NOAA PROGRESS REPORT

Status of MPA Executive Order

13158 and National Marine 

Protected Areas Center 

Fiscal Year 2004

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

National Marine Protected Areas Center, Silver Spring, Maryland

Fiscal Year
2 NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Year 2004 

Message from the Director of the National Marine Protected Areas Center 

message

Fiscal year 2004 was another strong one for the National Marine Protected Areas Center. With an increased 

level of funding from Congress—$4 million (increased from fiscal year 2003 appropriation of $3 million)—the 

MPA Center was able to hire key staff and focus on priority projects, including concentrating on MPA cultural 

resources, collecting an inventory of de facto MPA sites, working closely with states and territories, completing 

the marine managed areas inventory, having a presence in several regions around the country, increasing training opportunities, revamping the website on U.S. MPAs, supporting three MPA Federal Advisory Committee 

meetings, and developing a series of online regional information centers. 

One main priority was to begin planning for a significant level of outreach to stakeholders and government agencies in 2005 to develop the framework for a national system of marine protected areas, which is called for in MPA 

Executive Order 13158. Seeking and incorporating continuous stakeholder input was identified as essential to 

succeeding in developing the framework, as was a need for sound science as a basis for the national system. 

The National MPA Center continued to build on existing partnerships and form new ones in fiscal year 2004. 

Working closely with the Department of the Interior, the MPA Center has become a stronger resource for 

information about the nation’s MPAs.

Sincerely,

Joseph A. Uravitch, A.I.C.P. Joseph A. Uravitch, A.I.C.P.

Director, National Marine Protected Areas Center
NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Year 2004 3 background

The MPA Initiative and National MPA Center

In early 2000, the President’s Council on Environmental Quality convened a team of representatives from 

federal management agencies to craft a mechanism 

that would bring some order to the numerous and uncounted nationwide efforts to manage marine areas to 

conserve biodiversity, preserve submerged cultural resources, manage fisheries, and enhance the longevity of 

species and habitats within the nation’s oceans, coasts, 

and Great Lakes. Based on the team’s work, Presidential Executive Order 13158 on marine protected areas 

(MPAs) was signed in May 2000. 

The Executive Order directs federal agencies to work 

closely with states, territories, commonwealths, regional 

fishery management councils, tribes, local trustees, and 

other stakeholders to develop a scientifically based, comprehensive national system of MPAs. It also states that 

the national MPA system should represent diverse U.S. 

marine ecosystems and the nation’s natural and cultural 

resources. The Executive Order also required the establishment of the National Marine Protected Areas Center 

within the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in 

collaboration with the Department of the Interior.

National MPA Center Organizational Structure

The National MPA Center is headquartered in Silver 

Spring, Maryland, and implements the Executive Order; 

coordinates with federal agencies, states, territories, and 

tribes; supports the MPA Federal Advisory Committee; 

coordinates marine managed area inventory efforts; and 

conducts outreach and education. The MPA Center’s 

Science Institute, based in Santa Cruz and Monterey, 

California, provides a bridge between the science and 

policy of MPAs by fostering targeted research, hosting 

workshops, assessing threats to vital habitats and resources, measuring the effectiveness of existing management approaches, and analyzing socioeconomic factors 

that may impact MPAs. The MPA Center’s Training 

and Technical Assistance Institute, integrated with the 

NOAA Coastal Services Center in Charleston, South 

Carolina, provides training, needs assessments, and 

technical support for resource managers, resource 

users, and others involved with MPAs. The National 

MPA Center also hosts regional representatives in 

the New England, Pacific Coast, and Pacific Islands 

regions that serve as on-the-ground links to the MPA 

Center for regional entities involved in MPA-related 

activities.

Coordination with NOAA Programs

The National MPA Center works cooperatively 

with other NOAA oceans and coasts offices, such 

as the Special Projects Office, the Coastal Services 

Center, International Programs Office, Estuarine 

Reserves Division, and National Marine Sanctuary Program. The Center also works closely with 

NOAA Fisheries at both the headquarters and 

regional levels and with the NOAA Library, part 

of the National Environmental Satellite, Data and 

Information Service.

Coordination with the 

Department of the Interior

To carry out the Executive Order tasks, the National MPA Center coordinates with many federal 

offices including the Department of the Interior’s 

National Park Service, Minerals Management Service, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. 

Joint efforts include managing the MPA Federal 

Advisory Committee, creating the MPA.gov website, collecting the marine managed areas inventory, and other projects. 

