• HOME
• EXPLORE
  • Oceans
    • Coral Reef Conservation
    • International Collaboration
    • Marine Protected Areas
    • National Marine Sanctuary System
    • Ocean Exploration
    • Oil and Chemical Spills
  • Coasts
    • Coastal Decision-making Tools
    • Coastal Ecosystem Science
    • Coastal Zone Management
    • Coastal Monitoring and Observations
    • Contaminants in the Environment
    • Ecological Forecasting
    • Harmful Algal Blooms
    • National Estuarine Research Reserves
    • Natural Hazards Assessment
    • Natural Resource Restoration
    • Training and Capacity- Building
  • Charting and Navigation
    • Aerial Photography and Shoreline Mapping
    • Global Positioning
    • Height Modernization
    • Hydrographic Surveying
    • Marine Navigation
    • Tides and Currents
  • Ocean Facts
• EDUCATION
• NEWS
  • Weekly News
  • Press Releases
• MULTIMEDIA
  • Podcasts
  • Video
  • Image Gallery
  • Fun & Entertainment
• OFFICES
  • Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services
  • International Program Office
  • Management and Budget Office
  • National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
  • National Geodetic Survey
  • Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
  • NOAA Coastal Services Center
  • Office of Coast Survey
  • Office of Ocean and Coastal Resources Management
  • Office of Response and Restoration
• OUTREACH
• PUBLICATIONS
• DATA EXPLORER
  • Data Explorer Help
  • Tools and Resources
  • Data Web Sites
  • Data by Topics
  • Search for Data
• WEB SITES
• ABOUT
• 

For More Information

Marine Protected Area Center

National System of MPAs

Diving Deeper – Marine Protected Areas

 

First Members of the National System of Marine Protected Areas Announced

On April 22, the National Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Center, together with the Department of the Interior, announced the admission of 225 existing federal, state, and territorial MPAs into the National System of Marine Protected Areas. 

This charter group of MPAs includes sites from state, territorial, federal, and federal/state partnership agencies in 28 states, plus additional offshore areas under federal jurisdiction. These areas were selected following the guidelines outlined in The Framework for the National System of Marine Protected Areas, which was released in November.  This first group addresses all of the national system’s priority conservation objectives identified in the Framework document. Also, both no-take and multiple use MPAs are included in this first group.

Marine protected areas are among the most important tools we have to manage our nation’s ocean resources.  The United States has more than 1,700 MPAs, established by federal, state, territorial, and local governments to protect ecosystems, conserve cultural resources, and sustain fisheries.  Until now, there has not been an overarching mechanism to help MPAs across all levels of government work together toward common goals. Enter the National System of MPAs.

The national system does not does not bring state, territorial or local sites under federal authority, nor does it restrict or change the management of any MPA. Instead, it connects MPAs facing common issues and challenges and supports them as they work together to find solutions beyond their individual boundaries. In this regard, the national system will benefit the nation’s collective conservation efforts.

The inaugural group of 225 MPAs will be the focus of cooperative efforts to address common resource management challenges and has been placed on the official List of National System MPAs.  The second round of nominations of sites to include on the List will begin later this year.