Marine Protected Areas

“MPAs are geographically distinct zones for which conservation objectives can be set. They are often established in an attempt to strike a balance between ecological constraints and economic activity, so that the seas may continue to allow for goods and services to be delivered. Marine reserves are MPAs where human impact is kept to a minimum, e.g. extraction is not permitted. MPA networks are a collection of individual MPAs or reserves operating synergistically, at various spatial scales, and covering a range of protection levels, designed to meet objectives that individual MPAs cannot achieve. It should be noted that many diverse definitions of MPAs exist” .