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Analysis of U.S. MPAs

  > Data & Analysis  > Analysis of U.S. MPAs

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The U.S. has more than 1600 MPAs. These areas cover more than 40% of U.S. marine waters, and vary widely in purpose, legal authorities, managing agencies, management approaches, level of protection, and restrictions on human uses.

Some highlights:

• About 40% of all U.S. waters are in some form of MPA
• Nearly all (86%) of U.S. MPAs are multiple use
• "No take" MPAs occupy only about 3% of all U.S. waters
• Less than 8% of the area in MPAs in the U.S. is "no take"
• The majority of U.S. MPAs are located within the Virginian Atlantic marine ecoregion, which extends along Cape Hatteras northward to Cape Cod
• State and territorial governments manage approximately 75% of the nation’s MPAs, but most MPA area is managed by federal agencies

For additional information on the nation's MPAs, download the fact sheet "Snapshot of United States MPAs"

Regional Anlayses

• Snapshot of Gulf of Mexico MPAs (pdf, 4.32 mb)
• Snapshot of Great Lakes MPAs

Disclaimer:
The statistics in the "Snapshot of United States MPAs" fact sheet are current as of April 2011 and are based on 1,511 sites in U.S. marine waters (0-200 nautical miles) with GIS data.

Some upstream and estuarine MPAs meet the definition of "marine" and thus are included in the national and regional number of MPAs. However, they are not included in statistics on MPA area because they are not located geographically within the area defined as "U.S. marine waters" (0-200 nautical miles) or Great Lakes.

Links:

• MPAs Classification
• National System of Marine Protected Areas
• MPA Inventory
• MPA Programs

For More Information:

If you would like more information about the MPA Center's analysis of United States MPAs, please write to the GIS Manager.