The Natura 2000 network is the centerpiece of the European Union conservation strategy to safeguard priority species and habitats. The question of whether other co-occurring species of conservation concern may also benefit from this network, however, remains largely unknown. Here, we used a systematic approach (MARXAN) for i) evaluating if the current Natura 2000 network in the Alboran Sea (western Mediterranean Sea), initially proposed to protect the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and priority habitats, is also spatially protecting the endangered common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), and ii) identifying additional marine areas that should be protected to reach adequate conservation targets for the common dolphin. While the current Natura 2000 network encompass ca. 22% of predicted abundances for common dolphins, this percentage might be enhanced by protecting coastal areas nearby the Strait of Gibraltar. However, dolphins and fisheries largely overlap spatially nearby the coastline, and only segregate in offshore areas that represent the marginal distribution of the species. Thus, conservation decision-makers must achieve a trade-off between cetacean conservation and fisheries by combining an area-based approach (i.e., new protected areas close to the Strait of Gibraltar) together with a basin-wide threat-based approach (e.g., regulation of fisheries).

Natura 2000网络是欧盟保护优先物种和栖息地保护战略的核心。然而，关于保护的其他同时发生的物种是否也可以从该网络中受益的问题，在很大程度上仍然未知。在这里，我们使用了一种系统化的方法（MARXAN）：i）评估最初提议保护普通宽吻海豚（Tursiops truncatus）和优先栖息地的阿尔伯兰海（地中海西部）当前的Natura 2000网络是否也在空间上进行保护濒临灭绝的普通海豚（Delphinus delphis），以及ii）确定应保护的其他海洋区域，以达到普通海豚的适当养护目标。目前的Natura 2000网络涵盖了约。预计海豚的丰度为22％，可以通过保护直布罗陀海峡附近的沿海地区来提高这一百分比。然而，海豚和渔业在空间上在海岸线附近大部分重叠，并且仅在代表该物种边缘分布的近海区域隔离。因此，保护​​决策者必须通过将基于区域的方法（即，直布罗陀海峡附近的新保护区）与基于流域范围的基于威胁的方法（例如，渔业管理）。