Protected Areas

Marine Protected Areas are one of the most widely used tools in reef conservation. The International Union for Conservation of nature defines a MPA as:

“Any area of the intertidal or subtidal terrain, together with its overlying water and associated flora, fauna, historical and cultural features, which has been reserved by law or other effective means to protect part or all of the enclosed environment.”

Typical MPAs try to protect the marine environment and their resources by prohibit human activities such as fishing and tourism. Other restrictions can be used to ban ships as a preventive limitation to avoid direct disturbance of the ecosystems. The MPAs can be distinct in different categories which vary in the restriction level:

  • The most strict MPA is the strict nature reservoir, which is categorized by a maximum protection level.
  • A natural park emphasize the protection of the area but allows human use like recreation.
  • Natural monuments protect historical important areas or features such as shipwrecks.
  • An habitat management area is meant for the protection of certain species.

Most effective MPAs are able to maintain healthy coral reefs, support the recovery processes and build areas which recover faster than non-protected areas. In addition, those sites are valuable for education and research purposes.