Zafimahatradraibe J. A. auteur aut IRD Ranaivomanana L. N. J. auteur aut IRD Todinanahary G. G. B. auteur aut IRD Madi H. H. auteur aut IRD Randrianjafimanana T. auteur aut IRD Devillers Rodolphe auteur aut IRD Tuda A. O. auteur aut IRD Chabanet Pascale auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf born digital access Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a cornerstone of global marine biodiversity conservation strategies, yet their effectiveness remains highly variable, context-dependent, and often contested. While various methods can be used to assess the effectiveness of MPA management, they are heterogeneous in their scopes, objectives, and analytical models, each having respective strengths and limitations. Despite the common use of those methods, few studies have systematically identified and compared them, limiting our understanding of their relative suitability in a given context. This study addressed this gap by comparing the methods used to evaluate MPA management effectiveness, highlighting their advantages and limitations. Three approaches were combined: (1) an analysis of the global database on protected area management effectiveness - PAME, (2) a systematic literature review following the PRISMA protocol (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews), and (3) an expert consultation. We identified 33 methods that differ according to their geographic scale of application (global, regional, national/local), targeted protection status (e.g., all MPA sites, World Heritage Site), and management theme (e.g., governance, biological). Key differences among methods emerged in the indicators used, their implementation processes, and the tool used to conduct the actual evaluation. Findings underscore the importance of aligning method selection with evaluation objectives, the desired level of analysis, and specific evaluation requirements, thereby strengthening the robustness of MPA effectiveness assessment. specialized MPA Assessment Tool Management Cycle Indicators Outcomes PAME database 036 082 189 107114 [16 p.] 2026 0308-597X https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010096517 10.1016/j.marpol.2026.107114 0308-597X [F B010096517] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010096517 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/intranet/publi/2026-04/010096517.pdf Accès réservé (Intranet de l'IRD) IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2026-04-15 2026-04-15 fdi:010096517 fre