Aquaculture has transformed the seascapes of Chilean Nor Patagonia into intensively used socio-ecological systems where conservation has been largely displaced. Yet resilient kelp forests and associated biodiversity continue to sustain key ecological functions. We argue that long-term viability in the Chiloé Archipelago requires a paradigm shift in which production and conservation are treated as interdependent. The new framework of multi-use protected areas established by Chile’s Biodiversity and Protected Areas Service (SBAP) enables conservation to be embedded on intensive-use seascape. We propose a network of Productive-Matrix Marine Refuges (PMMR) that protect ecological remnants capable of stabilizing environmental conditions, enhancing bioremediation, and supporting biodiversity. This network can strengthen ecological resilience across intensively used seascapes and advance a frontier model of nature conservation within highly impacted production landscapes.