National System of Marine Protected Areas: What it is and what it is not

摘要

Mark Hixon is a professor of marine biology at Oregon State University and chairman of the federal Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee. He submitted this essay to help clarify federal efforts to organize the nation's marine protected areas. In November, the departments of Commerce and the Interior announced the start of the nomination process for the U.S. National System of Marine Protected Areas, to be facilitated by NOAA's National MPA Center. I want all stakeholders to know what thismeans -- and what it doesn't mean. Basically, it means that the feds are trying to coordinate the nation's protected areas already established by state and federal governments. It doesn't mean that the federal MPA Center is going to impose protected areas off your coastline.