<![CDATA[Effective governance of marine protected areas (MPAs) requires reliable mechanisms to translate multidimensional ecological and social data into coordinated institutional action. Despite widespread adoption of carrying capacity frameworks, a significant "implementation gap" persists between theoretical conservation thresholds and operational decision-making at the site level. This study addresses that gap by designing, implementing, and evaluating a Decision Support System (DSS) artifact tailored for Bunaken National Park (BNP), Indonesia. Grounded in Design Science Research (DSR) principles, the artifact employs a deterministic, rule-based classification engine that processes four normalized input dimensions visitor density, social carrying capacity, infrastructure load, and governance readiness to compute a Composite Crowding Index (CCI). The CCI is mapped through an explicit IF-THEN rule engine to four crowding categories (Low, Moderate, High, Extreme), each linked to a validated governance action package. A deterministic rule-based approach was chosen over probabilistic or machine-learning alternatives to ensure full decision traceability, which is a non-negotiable requirement for public-sector governance. System robustness was evaluated through structured scenario testing across 140 logic-coverage cases, assessed against four criteria: output consistency (100%), expert rule alignment (97.8%), decision traceability (100%), and processing efficiency (<1.15 seconds per scenario). The artifact successfully automates the mapping of site-level crowding status to discrete, auditable governance actions. The theoretical contribution lies in formalizing subjective management reasoning into a transparent, reproducible DSS that bridges sustainability science and institutional practice in high-pressure marine tourism environments.]]>
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