National Marine Protected Areas Center Mission

The National Marine Protected Areas Center’s 

mission is to facilitate the effective use of science, 

technology, training, and information in the planning, management, and evaluation of the nation’s 

system of marine protected areas. 

Background
4 NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Year 2004 

background

National Marine Protected 

Areas Center Vision Statement

The National Marine Protected Areas Center’s 

vision is: an effective, science-based, and collaborative national system of marine protected 

areas conserving marine ecosystems and cultural 

resources throughout the U.S.

National Marine Protected Areas Center Goals

The National Marine Protected Areas Center has 

three goals, which stem from the MPA Executive 

Order:

• Develop the framework for a national system 

of MPAs

• Improve MPA stewardship and effectiveness

• Facilitate international, national, and regional 

coordination of MPA activities

National Marine Protected Areas Center Planning

The National Marine Protected Areas Center 

focused on long-term planning and managing 

its operations in 2004. In July, the MPA Center 

gathered key staff from NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary Program, the National Estuarine 

Research Reserve System, and National Marine 

Fisheries Service, as well as staff from the Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management 

Service and National Park Service to discuss 

implementation of the Center’s goals. Among 

the results of the meeting were decisions to move 

forward with multi-year research, analysis and an 

outreach plan for developing the national system; 

provide temporary support to the Department of 

the Interior and NOAA Fisheries to complete the 

federal portion of the marine managed areas inventory; strengthen field presence on the Atlantic 

and Pacific coasts; improve tribal and archeological and scientific support capabilities; strengthen 

coordination with NOAA Fisheries, Federal Fishery 

Management Councils, the Department of the Interior, other federal agencies, and stakeholders; improve 

the transfer of “lessons learned” from MPA processes 

and management; and enhance effectiveness evaluation and improvement capabilities.

In addition, the MPA Center met with its State Advisory Group, an informal group of state and commonwealth representatives, to discuss a variety of topics, including recommendations on inventory related issues. 

A key topic was the quality assurance/quality control 

of backlogged state level data for the marine managed 

areas inventory. Other topics included agreeing to the 

collection of information needed to support the MPA 

classification system, which was developed by the MPA 

Center, and to organize at least two regional state and 

territory MPA workshops in 2005 to gather recommendations for a national system. 

Memorandum of Understanding

The Department of Commerce/NOAA and the Department of the Interior signed a Memorandum of 

Understanding (MOU), a formal agreement to jointly 

implement Executive Order 13158 on marine protected areas. The MOU was approved by Vice Admiral 

Conrad C. Lautenbacher, NOAA Administrator, and 

Rebecca Watson, the Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management. 

The agreement was the result of two years of discussion. 

It provides the umbrella framework for operational subagreements within the two departments.

Report Overview

This report highlights the accomplishments and milestones of the National Marine Protected Areas (MPA) 

Center for the fiscal year 2004. Accomplishments and 

milestones are organized by the goal they support. In 

addition, the MPA Center’s outreach and education accomplishments, which support all MPA Center goals, 

are highlighted in a separate section. 
NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Year 2004 5 national system

GOAL: DEVELOP THE FRAMEWORK FOR A NATIONAL SYSTEM OF MPAS

Marine protected areas (MPAs) in the United States are created by a myriad of agencies with 

diverse conservation objectives. Establishing and managing MPAs continues to rest in the 

hands of federal, state, territorial, commonwealth, tribal, and local governments. As directed by the Executive Order, the National Marine Protected Areas Center initiated the process 

to develop a framework for an effective, science-based national system of MPAs. The system 

will be comprehensive, representing diverse U.S. marine ecosystems and the nation’s natural and cultural resources. Several efforts were completed in 2004 to support this goal.

to better analyze and understand what sites exist 

and the management capabilities of those sites; 

• compile data to assist in the analysis and 

assessments defined in the MPA Executive 

Order on issues such as threats to MPAs and 

effectiveness of MPAs in protecting natural 

and cultural resources; and

• provide a comprehensive information base to 

assist in the development of a national system 

of MPAs.

Examples of MMAs included in the inventory are 

national parks, national wildlife refuges, national 

marine sanctuaries, national estuarine research reserves, fisheries management areas, state beaches, 

and state parks. The data collected in the inventory contains a general description and site characteristics such as location, purpose, and type of 

site, as well as detailed information on natural and 

cultural resources, legal authorities, site management, and regulations and restrictions. 

