What Are Marine Protected Areas?

Marine parks, marine conservation zones, marine reserves, marine sanctuaries, and no-take zones. What all of these designations have in common is that they’re all Marine Protected Areas. To date, more than 5,000 unique MPAs have been established in ocean environments around the world. Altogether, they amass 0.8 percent of the ocean.

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What Are Marine Protected Areas?

Generally speaking, Marine Protected Areas (MPA) are defined areas of the ocean where human activities are regulated or restricted to conserve and manage the marine life that lives there. MPAs encompass a diverse array of ecosystems, including coral reefs, seagrass meadows, mangroves, deep-sea habitats, estuary areas, and even parts of the Great Lakes.

These areas can vary greatly in size, ranging from small reserves—such as Echo Bay Marine Provincial Park in British Columbia, which spans only 1 acre—to vast expanses of ocean—like the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, nearly 160,000 square miles of ocean that envelops the island nation of Kiribati and the surrounding marine environments.

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What Do MPAs Do?

Although MPAs are created to protect marine habitats and the various life forms they support, each MPA is designed for a unique outcome.

Some MPAs, such as the Galápagos Marine Reserve off the coast of South America, are established to protect areas of biodiversity that are found nowhere else in the world. This reserve includes a variety of habitats, from coral reefs to cold ocean currents, to brackish mangrove swamps—and is home to several thousand species, including the marine iguana, which is found nowhere else in the world. By creating a sanctuary for unique species, MPAs contribute to conservation efforts of endangered species, maintaining the genetic diversity of the population and the critical habitats that they call home.

Other MPAs are created to protect historic sites. MPAs are often created to protect historic shipwrecks, such as the U.S.S. Monitor National Marine Sanctuary was established to protect a Civil War ship that sank off the shore of North Carolina in 1862. Wrecks can often act as an artificial reef, creating a permanent shelter for local marine species to thrive. 

Still others are established to ensure that popular fishery areas are being fished sustainably. Cabo Pulmo National Park in the Sea of Cortez was long plagued by overfishing of key marine species like groupers, snappers, and jacks, whose populations dwindled. To revive these overfished populations and restore the health of the marine ecosystem, the park implemented strict no-take regulations, prohibiting all fishing activities within its boundaries since 1995. As a result, fish populations have rebounded significantly, with some species reaching pre-depletion levels, preserving the species and the commercial fisheries in the area for years to come.

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Levels Of Protection

Different MPAs also provide differing levels of protection, the strictest prohibiting human entry entirely to allow overfished populations to recover and to give delicate habitats the opportunity to flourish. No-entry MPAs tend to be small and are often valuable sites for scientific research, such as sections of the vast Seaflower Reserve off Colombia’s Caribbean which is home to rare systems of tropical coral reefs.

Other MPAs have less restrictions. Within a no-take MPA, fishing and collecting aren’t allowed, but people can use the area for recreational activities like snorkeling or swimming. Still other MPAs are divided up into different zones with differing restrictions. Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is one of the world’s largest MPAs, and is divided into zones—along some parts of the reef, recreational and commercial fishing is allowed, but about a third of the park has strict rules against fishing, allowing fish and coral populations to thrive.

In some cases, protections remain in place year-round, while others have seasonal restrictions—fishing is often controlled during spawning and breeding seasons in order to conserve fish populations. 

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Who Can Establish An MPA?

In the same way that the protection of an MPA can be carried out in a variety of ways based on ecological considerations and priorities, the establishment of these areas can be enacted by many different interest groups at the international, national, state, local, indigenous and grassroots levels.

Regardless of the agency in charge, the process of establishing a new Marine Protected Areas involves a thorough scientific assessment, stakeholder engagement, and regulatory measures. The process begins with identifying areas of ecological vulnerability and extensive biodiversity studies as well as in-depth consultation with local communities, government agencies, scientists, and conservation organizations to ensure that the proposed protection plan aligns with both conservation goals and socioeconomic considerations.

In the U.S, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) are among the key federal agencies responsible for managing MPAs in federal waters. State governments may have their own agencies or departments tasked with managing MPAs within state waters.

MPAs can also be established internationally, and are managed through intergovernmental agreements, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and conservation groups—most notably Mission Blue’s Hope Spots initiative, led by renowned oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle—often play a significant role in advocating for the establishment of MPAs, conducting research, and supporting management efforts through funding and capacity-building initiatives.

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The Lasting Impact Of MPAs

As we continue to face unprecedented challenges such as climate change, overfishing, and habitat degradation, the establishment and effective management of MPAs are more critical than ever. Marine Protected Areas are invaluable tools for marine conservation. They pave the way for a more resilient marine environment, ensuring that future generations can benefit from the sea for decades to come.

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Learn More

Curious where the Marine Protected Areas are near you? Take a look at NOAA’s interactive 2023 MPA Inventory, which offers a visual of all of the protected areas in U.S. waters.