Given the recent trend towards establishing very large marine protected areas (MPAs) and the high potential of these to contribute to global conservation targets, we review outcomes of the last decade of marine conservation research in the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), one of the largest MPAs in the world. The BIOT MPA consists of the atolls of the Chagos Archipelago, interspersed with and surrounded by deep oceanic waters. Islands around the atoll rims serve as nesting grounds for sea birds. Extensive and diverse shallow and mesophotic reef habitats provide essential habitat and feeding grounds for all marine life, and the absence of local human impacts may improve recovery after coral bleaching events. Census data have shown recent increases in the abundance of sea turtles, high numbers of nesting seabirds and high fish abundance, at least some of which is linked to the lack of recent harvesting. For example, across the archipelago the annual number of green turtle clutches (Chelonia mydas) is ~ 20,500 and increasing and the number of seabirds is ~ 1 million. Animal tracking studies have shown that some taxa breed and/or forage consistently within the MPA (e.g. some reef fishes, elasmobranchs and seabirds), suggesting the MPA has the potential to provide long-term protection. In contrast, post-nesting green turtles travel up to 4000 km to distant foraging sites, so the protected beaches in the Chagos Archipelago provide a nesting sanctuary for individuals that forage across an ocean basin and several geopolitical borders. Surveys using divers and underwater video systems show high habitat diversity and abundant marine life on all trophic levels. For example, coral cover can be as high as 40–50%. Ecological studies are shedding light on how remote ecosystems function, connect to each other and respond to climate-driven stressors compared to other locations that are more locally impacted. However, important threats to this MPA have been identified, particularly global heating events, and Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing activity, which considerably impact both reef and pelagic fishes.

中文翻译：

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回顾世界上最大的海洋保护区之一十年的经验教训：保护成果和主要挑战

鉴于最近建立非常大的海洋保护区 (MPA) 的趋势以及这些保护区为全球保护目标做出贡献的巨大潜力，我们回顾了过去十年英属印度洋领地 (BIOT) 海洋保护研究的成果，该领地是世界上最大的海洋保护区。BIOT MPA 由查戈斯群岛的环礁组成，周围环绕着深海。环礁边缘周围的岛屿是海鸟的筑巢地。广泛多样的浅水和中光珊瑚礁栖息地为所有海洋生物提供了重要的栖息地和觅食地，而当地人类影响的缺失可能会改善珊瑚白化事件后的恢复。人口普查数据显示，最近海龟数量增加，筑巢海鸟数量增加，鱼类数量增加，至少其中一些与近期没有收获有关。例如，在整个群岛，绿海龟 (Chelonia mydas) 的年数量约为 20,500 只，而且还在增加，海鸟的数量约为 100 万只。动物追踪研究表明，某些类群在海洋保护区内持续繁殖和/或觅食（例如一些珊瑚鱼、硬鳃类动物和海鸟），表明海洋保护区具有提供长期保护的潜力。相比之下，筑巢后的绿海龟可以前往 4000 公里远的地方觅食，因此查戈斯群岛受保护的海滩为跨越海洋盆地和几个地缘政治边界觅食的个体提供了筑巢庇护所。使用潜水员和水下视频系统进行的调查显示，所有营养级的栖息地多样性和丰富的海洋生物。例如，珊瑚覆盖率可高达 40-50%。与其他受当地影响更大的地方相比，生态研究揭示了偏远生态系统如何运作、相互联系以及如何应对气候驱动的压力源。然而，已经确定了对该海洋保护区的重要威胁，特别是全球变暖事件以及非法、未报告和不管制 (IUU) 捕捞活动，这对珊瑚礁和中上层鱼类产生了重大影响。