Coastal Services Center

National Marine Protected Areas

On May 26, 2000, President Clinton signed Executive Order No. 13158 on marine protected areas (MPAs) to strengthen the protection of U.S. ocean and coastal resources. To help fulfill this task, the order directed the Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Department of the Interior to establish a National Marine Protected Areas Center to provide the science, tools, and strategies to help build a national system of MPAs.

The following documents provide an in-depth look at several key topics that surround MPAs:

• MPA Needs Assessment (PDF, 796KB)
• MPA Technology Needs Assessment (PDF, 384KB)
• Content Analysis Report (PDF, 252KB)
• Decision-Support Tool Inventory (PDF, 433KB)
• Legislative Requirements for Involving the Public (PDF, 59KB)
• Stakeholder Participation Synthesis (PDF, 346KB)
• Enforcement Report (PDF, 1776KB)

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For more information about the National Marine Protected Areas Center or national system efforts, visit www.mpa.gov.