Short-Term Ecological Impact of KKP3K Pulau Koon, Pulau-Pulau Kecil dan Perairan Sekitarnya (Koon MPA)

A report on short-term ecological impacts from the KKP3K Pulau Koon, Pulau-Pulau Kecil dan Perairan Sekitarnya (Koon MPA), in Maluku province, Indonesia, based on monitoring conducted in 2016 and 2018. Koon MPA was initiated in 2011, but has not yet been formally established and therefore lacks zonation and has limited implementation. Results suggest that hard coral cover is stable within the MPA and at surrounding control sites. Fish functional group (herbivore) biomass increased both within the MPA and at surrounding control sites, suggesting this increase was not driven by the MPA. Key fisheries species biomass was stable/has a non-significant decline in the MPA and at control sites. There is limited evidence that the MPA is currently having any effect on ecological conditions using a matched-control sites impact evaluation framework. This lack of impact is unsurprising given the low level of

implementation of the MPA, and the short time period (two years) of this evaluation. Given a longer period of time, and continued MPA management actions focused on building MPA effectiveness, it is likely that the MPA performance will increase.