究的MPA之间观察到的变异性。
5. 要获得两种目标物种（P. aspera和P. candei）的商业种群数量的可靠信息，有必要进行彻底的多学科研究。对帽贝食物来源的遗传分析和研究可能会为制定综合保护策略提供参考。