What are the benefits of Marine Reserves in Oregon’s territorial seas?
• Marine reserves provide insurance. Reserves offer protection for our ocean resources, or resilience, from human-caused impacts. . • Marine reserves provide places where fish can feed breed and thrive. • Marine reserves provide a living and dynamic laboratory for research and education by providing a benchmark to assess the effects of fishing, oil drilling and other human induced impacts. What does the Science Community tell us about Marine Reserves? Scientists have studied the performance of more than 120 marine reserves of many different sizes in a variety of temperate and tropical habitats. A comprehensive review of marine reserves reveal that most week-regulated marine reserves result in relatively large, rapid and long-lasting increases in population size, number of species and reproductive output of marine animals and plants. The review found that the average biomass or weight of all animals and plants studied. is more than four times large in reserves than in unprotected areas.
