Conservation Biology​​​ in the Boreal
HOW DOES NEWFOUNDLAND and LABRADOR COMPARE??​
Marine Protected Areas
The health of the world's oceans have become increasingly strained over the last few decades due to impacts such as coastal and offshore development, overfishing, a changing climate, natural events, and other sources. Impacts to these intricately balanced and highly vulnerable environments include declining fish populations, threats to rare or endangered species, the loss of valuable resources and degradation of coral reefs and other vital habitats (2).
Through the collaboration of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Environment Canada and Parks Canada Agency, they are able to work together to establish and manage Marine Protected Areas (MPA's). These MPA's are used as a way to restore and maintain healthy marine environments by contributing to the overall protection of critical marine habitats and resources (2).
​Under the Oceans act, "Fisheries and Oceans Canada are able to protect and conserve​
​-commercial and non-commercial fishery
resources;
-endangered marine species and their
habitats;
-unique habitats;
-marine areas of high biodiversity or
biological productivity; and
-any other marine resource or habitat
necessary to fulfill the Minister's
mandate"(3)
References:​
1) Sobel, J., Dahlgren. (2004). Marine Reserves: A guide to Science, Design, and Use. Washington, DC: Island Press. ​
2) Shackell, N., Willison, M. (2005). Marine Protected Areas and Sustainable Fisheries. Wolfville, Nova Scotia: Science and Management of Protected Areas Association.
3) http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans/marineareas-zonesmarines/mpa-zpm/purpose-but-eng.htm
4) http://www.mpa.gov/aboutmpas/definition/
5) http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/weeklynews/may09/mpalist.html
6) http://thethirdestate.net/2010/02/swim-against-this-tide
7) http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8428/7838754964_27c2d78b50_z.jpg
8) http://www.cedar-beach.com/images/NatGeog.jpg​
9) http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans/marineareas-zonesmarines/mpa-zpm/index-eng.htm
Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) surfacing. Retrieved from: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/weeklynews/may09/mpalist.html (5)
Illustration of the destruction caused by bottom trawling. Retrieved from: http://thethirdestate.net/2010/02/swim-against-this-tide (6)
Diverse submarine ecosystem associated with a coral reef. Retrieved from: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8428/7838754964_27c2d78b50_z.jpg (7)
National Geographic magazine cover illustrating the importance of MPAs. Retrieved from: http://www.cedar- ​
beach.com/images/NatGeog.jpg​ (8)
​
Map of Canadian MPAs protected federally (2013). Retrieved from: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans/marineareas-zonesmarines/mpa-zpm/index-eng.htm (9)
University field course studying marine ecosystems. Retrieved from: http://www.unl.edu/ (10)
What is a MPA? The NOAA defines a MPA as "...any area of the marine environment that has been reserved by federal, state, territorial, tribal, or local laws or regulations to provide lasting protection for part or all of the natural and cultural resources therein."(4)