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Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)

Restoring Our Nation's Ocean Heritage

Not so long ago, we considered our ocean too vast to harm. We now know differently. Today the ocean is showing significant signs of overuse and declining health. Human activities have resulted in depleted fisheries, loss of biodiversity, and destroyed habitat. But the good news is that we have a tremendous tool that can help turn these destructive trends around: marine protected areas (MPAs) refuges where ocean life can recover and thrive.

More than a hundred years ago, the United States began protecting our nation's terrestrial natural wonders on land by creating national parks like Yosemite and Yellowstone. Today, we are finally doing the same for our ocean by establishing offshore protected areas. These undersea Yosemites will help ensure wild, healthy oceans for future generations to use and enjoy.

What Are Marine Protected Areas?

Marine protected areas work much like our national parks. The size and level of protection varies, but MPAs are designed to protect some or all of an ocean area's wildlife and habitat. Unlike traditional management tools, which regulate one species at a time, MPAs focus on protecting entire ecosystems—from predators to prey.

MPAs preserve the ocean’s natural heritage and intrinsic value, and are a powerful tool for conserving and restoring ocean biodiversity. They may also provide benefits to cultural resources and can help sustain local economies. In addition, MPAs contribute to healthier, more resilient ocean ecosystems that can better withstand a wide range of impacts, from pollution to climate change.

What Are Marine Reserves?

While different types of MPAs contribute to conservation, the greatest benefits are associated with marine reserves. Marine reserves, also known as fully protected or no-take MPAs, prohibit all fishing, mineral extraction, and other habitat-altering activities. Marine reserves allow fish, mammals, and other marine life to breed, feed, and thrive free of human interference. In a scientific survey of more than one hundred reserves worldwide, scientists found that fish are larger, more abundant, and more diverse within these protected areas. Marine reserves are necessary and essential to restoring the health of the ocean.

Why We Need Marine Protected Areas

Since the 1950s, our oceans have lost more than 90 percent of the big fish that humans rely on for food and income. We are catching more fish than our oceans can replace. The methods used to catch fish commercially can pose additional threats to marine health, including bycatch and habitat destruction.

Extensive scientific research demonstrates that marine reserves, and to a lesser extent MPAs, can help bring back big fish, restore habitats, and provide a buffer against future threats like oil spills and climate change. This graph shows dramatic improvements measured in 124 marine reserves from around the world. On average, the amount of marine life (biomass) was over 400 percent greater inside reserves. The number (density) of plants and animals, size of animals, and number of species (diversity) also showed significant improvement.

How We Benefit

Marine protected areas provide economic, recreational, and environmental benefits to people, whether they live on the water's edge or far inland. They can serve as "savings banks" for commercially and recreationally important species, by restoring fish populations inside the MPA which can then help replenish nearby waters. This "spillover" effect can benefit both fishermen and seafood consumers.

Around the world, marine reserves serve as some of the most popular scuba-diving destinations. These protected ocean places also provide wonderful opportunities for activities like bird-watching and kayaking. Healthy marine habitats help sustain local economies while ensuring that future generations can enjoy the same quality of life.

What Ocean Conservancy Is Doing to Help

Strong, effective marine protected areas are a top Ocean Conservancy priority, and we are making great strides. In Florida, we helped establish the Tortugas Ecological Reserve, where depleted lobsters and reef fish are now showing signs of recovery. In the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, we fought to establish and protect one of the world’s largest marine reserves, the Papahānaumokaākea Marine National Monument. And in California, we helped pass the landmark Marine Life Protection Act, which calls for establishment of a system of MPAs along the state's coastline. Now, we’re working with fishermen, divers, scientists, and others to implement this law.

From coral reefs to deep ocean floors, in temperate and tropical waters, complex ecosystems need protection from the increasing impacts of human activities. Marine protected areas have the ability to restore our ocean resources and the power to establish them is in our hands.

What You Can Do to Help

• Join Ocean Conservancy's online community to learn more and stay up-to-date on ocean issues.

© Copyright 2010 Ocean Conservancy
The Ocean Conservancy, International Coastal Cleanup and Ocean Action Network are registered trademarks of Ocean Conservancy.

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The Ocean Conservancy, International Coastal Cleanup and Ocean Action Network are registered trademarks of Ocean Conservancy.

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