Global society has set ambitious goals to reserve 30% of the ocean by 2030 aiming to protect marine biodiversity and improve ocean health in the face of many threats including overfishing and climate change. Accounting for climate change in the expansion of marine reserves is key to have effective biodiversity protection and re-establish healthy ecosystems while promoting sustainability of marine resources. However, marine species are shifting their distribution because of climate change towards colder waters, potentially compromising the benefits and management objectives of currently established marine reserves. Therefore, it remains unclear what is the long-term effectiveness of reserves for conservation, fisheries, and reliant communities under a changing climate. Further developing this line of research is key to support current United Nation’s discussions on biodiversity such as the Global Biodiversity Framework and the expansion of protected areas.