A bright future for wave reserves?
Authors: Grégoire Touron-Gardic, Pierre Failler
Journal: Trends in Ecology & Evolution (2022)

Wave reserves, initially aimed at protecting surf 'spots', are becoming a way to ensure the conservation of coastal areas that are of great ecological and economic value. They foster local development and contribute to countries' achievements toward international objectives. Several projects to implement large wave reserves are on their way. Wave reserves, initially aimed at protecting surf 'spots', are becoming a way to ensure the conservation of coastal areas that are of great ecological and economic value. They foster local development and contribute to countries' achievements toward international objectives. Several projects to implement large wave reserves are on their way. Waves, especially popular for surfing and seaside activities, are an important part of marine hydrodiversity [1.Wuebben D. González-Trueba J.J. Surfing between blue humanities and blue economies in Cantabria, Spain.Symplokē. 2019; 27: 65-78Crossref Google Scholar]. Waves play an active role in gas exchange between the hydrosphere and the atmosphere and in the transport of sediments, allowing, among other things, beach enrichments. They also constitute a living environment for a multitude of aquatic species such as Clupeidae, Engraulidae, Sparidae, and Elasmobranchs, in addition to the highly productive reefs and other substrates on which they form. While the link between wave zones and ecosystem services such as nursery, reproduction, or shelter for marine species has not yet been clearly understood nor demonstrated, it seems that these wave break zones are favorable for the life cycle of many species [2.Olds A.D. et al.The ecology of fish in the surf zones of ocean beaches: a global review.Fish. 2018; 19: 78-89Google Scholar]. However, like the mythical wave of La Barre in Anglet (France), which disappeared because of the construction of a dike in 1966 to protect the port, waves can quickly lose their touristic and sporting features, as well as their ecological functions. Other cases of wave losses have been reported [3.Scheske C. et al.Surfing and marine conservation: exploring surf-break protection as IUCN protected area categories and other effective area-based conservation measures.Aquat. Conserv. Mar. Freshwat. Ecosyst. 2019; 29: 195-211Crossref Scopus (10) Google Scholar], such as the wave of Mundaka (Spain) that was destroyed several times following dredging in adjacent coastal areas, before reappearing years after dredging ceased. In addition to instances of local direct modifications, waves are increasingly subjected to other anthropogenic threats, such as pollution and ocean acidification [4.Lazarow N. et al.The value of recreational surfing to society.Tour. Mar. Environ. 2008; 5: 145-158Crossref Scopus (56) Google Scholar]. Among wave users, surfers were the first to mobilize against these changes by creating site-specific defense committees, followed by citizen associations with the ability to take legal action; the stakes quickly went beyond the 'riding world'. The economic values associated with world-class events organized at several sites such as Mundaka, and the resulting tourist influx during the rest of the year, have made waves a natural heritage worth conserving [4.Lazarow N. et al.The value of recreational surfing to society.Tour. Mar. Environ. 2008; 5: 145-158Crossref Scopus (56) Google Scholar,5.Blum M.L. Orbach M.K. First steps at first point: protecting California surf breaks and the Malibu historic district.Coast. Manag. 2021; 49: 201-214Crossref Scopus (2) Google Scholar]. Economic benefits accrued from tourist activities at popular surf 'spots' are worth up to more than US$10 million annually (see the supplemental information online). The concept of ecosystem services has highlighted the ecological functions of waves [6.Short A. Farmer B. Surfing reserves – recognition for the world's surfing breaks.Reef J. 2012; 2: 1-14Google Scholar]. The international nongovernmental organization (NGO) 'Save The Waves' has therefore placed the notion of 'surf (surge) ecosystem' at the center of their actions. This is defined as 'the geophysical components, the plants and animals, and the human interactions that make a place special'. Waves have thus gradually been recognized as an asset for local development and coastal protection [7.Edwards A. Stephenson W. Assessing the potential for surf break co-management: evidence from New Zealand.Coast. Manag. 