Marine Protected Area Network Planning – Connecting the Coast

Marine protected area (MPA) networks are collections of MPAs and other conserved areas that safeguard ecological components and protect marine biodiversity as a whole. Fisheries and Oceans Canada has been advancing the... [ view full abstract ]

Marine protected area (MPA) networks are collections of MPAs and other conserved areas that safeguard ecological components and protect marine biodiversity as a whole. Fisheries and Oceans Canada has been advancing the development of MPA networks across five priority bioregions. The development of MPA networks is guided by five principles, which are recognized by the Convention on Biological Diversity. These are the protection of Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas, representativity, connectivity, replication, and adequacy and viability.

These principles seek to ensure that a variety of habitat types are represented within the network through a combination of coastal and offshore sites, and that there are ecological connections between them. Well-designed networks of MPAs can provide environmental benefits as well as social and economic benefits for coastal communities, for example through sustained fisheries. This presentation will walk through the various stages of network development in Canada, and the international design principles that guide development,