The inter-agency MMA inventory team, made up 

of staff from NOAA and the Department of the 

Interior, held regular status meetings throughout 

2004. The team is working with six federal programs and 32 of the 35 coastal and Great Lake 

states, territories and commonwealths in the data 

collection and review process. A data entry and 

editing website was completed in 2004 to provide 

a secure, password-protected, accessible, and userfriendly format for entering and reviewing data. 

The Coastal States Organization has continued 

their role as liaison to state and territory agencies 

to gather, collect, and review data.

Developing the National 

System of Marine Protected Areas 

The Executive Order requires that the National Marine 

Protected Areas Center develop a science-based, national system of marine protected areas that effectively 

conserves the nation’s natural and cultural marine heritage and the ecologically and economically sustainable 

use of the marine environment for future generations. 

Such a national system is needed to coordinate ecosystem-based management activities among the hundreds 

of federal, state, territory, and tribal MPA authorities 

with thousands of sites in U.S. waters and their countless MPA types, purposes, and terms. 

In 2004, the MPA Center began to plan the process to 

engage the nation in a participatory dialogue to develop the framework for the national system, of which the 

expected recommendations made by the MPA Federal 

Advisory Committee will be a cornerstone. The framework will describe the rationale, goals and components 

of the national system, and the processes for designing and implementing it based on sound science and 

broad stakeholder input.

Marine Managed Areas Inventory

The marine managed areas (MMA) inventory is an ambitious, multi-agency effort to gather information from 

around the U.S. about the wide range of place-based 

marine management efforts, including MPAs, in order 

to develop a complete picture of the nation’s MMAs. 

The MMA inventory will:

• help regional, local, state and federal managers, scientists, non-governmental organizations, and others 
6 NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Year 2004 

national system

Since data collection for the MMA inventory began, federal programs have submitted nearly 300 

sites and GIS (geographic information system) 

data is 97 percent complete for those sites. The 

National Marine Sanctuary Program completed 

their data review and update in 2004, and nine 

states completed data collection and entry. Other 

federal programs continue to update their sites 

and the MMA inventory team continues to work 

with the remaining coastal and Great Lakes states 

to gather, review, approve, and ultimately post 

data on the MPA.gov website. The National Marine Protected Areas Center estimates that when 

complete, the Inventory will contain information 

on 1,500 to 2,000 MMA sites nationwide.

Cultural and Historical Resources

The National Marine Protected Areas Center hired 

a maritime archaeologist in 2004, who serves as a 

liaison to cultural and historical programs within 

NOAA and other federal and state agencies. 

As part of this work, the National Marine Protected Areas Center engaged in several planning 

meetings with the National Marine Sanctuary 

Program, the National Park Service, and other 

federal and state agency cultural resource personnel to discuss development of the submerged cultural resource component of the National System 

of MPAs, strengthening of cultural resource programs through collaboration, and increasing public awareness of the nation’s maritime heritage, 

historic shipwrecks, and prehistoric submerged 

sites. Some examples of these planning meetings included the National Marine Sanctuary 

Program’s Maritime Heritage Program Managers 

annual meeting, discussions with the Department 

of the Interior’s National Park Service and U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service personnel, and participation in a maritime archaeology working group 

meeting for the Stellwagen Bank National Marine 

Sanctuary management plan review.

The National MPA Center participated in 

NOAA’s involvement in the Preserve America 

Initiative, which states that federal agencies 

should inventory, preserve, and showcase federally-managed historic and cultural, or “heritage,” 

resources; and foster tourism in partnership with local 

communities. 

The MPA Center’s maritime archaeologist plans to 

launch an MPA cultural and historic resources newsletter in fiscal year 2005, and add content about cultural 

resources to the MPA.gov website. 

Coordination with the Coastal States Organization

The National Marine Protected Areas Center and the 

Coastal States Organization continued their strong relationship in 2004. The two groups discussed a variety 

of topics including the need for recommendations from 

coastal and Great Lakes states about their interests and 

ideas related to their involvement in a national system 

of MPAs, as well as the benefits to sites and programs 

that should be associated with participating in the system. Plans were developed to organize up to three state 

and territory workshops in regions across the country to 

gather ideas and feedback on developing the national 

system of MPAs. In addition, the Coastal States Organization maintained their role as liaison between the 

marine managed areas nventory team and state and 

territory agencies on the effort to collect, review, and 

finalize their MMA data.

