Marine ecosystems globally have suffered habitat, biodiversity and function loss in response to human activity. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) can limit extractive activities and enhance ecosystem resilience, but do not directly address external stressors. We surveyed 48 sites within seven MPAs and nearby unprotected areas to evaluate drivers of coral reef condition in the Mexican Caribbean. We found that local human activity limits protection effectiveness. Coral cover was positively related to protection characteristics, but was significantly lower at sites with elevated local human activity. Furthermore, we predict ongoing coastal development will reduce coral cover despite expanded protection within a regionwide MPA if an effective integrated coastal zone management strategy is not implemented. Policy makers must acknowledge the detrimental impact of uncontrolled coastal development and apply stringent construction and wastewater regulations in addition to marine protection.

中文翻译：

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当地的人类活动限制了对加勒比珊瑚礁的海洋保护功效

全球海洋生态系统因人类活动而遭受了栖息地，生物多样性和功能丧失的困扰。海洋保护区（MPA）可以限制开采活动并增强生态系统的适应能力，但不能直接解决外部压力。我们调查了七个MPA和附近未保护区域内的48个站点，以评估墨西哥加勒比海地区珊瑚礁状况的驱动因素。我们发现当地的人类活动限制了保护的有效性。珊瑚覆盖与保护特性呈正相关，但在当地人类活动增强的地区，珊瑚覆盖率则显着降低。此外，我们预计，如果不实施有效的沿海地区综合管理策略，尽管在整个MPA范围内提供了更多保护，但正在进行的沿海开发将减少珊瑚覆盖。