Southeast Brazil

MPA Networks: Bridging Governance Gaps for Effective Ocean Conservation

A decree alone does not make a network. For over a decade, São Paulo's MIAMP has existed as legislation, yet our study found it functions as a paper network, stalled by chronic underfunding and understaffing rather than design. What is striking is what emerged in its place: managers across 26 MPAs have self-organized into an informal learning network, connected by shared demands and practical necessity. South and Central clusters now hinge on Marine Environmental Protection Areas, performing the coordination the formal structure never did.