DEPTH-REFUGE: Depth Refugia as Climate Adaptation Strategy for Marine Protected Area Effectiveness

Background & Rationale: Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a cornerstone of biodiversity conservation, yet their effectiveness is increasingly challenged by climate change, marine heatwaves, and cumulative anthropogenic stressors. Current MPA designs are largely static, failing to account for dynamic climate impacts. Emerging evidence suggests that deeper portions of coastal ecosystems can serve as thermal refugia—areas buffered from extreme temperatures and disturbances that maintain biodiversity and serve as sources for recovery. However, no systematic framework exists to identify, monitor, and protect these depth refugia across MPA networks.

Objectives: DEPTH-REFUGE will: (1) develop standardized protocols for identifying climate refugia within existing MPAs across depth gradients; (2) quantify the buffering capacity of depth refugia against marine heatwaves, storms, and other acute disturbances; (3) assess connectivity between shallow impacted zones and deeper refugia for key foundation species (seagrasses, corals, macroalgae); (4) co-design climate-smart MPA zoning recommendations with managers and stakeholders; and (5) create an early warning system for MPA tipping points based on refugia condition.

Approach: The project will establish a Mediterranean-wide network of 12 MPAs spanning thermal gradients from the Eastern Mediterranean (Israel, Greece, Turkey) to the Western Mediterranean (Spain, France, Italy) and Atlantic (Portugal). At each site, we will deploy depth-stratified monitoring arrays combining temperature loggers, biodiversity surveys, and ecosystem function indicators. Long-term datasets (including our 10-year Gulf of Aqaba seagrass time series) will be integrated to model refugia dynamics under future climate scenarios.

Expected Outcomes:

• Pan-Mediterranean depth refugia atlas for key habitat types

• Climate-smart MPA zoning guidelines for EU and national managers

• Open-source early warning indicator toolkit

• Policy briefs for EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 implementation

Partners Sought:

• MPA management authorities (Mediterranean, Atlantic)

• Marine research institutes with long-term monitoring data

• Remote sensing specialists

• Climate modelers

• Socio-ecological systems researchers

• Conservation NGOs (e.g., MedPAN, WWF)

Countries: Israel, Greece, Italy, Spain, France, Portugal, Turkey (7 countries)