MARINE PROTECTED AREAS

Fishing closures, gear restricted areas, and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are management measures that allow fish stocks to recover and ensure the continued existence of threatened fish populations. In fact, MPAs are one of the most effective conservation measures as they have been associated with an 8-14 fold increase in fish populations. However, these goals can fail if people are unaware of their location and unintentionally engage in activities that run counter to the intentions of these measures.

Anthrocean supports:

1. Providing fishermen and other water users user-friendly electronic maps.  In collaboration with NOAA’s MPA center, Anthropocene Institute’s ProtectedSeas Marine Mapping project is a comprehensive, free resource for the latest in conservation ocean use restrictions.
2. Using inexpensive, commercially available radars to monitor near-shore MPAs via our Marine Monitor (M2) Project