2013; 41: 537-560Crossref Scopus (12) Google Scholar], and the need arose to protect these waves, as well as the adjacent environment on which they heavily depend. Waves could thus be perceived as a physical equivalent of 'umbrella species', and their conservation is initiated by both leisure and ecological issues. Thus, the concept of wave reserves has gained popularity over the past few decades. The first wave reserve was established in Bells Beach, Australia, in 1973 (Table 1). However, it took a quarter of a century for the concept to spread. Since the early 2000s, several reserves have been established, some of which have legal status at the national level (Peru, New Zealand) or at the regional level (New South Wales and Queensland States, Australia). In the absence of specific regulations, some wave reserves are associated with national defense areas (Peru), marine sanctuaries, or fishing tenures (Chile), the purpose of which is to guarantee the sustainability of the waves [3.Scheske C. et al.Surfing and marine conservation: exploring surf-break protection as IUCN protected area categories and other effective area-based conservation measures.Aquat. Conserv. Mar. Freshwat. Ecosyst. 2019; 29: 195-211Crossref Scopus (10) Google Scholar]. Under the name 'World Surfing Reserves' (WSR), a global model has emerged, which tries to standardize operational processes, highlighting the environmental, economic, and cultural dimensions of waves [6.Short A. Farmer B. Surfing reserves – recognition for the world's surfing breaks.Reef J. 2012; 2: 1-14Google Scholar]. Despite their purely symbolic status, such WSR have resulted in popular mobilization, which catalyzes public policies. Some WSR have thus given rise to legislation at the city, regional/state or national level such as in Malibu (USA), Huanchaco (Peru) or New South Wales and Queensland (Australia) (see the supplemental information online).Table 1Wave reserves around the world, their surface area, and legal statusaCountries are sorted by year of wave reserves implementation. Type of reserves within countries are sorted by the level of status' relevance. In most countries, implementation of wave reserves is still in process, with new reserves that are likely to be created in the future. Resources about all wave reserves described in this table are detailed in the supplemental information online.CountryNumber and typeYear of implementationEstimated surface area and legal statusAustraliaOne Surfing Recreation Reserve197348 ha with legal status24 National Surfing Reserves (including three World Surfing Reserves)Including 11 in New South Wales (one World Surfing Reserve). Two World Surfing Reserves in the state of Queensland are also expected to obtain a legal status.2006 (first reserve) – now1200–9600 ha altogether without legal status600–4800 ha altogether with legal statusPeru33 Protected Surfing Zones2000Around 800 ha altogether with legal statusOne World Surfing Reserve2013700 ha, including 82.77 with legal statusPuerto RicoOne Marine Reserve200483 ha with legal statusNew Zealand17 National Surfing Reserves2010 (Taranaki Region: 2009)Legal status, with no stated outlines250 Regional Surfing Reserves2010 – nowNAUSATwo officially recognized Reserves in Hawaii without binding status2010Legal status, with no stated outlinesTwo World Surfing Reserves2010 and 2012Around 1000 ha altogether without legal statusIncluding one – Malibu, California – that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places201850.5 ha out of 65 ha constituting the reserve is under legal statusChileOne Marine Sanctuary, Piedra del Viento20204000 ha with legal statusOne Surfing Reserve2017No known outline, no legal status17 Territorial Use Rights for Fisheries (TURFs) partly dedicated for surfing2010sAround 1700 ha altogetherPortugalOne World Surfing Reserve2011No outline, no legal statusMarine Protected Areas in AçoresExpectedExpected legal status and determined outlinedSpainOne 'Element of natural interest' within a UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Reserve in Mundaka2015 (Reserve) – 2016 (Legal reserve)Surf zone included in the UNESCO MAB ReserveFour Surfing Reserves2012–2017No outlines, no legal statusOne 'Natural Monument' in Cantabria regionExpectedNAMexicoOne World Surfing Reserve201416 000 haOne Marine Protected Area in San Miguel Beach202167.53 ha, legal statusBrazilOne World Surfing Reserve2019250 ha, no legal statusNational Surfing ReservesExpectedNo outline, no legal statusTo come: Costa RicaOne World Surfing ReserveApproved 2020, Dedication Ceremony to comeNo outline, no legal statusMarine Protected AreasExpectedExpected legal status and determined outlinesTo come: IndonesiaOne Marine Protected AreaTo come50 000 ha with legal statusTo come: Uruguay, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Liberia, France etc.NAExpectedNAa Countries are sorted by year of wave reserves implementation. Type of reserves within countries are sorted by the level of status' relevance. In most countries, implementation of wave reserves is still in process, with new reserves that are likely to be created in the future. Resources about all wave reserves described in this table are detailed in the supplemental information online. Open table in a new tab The creation of wave reserves as a measure to preserve sports and recreational activities aligns with initiatives to conserve the coastal environment. Indeed, the sustainability of usable waves is strongly dependent on the adjacent environment and the substrate on which they form. Management measures therefore require consideration of water quality, ecosystem