Coral reefs are one of the most productive, yet most threatened, ecosystems on the planet. A wide variety of activities ranging from coastal development to global warming to overfishing have endangered coral reef health. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) provide a comprehensive approach to addressing these threats and are one of the most promising solutions for the survival of coral reefs and the many benefits they provide to people.
What are MPAs?
MPAs are areas of coastal land and water that are specifically designated to protect natural resources and ecosystems. MPAs create a framework for sustainable use and resource management that is designed to sustain coral reef health. MPAs provide sites that allow for the preservation of biodiversity and the restocking of fish and shellfish populations. Also, MPAs can improve water quality by including adjacent watersheds as a means to control the impacts of sedimentation and pollution. Effective MPAs must be part of an integrated approach where coral reef communities are protected from multiple stresses, so they can recover faster from any single disturbance.
- Recommendation on Marine Protected Areas
- Decision to Disseminate Scientific Consensus findings on Marine Reserves
- Decision on Improving Monitoring in MPAs
- Decision on MPA ad hoc committee
- Recommendation on Developing MPA Networks
- Decision to Disseminate Scientific Consensus findings on Marine Reserves
- Marine Protected Areas in the Caribbean region – Presentation (GM 24)
- Regional Strategy
- Resolution on Assessing the Effectiveness of Marine Protected Area Management
- Monitoring Coral Reef Marine Protected Areas – A practical guide on how monitoring can support effective management of MPAs
- ICRI East Asia regional strategy on MPAs networks
- Sandy Island/ Oyster Bed Marine Protected Area Officially Launched in Carriacou, Grenada
- St. Maarten’s “Man of War Shoal Marine Park Established
- Australian government proposed the establishment of the world’s largest marine protected area in the waters of the Coral Sea
- New Assessment Finds Management Efforts are Insufficient to Protect Mesoamerican Reef
- FAO publishes technical guidelines on MPAs as fisheries tools
- DNA Evidence Shows That Marine Reserves Help to Sustain Fisheries
- Australia announces world’s largest marine reserve network
- Maldives Announces Plans to Declare Country a Marine Reserve
- Palau wins World Heritage Status
- New Marine Protected Area Established on Nguna Island, Vanuatu
- World’s Largest Marine Parks Established in Cook Islands, New Caledonia
- Mozambique creates Africa’s largest coastal marine reserve
- Belize declares new marine reserve around Turneffe Atoll
- Dominican Republic’s newest Ramsar Site
- Maldives – Entire country to become UNESCO Biosphere Reserve by 2017
- Palau’s president proposes new marine sanctuary
- Creation of a New Protected Area in Southwestern Haiti
- Creation of a New Marine Protected Area in Northeastern Haiti
- The Caribbean Netherlands establish “Yarari” marine mammal and shark sanctuary
- Open Call for Proposals Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean
- ICRI/UN Environment Small Grants Programme
- Seychelles hits 30% marine protection target after pioneering debt restructuring deal
- “Community conservation means more fish in the sea” new research from Blue Ventures
- Niue formalises one of largest marine reserves in world
- Kingdom of Tonga Special Management Area report 2020