Marine protected areas

The principles and guidelines developed by IUCN and NOAA are addressed to marine protected areas and coastal managers and are intended to promote better understanding and recognition of the linkages between MPAs and the wider coastal and marine area and of the need to establish effective incentives and institutional arrangements to manage marine protected areas in the broader context of integrated coastal and ocean management frameworks.

The Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region is renowned for the attractiveness of its coastal zones, high marine biodiversity and rich marine and coastal resources, but the 30 million or so people who live on the coast of the WIO region have had a significant impact on its biodiversity.

IUCN, WWF and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have developed this guidebook to assist marine protected area (MPA) managers in assessing the performance of their MPA. Based on this assessment, it shows how necessary changes can be made to improve management measures.

Coral reefs are at risk from many threats including global warming causing coral bleaching, over fishing or destructive fishing, pollution by sediments, nutrients and toxic chemicals, coral mining and shoreline development and unregulated tourism. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are an important tool for marine conservation and management. This book provides practical advice on how to design and implement ecological and socio-economic monitoring programmes aimed at addressing these issues.

By far the largest habitat for life on earth and the cradle of new species, habitats and undiscovered ecosystems, our oceans are being intensively exploited and heavily degraded. Marine Protected Areas can be used to restore, safeguard and halt the negative impacts on the biodiversity of these oceans.