health, sediment dynamics, and the regulation of infrastructure construction, which provide cascading benefits to the surrounding environment. As 90% of world-class wave locations occur within marine biodiversity hotspots and more than a quarter are located near key biodiversity areas [8.Reineman D.R. et al.Conservation opportunities arise from the co-occurrence of surfing and key biodiversity areas.Front. Mar. Sci. 2021; 8: 1-7Crossref PubMed Scopus (2) Google Scholar], there is a direct link between biodiversity and wave conservation. In this regard, World Surf League's environmental campaign 'We Are One Ocean' benefited from the support of the secretariat of the Convention for Biological Diversity (see the supplemental information online). In addition, wave users are often environmentally aware and engaged in conservation activities. Many surfers' associations lead environmental actions, such as 'Surfers Against Sewage', or the 'Surfrider Foundation' [3.Scheske C. et al.Surfing and marine conservation: exploring surf-break protection as IUCN protected area categories and other effective area-based conservation measures.Aquat. Conserv. Mar. Freshwat. Ecosyst. 2019; 29: 195-211Crossref Scopus (10) Google Scholar]. The latter initiated the creation of Tres Palmas marine protected area (MPA) in Puerto Rico, while Surfbreak Protection Society is the instigator of current New Zealand's wave protection legislation (see the supplemental information online). More recently, Save The Waves joined forces with the environmental NGO Conservation International, to support the creation of national networks of protected areas. By bringing together stakeholders and increasing users' awareness, wave reserves can improve communication between local stakeholders, leading to positive outcomes beyond that of maintaining direct use [3.Scheske C. et al.Surfing and marine conservation: exploring surf-break protection as IUCN protected area categories and other effective area-based conservation measures.Aquat. Conserv. Mar. Freshwat. Ecosyst. 2019; 29: 195-211Crossref Scopus (10) Google Scholar,9.Arroyo M. et al.Indicators to measure pressure, state, impact and responses of surf breaks: the case of Bahía de Todos Santos World Surfing Reserve.Ocean Coast. Manag. 2020; 194105252Crossref Scopus (5) Google Scholar]. The small surface area of wave reserves and, for many, the lack of legal status, makes it difficult for most reserves to be recognized in the same way as a protected area or other area-based conservation measure, as defined by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) [3.Scheske C. et al.Surfing and marine conservation: exploring surf-break protection as IUCN protected area categories and other effective area-based conservation measures.Aquat. Conserv. Mar. Freshwat. Ecosyst. 2019; 29: 195-211Crossref Scopus (10) Google Scholar]. In addition, most wave reserves currently consider only their recreational value, which hampers their legitimacy for coastal conservation. Sometimes their designation has not led to any subsequent concrete actions (as in Hawaii), or the regulatory statutes are too weak to effectively address root problems. There is also a lack of feedback on the conservation effectiveness of wave reserves, largely due to their recent implementation and the low number of operational reserves. The only 'old' reserve, created in 1973 in Australia, appears to function effectively, and the site has reported to have 'blossomed under the protection afforded by its reserve status' [10.Farmer B. Short A.D. Australian national surfing reserves – rationale and process for recognizing iconic surfing locations.J. Coast. Res. 2007; 50: 99-103Google Scholar]. Wave reserves have also facilitated the blocking of coastal infrastructure, for example, jetties and coastal tourist and luxury real estate (e.g., at Huanchaco and Tres Palmas). They have also incentivized management measures (such as debris removals and coral transplants at Tres Palmas) or lead to the establishment of monitoring and restoration programs for fauna and flora (e.g., at Punta de Lobos and Bells Beach). However, to gain legitimacy in nature conservation, the monitoring of wave reserves' ecological impacts have to be generalized. Moreover, wave reserves will likely expand considerably in the coming years. Recently, a 4000-ha marine sanctuary in Chile, partly dedicated to waves, has been created, a pilot reserve of 50 000 ha in Indonesia was on its way to be implemented, and an alliance has been planned to protect 100 sites in Peru, 80 more in Chile, and other reserves in Brazil and Uruguay. Save The Waves and Conservation International now aim to jointly protect 1000 sites in more than 20 countries; the declared goal by NGOs and national administrations is to establish marine protected areas of substantial size. To complete this strategic shift, the new wave reserves tend to benefit from legal status due to collaboration with national authorities, which would give them relevance de facto for conservation, whether they are traditional MPAs or fall within