Laffoley, Dan, Baxter, John M., Day, Jon C., Wenzel, Lauren, Bueno, Paula, and Zischka, Katherine (2018) Marine protected areas. In: Sheppard, Charles, (ed.) World Seas: An Environmental Evaluation: Volume III: Ecological Issues and Environmental Impacts. Elsevier, London, UK, pp. 549-569.

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Abstract

Marine protected areas (MPAs) play an important role in protecting and conserving our global ocean ecosystems. The history and development of MPAs around the world are addressed, from early stages to current levels of protection today, through to globally recognized progressive targets for ocean conservation. This outlines the positive benefits of MPAs, their different forms and types, and how these are categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Recent trends involve protection of high sea areas beyond national jurisdiction, the World Heritage listing of sites with Outstanding Universal Value, and a growing recognition of the importance of protecting large-scale marine areas > 150,000 km2. The authors consider key matters of compliance, the diversity and quality of MPA governance, and importance of management effectiveness. The many critical services provided by healthy marine ecosystems include food security, fisheries management and aquaculture, tourism and recreation, energy development, and shipping and marine transportation. A range of issues are associated with MPAs, such as the IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas, integrated connectivity across seascapes, the carbon storage capacity of our oceans as “blue carbon,” and the important contribution of healthy oceans to a strong global economy. The critical role that MPAs play in a future changing ocean world is emphasized, by increasing ocean resilience to climate change impacts, protecting important global fisheries, as part of an effective ocean governance system, and by reducing the cumulative impacts and pressures on our oceans.

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