This preprint synthesises documented recovery rate data from marine no-take zones by taxonomic and functional group, presenting evidence-based timeline estimates for biological recovery under full protection scenarios. Meta-analytic evidence documents mean biomass increases of 200–600% at mature no-take sites. Recovery timescales range from years for invertebrates and small pelagics to decades for large demersal fish to a century or more for great whales. A parallel assessment evaluates four alternative protein production systems — closed-system aquaculture, mycocultural production, insect protein, and microalgae — with production capacity, nutritional completeness, and scalability assessed against peer-reviewed data. The paper presents biological and nutritional evidence only and does not argue for a specific policy outcome.
John Carter (Mon,) studied this question.