Publication: State Policies and Programs 

Related to Marine Managed Areas: Issues and 

Recommendations for a National System

The policy analysis, State Policies and Programs Related to Marine Managed Areas: Issues and Recommendations for a National System, was published in 

February 2004, and in May 2004, a supplement of case 

studies was published as an addendum. The analysis 

was the first of its kind to characterize existing MMA 

policies and programs at the state level while presenting the potential implications of the proposed national 

system of marine protected areas on state agencies. The 

paper presented a series of recommendations, given by 

state-level coastal and ocean resource managers, toward 

an effective national MPA system for consideration by 

both state and federal officials. The analysis is a living 

document that will provide invaluable insight into the 

recommendations and needs of state managers. The 

recommendations of the analysis will provide guidance 

to NOAA staff when shaping policy and in further examining state-level marine managed areas. 
NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Year 2004 7 national system

Visiting Scientists

In 2004, the National MPA Center hosted several visiting 

professionals in an effort to share ideas and strengthen collaboration on developing the national system of MPAs.

• Brian Keller, science coordinator for the Florida 

Keys National Marine Sanctuary, visited the MPA 

Center’s Training and Technical Assistance Institute in Charleston, South Carolina, where he gave 

a presentation on ecosystem monitoring, specifically of no-take zones, in the Florida Keys. To date, 

both spiny lobster and yellowtail snappers appear to 

be benefiting from the no-take zones.

• Mark Calamia, visiting from Colorado, provided 

expert review on the MPA social science tool website that was developed in 2004. In addition to 

discussions with staff at the MPA Center’s Training 

and Technical Assistance Institute, Mark gave 

a presentation on his work in Fiji, where he 

studied a locally managed MPA.

• Kevin Buch of the Caribbean Marine Research Center gave a presentation on “Geographic Data and Marine Reserve Site Selection in the Bahamas,” a part of the Bahamas 

Biocomplexity Project. The aim of this project 

is to develop an integrated approach to analyzing the function of marine reserve networks. 

The results of oceanographic, biological, and 

socioeconomic field studies will be integrated 

using various computer models to explore 

reserve design and adaptive management options in the Bahamas. Kevin’s presentation 

was delivered at the NOAA Coastal Services 

Center in Charleston, South Carolina.
8 NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Year 2004 

stewardship/effectiveness Science and Analysis

Social Science Research Priorities for MPAs

The National Marine Protected Areas Center 

continued to take the national Social Science 

Research Strategy to regional partners in 2004. 

The national strategy, which the MPA Center 

created with experts from agency and academic 

affiliates, aims to inform and evaluate MPA 

processes by identifying six priority social science 

research themes: governance, institutions, and 

processes; use patterns; attitudes, perception and 

beliefs; economics of MPAs; communities; and 

submerged cultural resources.

Regional workshops have been carried out in St. 

Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands (for southern Florida 

and the Caribbean region), Savannah, Georgia 

(for the south Atlantic region), and in Hawaii 

(for the Pacific Islands region). The regional workshops serve to gather local managers and experts 

to review the national strategy and then develop 

regional social science research plans to address 

local and regional MPA-related research priorities 

and information needs. Additional regional workshops are planned for 2005.

National Natural Science Research Strategy

A draft outline of the National Natural Science 

Research Strategy was created through a partnered effort from the National Marine Protected 

Areas Center and the National Park Service. A 

workshop is planned in 2005 to collect input 

feedback on the outline needed to complete the 

strategy.

De Facto MPA Inventory 

Not all closed areas are MPAs and some areas are closed 

for non-conservation purposes. To understand this 

critical part of the ocean governance picture, the MPA 

Center’s Science Institute is creating an inventory of de 

facto MPAs throughout the United States. The initial 

phase focuses on California waters. When completed, 

this inventory will allow a comprehensive and objective 

assessment of the nature and extent of ocean areas 

closed because of security zones, safety areas, navigation lanes, etc. This comprehensive inventory will then 

be evaluated to determine the impacts of de facto MPA 

on human users, and their potential contribution to 

conservation and management of the nation’s marine 

ecosystems.

Beginning in early 2005, the project will apply these 

methods to fully document and assess all federal, state 

and territorial de facto MPAs in coral reef areas in the 

Pacific, Caribbean, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. 

This comprehensive inventory will then be evaluated 

to determine the extent to which these restricted areas 

may contribute to the ocean conservation and management goals of NOAA and its island partners.

