The paper presents ground-breaking mixed-method research that combines a qualitative case study of the Cambodian Koh Sdach Archipelago with a cross-country statistical analysis of the impacts of marine protection on affected and adjacent communities. Guided by an innovative conceptual framework that situates marine conservation at the interface between communities, the state, and natural space, the authors demonstrate on the micro level how local communities experience improving relationships with the state and a slowing deterioration of marine resources, but also social division, heightened livelihood anxiety, and potentially a false sense of economic security. On the macro level, the authors document decreasing wealth and increasing child mortality among communities across Southeast Asia who are subjected to marine protection schemes.