new specific statuses. For example, the Surf & Nature Alliance (the organization responsible for recently obtaining the classification of the Mundaka wave within the Urdaibai UNESCO MAB Reserve) is now working with the government of Cantabria (Spain) to create a protected site extending across over several tens of kilometers of coastline (see the supplemental information online). This bottom-up process is popular with the general public. The growing surf market, newly branded Olympic sport, could generate significant revenues for conservation. There are similarities with scuba divers, which on a lesser extent are already identified as users likely to generate money for the protection of the natural environments from which they benefit [11.Roberts M. et al.User fees across ecosystem boundaries: are SCUBA divers willing to pay for terrestrial biodiversity conservation?.J. Environ. Manag. 2017; 200: 53-59Crossref PubMed Scopus (14) Google Scholar]. Wave users could thus be an important funding reservoir. In some ways, wave reserves also have similarities with the first protected areas in the modern era, whose implementation was also driven by user needs (hunting reserves, wood reserves, protected landscapes for artistic claims) [12.Phillips A. The history of the international system of protected area management categories.Parks. 2004; 14: 4-14Google Scholar]; these ancient 'user-led' movements then laid the foundations of modern area-based conservation. What is new, however, is that the private sector is now interested in wave reserve projects. For example, sports, cosmetics, and drinks brands finance Save The Waves' international programs, 'We Are One Ocean' campaign, and also various national programs run by local associations (see the supplemental information online). These brands wish to be associated with responsible ecological and social projects, in addition to benefiting from the image of surfing. Wave reserves are expected to become a popular tool of coastal conservation in countries recognized as surfing destinations (Figure 1). By their nature, they make it possible to combine preservation of the coastal environment, local economic prosperity, and human well-being [8.Reineman D.R. et al.Conservation opportunities arise from the co-occurrence of surfing and key biodiversity areas.Front. Mar. Sci. 2021; 8: 1-7Crossref PubMed Scopus (2) Google Scholar]. Therefore, they can become the foundation for a sustainable approach to sport tourism that places the notion of carrying capacity at the heart of the uses, especially in low- and middle-income countries [9.Arroyo M. et al.Indicators to measure pressure, state, impact and responses of surf breaks: the case of Bahía de Todos Santos World Surfing Reserve.Ocean Coast. Manag. 2020; 194105252Crossref Scopus (5) Google Scholar]. When large enough, wave reserves can contribute to the CBD's proposed Target 2 (which calls for protecting 30% of the planet) (Figure 1). This would allow low- and middle-income countries to increase their relatively weak area-based conservation systems at a lower cost, and therefore progress in achieving their international commitments such as the CBD and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) [3.Scheske C. et al.Surfing and marine conservation: exploring surf-break protection as IUCN protected area categories and other effective area-based conservation measures.Aquat. Conserv. Mar. Freshwat. Ecosyst. 2019; 29: 195-211Crossref Scopus (10) Google Scholar,13.Failler P. et al.Is Aichi Target 11 progress correctly measured for developing countries?.Trends Ecol. Evol. 2019; 34: 875-879Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (9) Google Scholar]. Wave reserves could be set up at lower costs for the institutions than traditional nature reserves, thanks to a clear civic commitment and support from the private sector. If the concept of wave reserves overcomes the limiting notion of surfing, this could pave the way for MPAs. These MPAs could have relative autonomy vis-à-vis institutions and NGOs, assimilated by local communities, initiated by site users, and supported by the private sector. To conserve the environment, the first steps are crucial to ensure effective progress [14.McAfee D. Valuing marine restoration beyond the 'too small and too expensive'.Trends Ecol. Evol. 2021; 2895: 1-4Google Scholar]. Thus, although wave reserves are a fairly recent concept, the first acts – the most important – are encouraging, in line with past successful processes related to nature reserves. There is currently a pivotal moment when public authorities, the private sector, the sport and conservation communities can converge toward a common goal of environmental preservation and local empowerment. The concept should thus spread widely and ensure a bright future for this new method of protecting the natural and cultural heritage of coastal regions. G.T.-G. and P.F. contributed to the conceptualization and writing of the paper. The authors declare no competing interests. Download .docx (.04 MB) Help with docx files Supplementary material