# Ocean protection quality is lagging behind quantity: Applying a scientific framework to assess real marine protected area progress against the 30 by 30 target

*PRI Rank #7 · Topics and Trends in Most Cited Marine and fisheries research Papers, Class of 2026*

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/marine-and-fisheries-research/2026/rank-7*

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Rank | #7 |
| 18m citations | 53 |
| Journal | Conservation Letters |
| Year | 2024 |
| DOI | 10.1111/conl.13020 |
| Corresponding authors | Elizabeth P. Pike |
| Institution | Marine Conservation Institute  Seattle Washington USA, United States |

**Ranking page:** [Topics and Trends in Most Cited Marine and fisheries research Papers, Class of 2026](https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/marine-and-fisheries-research/2026)

**Paper link:** [10.1111/conl.13020](https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.13020)

## Topics

30 by 30 target · Marine protected areas · MPA Guide framework · MPA coverage · MPA quality assessment · fully protected MPAs · highly protected MPAs · MPA implementation gaps · high-impact activities in MPAs · biodiversity loss reversal · ecoregion distribution · remote territories MPAs · MPA regulations · MPA management · conservation outcomes · representative marine ecosystems · destructive human activities · global MPA network · 100 largest MPAs analysis

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Marine and fisheries research Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/marine-and-fisheries-research/2026. Accessed 2026-07-17.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```