Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)

Mangroves in the Ufoyaal Kassa-Bandial marine protected area, Senegal. (Credit: Olivia Rempel via GRID-Arendal on Flickr CC BY-SA 2.0)

What are Marine Protected Areas?

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are defined by NOAA as set areas where specific protections are put in place to protect the native ecosystem and biodiversity. As defined in MPAs’ founding document, Executive Order 13158, MPAs are “any area of the marine environment that has been reserved by Federal, State, territorial, tribal, or local laws or regulations to provide lasting protection for part or all of the natural and cultural resources therein.”

National parks, wildlife refuges, monuments and marine sanctuaries, habitat areas of particular concern, state parks, conservation areas, estuarine reserves and preserves, and many other areas are examples of different types of protected areas.

Why are Marine Protected Areas Created?

Born out of a need to protect and preserve marine ecosystems, National Geographic states that MPAs are established by federal, state, and local resource groups, ideally in tandem with other management strategies, in order to protect the marine environment on multiple sides, giving ecosystems time to recover from different stressors.

Years of overfishing or damaging fishing gear can leave a scar on ecosystems, such as habitat degradation, population losses, trophic cascade, and additional related issues. MPAs reduce the impact of these human disturbances by preventing further harm and allowing for recovery.

Additionally, as climate change continues to become more severe, coastal fisheries change as species’ distributions and habitat ranges shift in response to the changing environment. For example, increases in water temperature can cause cold-water fish to migrate north in order to avoid the warmer temperatures.

Pollution events, such as oil spills or significant runoff, can impact water quality, driving fish away from their natural habitats or causing mass die-offs that result in large population declines.

MPAs offer the chance for ecosystems to heal, free of any stressors that could inhibit recovery while other management is occurring. MPAs also offer pristine research areas for scientists hoping to study aquatic species and habitats in a semi-controlled environment.

Like many Marine Protected Areas in Indonesia, Nusa Penida combines robust tourism activities and fishing with conservation. (Credit: USAID MPAG / Handoko A. S. via Flickr CC BY-NC 2.0)

Marine Protected Area Restrictions

MPAs can include various types of restrictions on maritime activities, ranging all the way from no-take zones to more simple regulations, such as size and bag limits or restrictions on fishing gear that result in large volumes of bycatch or damage the seabed.

Restrictions are decided upon based on the needs of the ecosystem, and while NOAA states that MPAs are intended to “provide permanent protection,” regulations may change.

Still, throughout the year, the MPA must provide the same level and type of protection at a fixed location and fixed time—meaning that protections must remain consistent, boundaries of the MPA remain the same, and if restrictions aren’t year-round, then they must occur on a set schedule.

NOAA stresses that the protections established under MPAs when they are created are intended to be long-term and remain in place until the ecosystem has recovered to the point where it may be capable of supporting sustainable use in the future.

How are Marine Protected Areas Enforced?

Success of these areas is reliant on compliance with regulations, and while MPAs and anglers have had a contentious history in some areas, cooperation of folks on the water is vital to ensure that the areas are effective at protecting the ecosystem. 

While there are several strategies that can be used to improve angler participation, states are also tasked with enforcing regulations on the water. In regions with large and expansive MPAs, enforcement can prove difficult when resources are limited. 

Even with proper enforcement, compliance with regulations is vital to ensuring that MPAs are successful in their mission. The sooner the ecosystem can recover, the sooner some restrictions may change as the fisheries are able to support sustainable use again.

The Importance of Marine Protected Areas

Ultimately, MPAs are created with the goal of saving ecosystems on the brink by giving them time to heal, safe from the stressors of industry. While some fishing may still be allowed under an MPA, restrictions are intended to support species recruitment and protect the larger ecosystem.

The key is sustainability in all maritime practices, and MPAs occur when an ecosystem has been overfished and otherwise harmed. If the world is going to continue to rely on fisheries for food in the future, then precautions must be taken today to preserve these ecosystems for years to come.