A paper published in the journal PLoS ONE written by various scientists from around the world illustrates a General Business Model for Marine Reserves and how marine reserves not only benefit flora and fauna, but become an economic aid to the local community within a short period of time.

Building on the work of National Geographic’s Pristine Seas expedition, the team analyzed available data to show that “marine reserves are an effective tool for protecting biodiversity locally, with potential economic benefits including enhancement of local fisheries, increased tourism, and maintenance of ecosystem services.”

National Geographic Explorer in Residence Enric Sala was one of the paper’s authors and an interview with him can be found here. (Photo by Enric Sala/National Geographic).