Large scale patterns of marine biodiversity: an evidence-based approach for prioritising areas for protection

Areas of high biodiversity may be more resilient to change and protecting these sites can help maintain the structure and functioning of the ecosystem. Additionally, identifying areas with high diversity may also improve the efficiency of an MPA network by capturing greater numbers of species and habitats of conservation importance within individual sites. We present a critical review of approaches to identify large scale patterns in marine biodiversity and discuss how these can be used to inform the selection of MPAs with reference to new national designations in UK waters.