Marine Protected Area

A Marine Protected Area (MPA) is any area of ocean with some form of protection from human activities. They range from strict no-take reserves (where all extractive activities are prohibited) to multiple-use areas where sustainable fishing is allowed. MPAs can protect spawning aggregations, nursery habitats, and vulnerable ecosystems. Evidence from well-enforced no-take MPAs shows dramatic increases in fish biomass (4–10×), fish density, and organism size within their boundaries, with spillover benefits to adjacent fishing grounds. The Convention on Biological Diversity targets protection of 30% of the ocean by 2030 ("30×30").

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (Australia), the largest MPA in the world at 344,400 km², encompasses a network of no-take zones and managed use zones.