In some instances, restoration within MPAs may not be possible or desirable, and restoration outside of protected areas may be preferred. Restoration outside of protected areas may be more practical to implement and may benefit an adjacent MPA by improving ecosystem connectivity, catalyzing support for the MPA from local communities, and revitalizing ecosystem services.

Restoration projects can revitalize ecosystem services

A community may be motivated to undertake marine restoration for the services that they provide (e.g., mangrove restoration to improve water quality or provide coastal protection, shellfish restoration to provide the larvae to support local harvest and improved filtration capacity to enhance water quality), and MPAs may not be established (or feasible) in the area or the goals of the restoration may dictate that certain extractive activities may not be limited by an MPA.

For example, a once thriving oyster industry in Virginia was closed due to high levels of bacteria in the water. The local community banded together to restore oysters to improve water quality and revitalize the shellfish industry. They formed an NGO called Lynnhaven River NOW, and they were successful - companies now grow and harvest oysters from the river on a scale large enough to support their operations and the restoration work continues in sanctuaries designated for shellfish protection. 

Marine restoration projects can inspire other terrestrial or freshwater restoration efforts

In other cases, marine restoration projects have led to other restoration in terrestrial environments that reduce threats and improve the marine environment. For example, a coral reef restoration project in Grenada was designed to support coastal protection and increase reef fish populations where an MPA was not considered. The reef restoration project led to improved upstream agricultural practices, riparian restoration and nutrient management to reduce sediment and nutrient inputs onto the reef that were threatening the success of reef restoration activities.

Increasing seascape connectivity between MPAs

Connectivity refers to the extent to which populations are linked by the exchange of eggs, larval recruits, juveniles, or adults. It includes the ecological linkages associated with adjacent and distant habitats. Connectivity within and between habitats, protected areas, and networks of MPAs, is important for maintaining diversity, fish stocks, and especially important for maintaining resilience. Maintaining ecological connectivity has been identified as a core principle of effective MPA design, and also has been identified as important for restoration (van Katwijk et al., 2015). Considering connectivity within a restoration project could include applying connectivity models (or simple proxies based on distance between habitats) (Lester et al., 2020) to estimate distance between viable target populations or habitats to ensure sufficient supplies of larvae to support recovery. For example, a coral reef restoration project might be implemented outside of an MPA to restore a critical source reef that provides the larvae for reefs within the MPA.

Restoration projects may be implemented outside of MPAs, but located strategically to serve as ecological stepping stones that link protected areas to ensure migratory species have functioning resting, feeding, and nursery locations. A mangrove restoration project might be implemented to restore wetland habitat for migratory birds, providing essential resting and feeding grounds. Restoring multiple habitats together (e.g., restoring coral reefs, seagrasses, and mangroves) may increase restoration outcomes, while also helping to restore ecological connectivity between individual habitats.