To Fish or Not to Fish?

Part A: The ABCs of MPAs

Dry Tortugas National Park, a marine protected area in the southeastern part of the Gulf of Mexico, 30 miles west of the Florida Keys.

Protected areas are extremely important tools for maintaining biodiversity both on land and in the water. As ecosystems continue to be threatened or damaged—in large part to human activity and its effects—protected areas are vital for safeguarding plant and animal species and the natural resources they and local human communities depend on.

1. Read The Fisheries Benefits of MPAs (Acrobat (PDF) 299kB Jan18 08) to learn about the basics of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and how they can be used to benefit marine fisheries.
   
   

   Checking In

   Answer the following questions to check your understanding of MPA basics.
   
   

   • How does the WWF define a Marine Protected Area (MPA)?
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     "An area designated to protect marine ecosystems, processes, habitats and species, including the essentials of marine biodiversity and which can contribute to the restoration and replenishment of resources for social, economic and cultural enrichment."
   • Describe four beneficial outcomes of MPAs.
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     • Protection from fishing allows exploited species to live longer, grow bigger, and become more numerous.
     • MPAs can help build stocks outside the reserve's boundaries through "spillover".
     • By eliminating destructive fishing practices, MPAs aid the recovery of both target and non-target species.
     • By protecting spawning grounds and areas where juveniles spend their time, fish can be allowed to reproduce before they are caught by fishers.
   • Why might a network of MPAs be more effective than one large MPA?
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     Marine reserves must be large enough to protect animals from fishing by encompassing their full ranges of movement yet small enough so that surrounding fisheries can benefit from spillover. Therefore, a network of MPAs of various sizes may be more effective than a single large MPA.
   • How many high seas MPAs are there? Why are these MPAs important?
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     Although 64% of the ocean is considered high seas (outside national jurisdiction), there are currently no high seas MPAs. Deep sea organisms have already proven valuable to medical research and the pharmaceutical industry, and deep sea fish like the orange roughy have proven to be vulnerable to fishing. MPAs are needed to protect these high seas resources.
   • What are the economic pros and cons associated with MPAs?
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     The initial costs associated with establishing MPs may be high if fishing grounds need to be closed and fishers need to be compensated. In the long run, an MPA can help restore fish stocks and produce bigger and more fish, which will make the fishery more profitable.
   
   
   
2. Go through the [linkhttp://marineprotectedareas.noaa.gov/pdf/national-system/nationalsystem_siteslist_0713.pdf 'alphabetical list'] of U.S. marine managed areas to find a protected area in your home state. If there is not a protected marine area near where you live, choose one in a state that you have visited or would like to visit. Record the following information:
   • Site Name
   • Region
   • Managing Agency
   • Type of Site
   • Land and Water Area
   
   
3. Click on the name of the site for additional information about the protected region. Write down any interesting additional information you find.
   
4. Share the information you found with your classmates, including why you chose that particular protected area. Did you all choose the same marine managed area?
   
5. Download and read the document A Functional Classification System for Marine Protected Areas in the U.S. (Acrobat (PDF) 442kB Jul16 19).
   
   

   Checking In

   Answer the following questions to check your understanding of the MPA classification system.
   
   

   • What are the five objective characteristics common to most MPAs?
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     • Conservation Focus
     • Level of Protection
     • Permanence of Protection
     • Constancy of Protection
     • Ecological Scale of Protection
   • What are the three main types of conservation focus for MPAs?
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     • Natural Heritage
     • Cultural Heritage
     • Sustainable Production
   • What are the six levels of protection assigned to MPAs?
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     • Uniform Multiple-Use
     • Zoned Multiple-Use
     • Zoned Multiple-Use With No-Take Area(s)
     • No-Take
     • No Impact
     • No Access
   
   
   

   Stop and Think

   1:Consider a surfer, a commercial fisherman, a descendant of a local native culture, and a seafood restaurant owner living and working in the same coastal community. Explain why these people might have very different reactions to a proposal to create a new MPA where they live or work. Come up with examples of the types of reasons these people might have for being in favor of or opposed to the creation of an MPA, giving consideration to the types of restrictions that might be imposed in an MPA.
   
   
   Marine Protected Areas can be found all around the world, not just in the United States. Continue to Part B to learn about Mexico's Gulf of California, one of the world's richest ecosystems and foremost locations for marine conservation.