Marine Protected Areas

General Information

North Sea

Baltic Sea

Clyde Marine Region

Adriatic Sea

Eastern Mediterranean Sea

Marine Protected Areas

File:Layer Marine Protected Areas.png
Layer Info
Category	Ecology
Sub-category	Protected areas

Description

Marine Protected Areas are a globally recognised tool to manage and enhance marine ecosystems (European Environment Agency, 2018).

MSP Challenge

Within the MSP Challenge Simulation Platform it is possible to edit, add or remove Marine Protected Areas. In editions where there is an EWE model, it is possible to apply policies to the geometries in this layer. There is optional seasonal protection and buffer protection policy for the different types of fleets available in that edition.

You can temporarily or permanently ban specific fishing fleets in each Marine Protected Area, both existing and new ones. You can also implement buffer zones of a specific radius around each Marine Protected Area, in which specific fishing fleets are temporarily or permanently banned.

It is also possible to change the fishing effort of one or more fleets within the sea basin. Activate the Fishing controls by ticking the appropriate checkbox in the Plan Wizard. Subsequently change the appropriate Fishing effort sliders.

Return to Protected Areas

Types

• Default

Metadata

Data Source

Protected planet

UNEP-WCMC and IUCN (2025), Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) [Online], December 2016, Cambridge, UK: UNEP-WCMC and IUCN. Available at: www.protectedplanet.net.

Licensing details: https://www.protectedplanet.net/en/legal

Original Title

The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA)

Description

The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) is the most comprehensive global database of marine and terrestrial protected areas. It is a joint project between UN Environment Programme and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and is managed by UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), in collaboration with governments, non-governmental organisations, academia and industry.The WDPA is updated on a monthly basis, and can be downloaded using the button in the top right of this page.

Creation Date

Not applicable. Implemented on 2016/12.

Methodology

The layer was reprojected to Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area (EPSG:3035). The geometries were simplified and the smaller geometries were removed to optimize the rendering.

Digital Twin Edition

Types

• Default

Metadata

Data Source

EUR-Lex

Original Title

Not available

Description

Not available

Creation Date

10/2019

Methodology

The layer was reprojected to Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area (EPSG:3035). The geometries were simplified and the smaller geometries were removed to optimize the rendering.

Sand Extraction Edition

This layer is consistent with the Marine Protected Areas layer in the Digital Twin Edition of the MSP Challenge.

Types

• Default

Metadata

Data Source

HELCOM

Original Title

Baltic Sea Protected Areas

Description

"This dataset contains borders of the HELCOM MPAs (former Baltic Sea Protected Areas (BSPAs). The dataset has been compiled from data submitted by HELCOM Contracting Parties. It includes the borders of designated HELCOM MPAs stored in the HELCOM Marine Protected Areas database. The designation is based on the HELCOM Recommendation 15/5 (1994)."

Description retrieved from HELCOM's metadata page for this resource (2021-08-26).

Creation Date

Creation date not available. Latest update: 2017-03-30.

Methodology

Geometry simplification to speed up rendering, very small areas were deleted, smaller than 10km^2.

Western Baltic Sea

The Marine Protected Areas layer in the Western Baltic Sea Edition remains consistent with that featured in the Baltic Sea edition.

Types

• Default

Metadata

Data Source

Data provided by project partner (Marine Scotland).

Original Title

Not available.

Description

Not available.

Creation Date

Not available. Data provided on 2017/12.

Methodology

The layer was reprojected to Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area (EPSG:3035). The geometries were simplified and the smaller geometries were removed to optimise the rendering.

Types

• Default

Metadata

Data Source

Provided by project partner CNR-ISMAR based on the [./Ftp://ftp.minambiente.it/PNM/Natura2000/TrasmissioneCE%2Baprile2020/ Italian Ministry of environment] for Italy and tools4msp-eu-GAIR for the rest of the Adriatic.

Original Title

Not available.

Description

Not available.

Creation Date

Not available. Data provided on 2020-09-01.

Methodology

The geometries were simplified and the smaller geometries were removed to optimise the rendering.

Types

Default

Metadata

This layer only exists in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea edition for planning purposes (the layer is empty).