Marine protected area

A defined marine region managed to conserve ecosystems, species, or cultural resources. Protection can range from restrictions on particular activities to prohibitions on nearly all extraction.

Marine zoning: The division of marine space into zones with different permitted activities and management rules. Zoning assigns different uses and restrictions within a protected region.
Marine biodiversity: The variety of life, genes, and ecosystems in the world's seas and oceans. Biodiversity conservation is a central reason for establishing MPAs.
Yellowstone National Park: A United States national park established in 1872 to protect a large landscape and its natural features. Its land-based model predates marine conservation and influenced protected-area thinking.
Other effective area-based conservation measure: A geographically defined area outside formal protected-area designation that delivers sustained, effective in-situ biodiversity conservation. OECMs can conserve biodiversity without being designated as protected areas.
No-take zone: A marine area where removing living or nonliving resources is prohibited. It represents a stringent form of protection within or beyond an MPA.
Fisheries management: The regulation of fishing to sustain fish populations and the benefits they provide. MPAs can complement catch limits and other fisheries measures.
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park: A large Australian marine park established to manage conservation and human uses of the Great Barrier Reef region. It illustrates large-scale marine zoning and multiuse protection.
Marine conservation: The protection and sustainable management of marine species, habitats, and ecosystems. MPAs are one instrument within the broader practice of marine conservation.
Marine reserve: A marine area set aside primarily to protect habitats and species from extractive activities. Reserves show how strict extraction limits can support conservation.
Coral reef: A marine ecosystem built largely by reef-forming corals and their associated organisms. Reefs are frequently protected because of their high biodiversity and vulnerability.

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