MPA Classification System

The MPA Center’s Science Institute has developed a new 

MPA Classification System that uses objective and functional terms to describe the purpose and likely impacts of 

all types of MPAs in the United States. Using this system, 

an MPA is classified by six fundament characteristics: primary conservation goal, level of protection, permanence 

of protection, constancy of protection, ecological scale of 

protection, and restrictions on extractive activities. This 

approach avoids the often confusing MPA terminology 

GOAL: IMPROVE MPA STEWARDSHIP AND EFFECTIVENESS

The National Marine Protected Areas Center aims to improve MPA stewardship and effectiveness by strengthening capacity for planning, management, and evaluation within the 

MPA community. Creating and implementing effective management strategies requires the 

awareness, understanding, and application of best practices by management and affected 

stakeholder groups. The National Marine Protected Areas Center targets MPA management staff at the local, state, regional, tribal, and national levels, and reaches out to those 

affected by management decisions to provide opportunities for substantive involvement in 

decision-making.
NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Year 2004 9 stewardship/effectiveness

in use now (e.g. reserves, parks, sanctuaries), and thus 

allows a more objective understanding of the rationale 

for any MPA, and of its potential role in managing and 

conserving important places in the ocean.

Training

Program Design and Evaluation Workshop

The MPA Center’s Training and Technical Assistance Institute staff, in cooperation with the NOAA Coastal Services Center, offered workshops on program design and 

evaluation at the Ocean and Coastal Program Managers 

Meeting in Washington, D.C. The workshops included 

training on logic models, performance management, and 

evaluation, as well as presentations by different NOAA 

programs on current performance measurement efforts. 

GIS Training

Staff from marine protected area sites and supporting 

institutions participated in a week-long technical training session on the use and application of geographic 

information systems and global positioning systems 

in relation to coastal management issues. The skills 

gained by participants, who represented regions from 

the Bahamas to Maryland, will enhance the capabilities 

of the Lowcountry Open Land Trust, Florida’s coastal 

and aquatic managed areas, Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, and several NOAA groups that 

support effectively managing MPAs.

Managing Visitor Use in 

Coastal and Marine Protected Areas

The National MPA Center taught visitor use management workshops for coastal and marine protected 

area resource managers and associated environmental 

professionals at different locations around the United 

States in 2004, including the Elkhorn Slough National 

Estuarine Research Reserve in Watsonville, California; 

the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve 

in Cape Cod, Massachusetts; and the Biscayne Bay 

Aquatic Preserve in Miami, Florida. These sessions offered training on visitor use management planning and 

presented tools for problem identification and impact 

monitoring, as well as strategies and tactics for balancing visitor experiences and resource protection. 

MPA Management Effectiveness Initiative

In 2004, the National Marine Protected Areas Center jointly hosted a workshop with the Coastal States 

Organization at the Coastal Society’s 19th International Conference (held in Newport, Rhode Island). The focus of the workshop was How is your 

MPA Doing?, a guidebook on MPA management 

effectiveness produced through a joint effort of 

NOAA, the World Conservation Union (IUCN), 

the World Commission on Protected Areas, and 

the World Wildlife Fund. The workshop featured 

two phases. One phase was an overview of the 

guidebook that walked stakeholders through the 

first steps of applying it to their programs. The 

second phase was a focus group conducted with 

stakeholders to characterize managers’ needs for 

training and technical assistance on effectiveness, 

evaluation, and performance measures. Based on 

input received, the MPA Center developed a new 

training on evaluating MPA effectiveness. This 

training was successfully piloted with the Florida 

Aquatic Preserves in 2004.

“Understanding MPAs” Workshop

In 2004, the National Marine Protected Areas 

Center partnered with Coastal America to bring 

the full-day workshop “Understanding Marine 

Protected Areas” to a number of aquariums designated as Coastal Ecosystem Learning Centers. 

These workshops provided training to stakeholders, including the general public, on the basic 

principles and issues surrounding MPAs. Workshop topics included MPA types and uses, history, 

the role of science, and information on how to 

get involved. 

Based on the success of the day-long “Understanding Marine Protected Areas” workshop, the MPA 

Center has also created a condensed, one-hour 

presentation on U.S. MPAs.

Course on Negotiating for Coastal Resources: 

This course teaches when to negotiate, what to 

negotiate, and how to negotiate interagency relationships and coastal issues. It helps managers 

distinguish the roles of advocacy, negotiation, 

facilitation, education, and outreach.

