Transdisciplinary Place-Based Research, participatory co-management and active stakeholders’ involvement are often overlooked and oversimplified concepts when dealing with MPAs. Here, we analyze the results of mixed methodologies applied in the urban MPA of “Capo Gallo – Isola delle Femmine” (Palermo).  A focus group supported by a pile-sorting exercise allowed to select the priorities expressed by multiple stakeholders (N = 73, 10 categories). The obtained list of priorities resulted from an initial free listing task, and two rounds of exclusions. Scientists and fishers showed a common priority (the most salient to all participants) and were selected for further investigations. To measure scientists’ interests a scoping review was set up to synthetize: temporal trend, subject, approaches, conservation level of the scientific sources produced. Accessibility of marine resources, benefits generated and the overall support of MPA management were assessed with fishers through a semi-structured questionnaire. 

The need for enforcement and control (31%) was the main priority. An increasing temporal trend of scientific sources has been observed five years after the establishment of the MPA. Most of the studies applied a monitoring approach (49%). Research efforts mainly targeted single-species (46%), only 14% focused on comparison among management zones. 52% do not report accurate georeferences. The 72% of fishers perceive the MPA as a very negatively-influencing driver of change. All fishers do not believe the MPA improves the availability of natural resources and natural spaces, while a moderate percentage reported a high level of support to the MPA (57%). 

Overall, our analysis shows how a multi-tool approach can efficiently highlight specific knowledge gaps and different stakeholders’ perception, often difficult to disentangle with traditional approaches. This may be fundamental to make scientific data available and accessible to policy makers and stakeholders, to consistently support the application of co-design and bottom-up management processes.