This may suggest that even the establishment of fully functional MPAs could have only a limited impact on coral reef recovery unless policy makers confront the accelerating negative effects of the global-scale sources of coral mortality . There is mounting evidence that even coral reefs located within no-take MPAs are rapidly declining. Unequivocally, these trends point out at the need of vigorously implementing integrated management strategies that support reef resilience, complemented by strong policy decisions , to reduce the rate of impacts associated to multiple local human-driven factors and climate change. But such integration requires strong, management-oriented, novel scientific supporting research with a strong community-based integrative and participatory approach. In this study, the no-take CLPNR resulted in no significant improvement of coral farming success due to rapidly changing land use and recreational use patterns adjacent to BTA site nft hydroponic. Coral survival rates, percent live tissue cover and colony growth always resulted higher at non-MPA control site PSO. There has been a dramatic increase since 2011 in site visits at BTA by tourists either from beach access, kayaking, jet skiing or from charter vessels.

Coral out planting activities to natural reef bottoms within the reserve have resulted in a significant aestheticism provement of the local sheltered coral reefs and in a significant increase in fish diversity, abundance and biomass, and in the abundance of endangered green turtles , an impact that has not been reached yet at the non-reserve control site. This suggests that no-take MPAs, in combination with coral farming and out planting, can be highly successful to improve overall reef resilience. But concomitantly, successful reefre habilitation has also fostered an interest to visit the reef, resulting in a net increase in the number of visitors,and in increased traffic and road widening near BTA. This has exposed multiple areas to soil erosion, which has in turn resulted in dramatic increases in runoff impacts. Sediment delivery has been identified as a major threat for near shore coral reef ecosystems in Culebra . There was already a successful implementation of runoff controls through community-based efforts, with the collaboration of government agencies . But these measures have not been enough as governance and enforcement still remain weak. An example of such weakness is that by the end of the study period, primary cacti forests across steep lands adjacent to the non-MPA control coral farming site at PSO were also being fully deforested by local residents with the support of the local government to allow illegal invasions of public lands to establish permanent camping grounds for weekend enjoyment of local residents. This now represents a major unprecedented threat of potential sediment-laden runoff impacts similar to that of PME and BTA.

Coral farms originally established at PME  during the first year of the project had to be relocated due to excessive pulse runoff impacts. Runoff impacts dramatically increased during the project at BTA as well, nft system and now runoff is becoming a major threat at PSO, but no preventive or remedial action from government institutions have been implemented yet. Therefore, ignoring the reality of chronic environmental degradation and the total lack of political will to enforce existing zoning and environmental regulations constitute also a major roadblock to success.There is still a need to incorporate stronger management and enforcement measures to the existing management plan of the CLPNR to further reduce such adverse impacts and to regulate impacts from recreational activities.But also there is still a need to review, update and fully implement a science-based land use management plan to reduce impacts of LBSP and inappropriate land uses on adjacent coastal ecosystems. Coral farming and reef rehabilitation success will largely depend upon strong governance, and successful management and enforcement of adjacent land uses and recreational activities. There is also a major need to link ecological resilience to governance structures, economics and society in order to successfully and sustainably manage and rehabilitate marine ecosystems . Failing to recognize that reality could also represent a major roadblock for successful conservation and management through a sustainable participatory process.