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The unanticipated impacts of consumers in fragmented habitats are frequently a challenge for ecosystem management. On Indo-Pacific coral reefs, crown-of-thorns sea stars ( Acanthaster  spp.) are coral predators whose outbreaks cause precipitous coral decline. Across large spatial scales,  Acanthaster  densities are lower in large no-take Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and reefs subject to limited human exploitation. However, using a combination of observational and manipulative experiments, we found that  Acanthaster  densities within a network of small, no-take MPAs on reef flats in Fiji were ~2–3.4 times greater inside MPAs than in adjacent fished areas and ~2–2.5 times greater than the upper threshold density indicative of an outbreak. This appeared to result from selective  Acanthaster  migration to the coral-rich MPAs from fished areas that are coral-poor and dominated by macroalgae. Small MPAs can dramatically increase the cover of foundation species like corals, but may selectively attract coral predators like  Acanthaster  due to greater food densities within MPAs or because the MPAs are too small to support  Acanthaster  enemies. As coral cover increases, their chemical and visual cues may concentrate  Acanthaster  to outbreak densities that cause coral demise, compromising the value of small MPAs. An understanding of predator dynamics as a function of habitat type, size, and fragmentation needs to be incorporated into MPA design and management.

Size matters: Predator outbreaks threaten foundation species in small Marine Protected Areas