All About Marine Protected Areas

From corals to estuaries, sharks to starfish, our saltwater habitats and species are increasingly being protected around the world as governments create marine protected areas (MPAs) in a bid to save our struggling seas. MPAs are very similar to our protected areas on land, forming underwater national parks where landscapes and the creatures which live there are left alone to thrive with minimal interference. Often, they are designated due to the rare or threatened plants and animals that live there and aim to provide a sanctuary where they can grow and reproduce free from the increasing stresses of pollution, fishing, seabed mining and general underwater activity. 

Despite the ocean covering a mighty 70% of the Earth’s surface, MPAs have only fairly recently become commonplace in conservation whilst land based national parks have been in existence since the 19th century. Today, 7.9% of the global ocean is protected by almost 18,000 different MPAs which have been created by governments and environmental organisations around the world. Some of these are very small and may cover a few miles or the mouth of an estuary whilst the largest current MPA is Marae Moana which covers the entire stretch of ocean which belongs to the Cook Islands. The MPA is a staggering 1.9 million square kilometres in size and aims to balance economic growth with conserving biodiversity and the ecological heritage of the islands. The park contains various zones which control activities, for example, in some areas boats will have to travel slower than usual to protect turtles whilst other areas will not allow anchoring to protect reefs whilst other regions may ban fishing to protect fragile fish stocks for future generations. Coming a close second in size is the Ross Sea Region MPA which was put in place to protect one of the most pristine yet vulnerable environments in the world: Antarctica. The ocean around Antarctica is incredibly productive and home to migrating whales and seabirds, resident penguins and seals as well as a whole host of unique benthic species such as sponges which can live up to 500 years! This park also uses zoning to ensure some areas are free from fishing whilst limited scientific research to help us understand this incredible ecosystem is still allowed in some parts.

Recently, there has been a trend for creating enormous MPAs and in fact, the 20 biggest protected areas cover almost all of the entire ocean which is currently protected. However, many smaller MPAs are created by governments in their national waters which are easier to designate and to manage. Every country is in control of the ocean up to 200 miles from its coastline and controls the resources and the seabed inside this boundary; this is where many MPAs lie. Yet international waters, or the open ocean, which is over 200 miles from any country is much harder to protect both in terms of forming agreements between nations as to what action to take and physically being able to manage and monitor the activities which are taking place so far from land. Only 1.18% of the open ocean is currently protected despite its enormous size and the fact it is home to multiple migrating species such as humpback whales and arctic terns. 

However, simply announcing that an area is protected is the easy part as governments must then actually create and enforce the new rules for the area, a step which is all too often overlooked. Sadly, it seems that when we take a deeper look at many of the world’s MPAs, they are actually mere ‘paper parks’; a line drawn on a map but where no difference has been made in real life. For example, 98% of offshore MPAs in the UK which have been designed to protect the seabed still allow bottom trawling by fishing boats. This method of fishing is highly destructive and involves dragging heavy nets along the seafloor to pick up fish but in the process, not only does it carve up the seafloor and destroy delicate corals and seagrass beds but it also results in high levels of bycatch which can include species such as dolphins, seals and seabirds. Additionally, the seafloor holds a surprising amount of carbon in its muddy sediments and when this is disturbed, carbon is released into the water where it travels to the surface and makes its way into the atmosphere, ultimately contributing to climate change. By not making bottom trawling illegal in these MPAs, we are not giving our species a real chance to recover from overfishing, disturbance, resource extraction and pollution, making our good intentions meaningless. Multiple MPAs around the world still allow fishing, aquaculture, dredging, tourism and construction works such as the building of harbours or renewable energy infrastructure; how can we expect our underwater ecosystems to recover when we continue to use and abuse them?

This is why a new global goal was announced on World Oceans Day which aims for 30% of the world’s ocean to be highly or fully protected by 2030. This means that we cannot create empty paper parks anymore, we must take real action to ensure that high levels of protection are offered to the species and habitats which lie beneath the waves. MPAs which truly care for our oceans are, thankfully, being created, however often it is the smaller projects which rely on community input that thrive. For instance, seagrass meadows are now being protected in Plymouth, UK as environmental charities work with local boat owners to replace traditional boat moorings with innovative new designs. Traditional moorings are well known for damaging our declining seagrass beds and the heavy chains they use can sometimes leave a halo five metres in circumference around them as they drag along the seabed in motion with the tides and currents, causing them to rip up marine plants. Work is now taking place to use buoys to lift the chains off the seabed to allow seagrass beds to recover and in turn, these incredible plants will absorb enormous amounts of carbon dioxide, helping us fight climate change, whilst also forming a home for cuttlefish, crab and seahorses.

Looking forward, not only do we have the challenge of turning paper parks into meaningful MPAs which make a real difference to ocean conservation but we must also ensure all our work is highly connected to help us achieve our goals. For example, species and pollution do not take any notice of the invisible borders we have created around our countries and MPAs, instead they move freely and therefore we must work closely with other nations to create a global network of MPAs which will protect species no matter where they travel. This joined up approach will also help reduce the pollution from one country spilling onto the beaches of another which is working hard to reduce its plastic footprint. Yet we must also remember that pollution and sewage derive from the land and so our coastal marine reserves will likely struggle to meet their goals if we continue to litter and pump out chemicals and sewage. Our environmental strategy for the future must combine both marine and terrestrial conservation groups if we want the greatest chance of saving our ocean ecosystems. Unfortunately however, what is best for ecology is not always what is best for local communities, with highly protected MPAs sometimes blocking local people from accessing resources from the coast, whether that is fish or simply the opportunity to exercise and explore on the water. 

There are so many challenges facing marine conservation but we are certain that the solution is out there. The UK currently has 38% of its waters protected by MPAs but we know that we can and should do more to protect our unique marine spaces which shape our nation so profoundly. That is why we are creating exciting new marine nature reserves across the British Isles! We aim to protect some of Britain’s most incredible and loved species including bottlenose dolphins, minke whales and grey seals as well as a massive range of seabirds such as puffins, sea eagles, gannets and cormorants. Our work will also target coastal plants including wildflowers and fungi, helping reverse biodiversity loss whilst protecting our diverse range of coastal habitats. If you would like to get involved, head to our website to find out how you can sponsor a 3 x 3 metre square of our new marine nature reserve; together, we can help nature thrive.

By Neve McCracken-Heywood