MARINE RESERVES

A marine reserve or marine protected area (MPA) can mean several things. For example, some people interpret marine protected areas to mean areas closed to all human activities. Others interpret them as special areas set aside for recreation and commercial use, much like national parks. In reality, “marine protected area” is a term that encompasses a variety of conservation and management methods applied to a given area.

In practice, MPAs are defined areas where natural and/or cultural resources are given greater protection than the surrounding waters. MPAs span a range of habitats including the open ocean, coastal areas, intertidal zones, and estuaries. They also vary widely in purpose, legal authorities, agencies, management approaches, level of protection, and restrictions on human uses.

At the Little Cayman Research Center, we are studying the effectiveness of some of these marine reserves particularly in the protection of reefs and reef inhabitants.