A portion of the marine environment set aside by law or other regulations to protect and preserve its flora, fauna, historical, or cultural features. Marine protected areas have different levels of protection and use, and can be called many different names, such as reserves, preserves, sanctuaries, refuges, parks, fishery management zones, national seashores, national monuments, critical habitats, and conservation areas.
an area of the ocean that is designated for special protection under the Oceans Act
As defined by U.S. Executive Order 13158 on MPAs: Areas of the marine environment that have been reserved by federal, state, territorial, tribal, or local laws or regulations to provide lasting protection for part or all of the natural and cultural resources therein.
Any are of intertidal or sub tidal terrain, together with its overlying water and associated flora and fauna, historical and cultural features, which haws been reserved by law or other effective means to protect part or all the enclosed environment.
A protected marine intertidal or subtidal area, within territorial waters, EEZs or in the high seas, set aside by law or other effective means, together with its overlying water and associated flora, fauna, historical and cultural features. It provides degrees of preservation and protection for important marine biodiversity and resources; a particular habitat (e.g. a mangrove or a reef) or species, or sub-population (e.g. spawners or juveniles) depending on the degree of use permitted. The use of MPAs (for scientific, educational, recreational, extractive and other purposes including fishing) is strictly regulated and could be prohibited.
A marine reserve, park or other area protected from uncontrolled human access and use by the application of various restrictions on activities, development and exploitation.
An area of sea (or coast) especially dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity, of natural and associated cultural resources( resource), and managed through legal or other effective means.
An area where some types of fish or plants are protected. Also called "MPA".
Set locations assigned strong governmental and legal protection to restrict the occurrence of certain activities.
Marine Protected Area (MPA) is often used as an umbrella term covering a wide range of marine areas with some level of restriction to protect living, non-living, cultural, and/or historic resources. A commonly used definition is the one developed by the World Conservation Union.