Technical Assistance

Developing Digital Marine Boundaries 

A draft of the Marine Boundaries Best Practices 

Handbook has been completed and work towards 
10 NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Year 2004 

stewardship/effectivenessa final version is in progress. The handbook will 

provide best practices for crafting legal descriptions and digital boundaries for marine managed 

areas. The handbook is a joint project between 

the Federal Geographic Data Committee Marine 

Boundary Working Group, the MPA Center’s 

Training and Technical Assistance Institute, and 

NOAA’s Coastal Services Center.

Stakeholder Involvement in MPA Processes

The National Marine Protected Areas Center 

completed its evaluation of six recent MPA 

planning processes. The goal of the project was 

to identify “lessons learned” that could improve 

ongoing and future MPA planning processes. In 

2003, a report containing detailed case studies for 

five planning processes was published. In 2004, 

planning process participants were interviewed 

to get their subjective perception of what worked 

and what did not for each process. In addition 

to resource managers from involved agencies, a 

wide range of stakeholder groups, including commercial and recreational interests, environmental 

groups, and scientists were interviewed. A final 

report was published that summarizes strengths 

and weaknesses, and provides recommendations 

for ongoing and future MPA planning efforts. 

In addition, a report titled “Stakeholder Participation: A Synthesis of Current Literature” 

was published in 2004. This literature review was 

conducted to extract lessons from participatory 

processes within both the national and international communities and to develop a synthesis of 

recommendations for stakeholder participation. 

It highlighted regulatory requirements for participation, participatory processes currently being 

applied, and factors leading to successful participation. It was intended to help MPA managers to 

determine what type of stakeholder participation 

process may be most appropriate, based on their 

individual needs and local context. 

BeachData Tool

The MPA Center’s Training and Technical Assistance Institute completed development of a 

BeachData online database tool for the Gulf of 

the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and 

the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. 

BeachData is a database tool that permits volunteers to access web-based forms that allow them to enter detailed data collected via field surveys of assigned 

beach segments. The information is automatically 

saved to a database to support future analyses. The tool 

is expected to increase the efficiency with which these 

data are collected, managed, and analyzed.

Website on Social Science Methods for Marine 

Protected Areas

A Social Science Methods for Marine Protected Areas 

website was developed by the National Marine Protected Areas Center in cooperation with the NOAA 

Coastal Services Center. This website profiles social science tools and methods and provides examples on how 

these are used by MPA managers. The website contains 

sections on social science themes, tools (including surveys, demographic analysis, non-market valuation, and 

social assessment), and case studies.

Inventory of GIS-Based Decision-Support Tools 

Many decision-support tools have been created over the 

past few years to address a variety of issues both within 

and around MPAs. Because these tools are often sitespecific or designed for a particular audience, secondary user groups may not be aware of their existence. In 

2004, the MPA Center’s Training and Technical Assistance Institute published a report titled “An Inventory 

of GIS-Based Decision-Support Tools for MPAs.” This 

report documents existing decision-support tools in order to raise their visibility within the MPA community 

and minimize duplicative efforts.

Navigating MPAs

The National Marine Protected Areas Center has 

been working with the Office of Coast Survey on 

a project designed to use MPA data to provide key 

information to mariners and other users about the 

location, purpose and allowable activities in existing 

MPAs through NOAA’s Coast Pilot and other navigation products. The California coast is being used as 

the demonstration model for this nation-wide project. 

In 2004, the MPA Center’s Science Institute Director 

presented two briefings for senior staff in NOAA’s 

Office of Coast Survey about the progress and next 

steps in the joint project, which is entitled “Navigating 

MPAs.” Further, staff from the MPA Center’s Science 

Institute and the Office of Coast Survey met to finalize 

the timeline for developing a demonstration for the 

navigating MPAs project.
NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Year 2004 11 stewardship/effectiveness

Enforcement Report

A draft of the MPA enforcement synthesis report was 

completed in 2004. The report examines current enforcement methodology and describes the main enforcement-related issues and priorities for MPAs. It outlines 

the numerous enforcement entities involved with MPAs 

and their respective jurisdictions. The final report, 

expected to be published in 2005, will incorporate information gathered from existing literature, discussions 

with MPA managers and stakeholders, as well as an 

analysis of a number of case studies.

National Conservation Training Center 

The MPA Center met with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service’s National Conservation Training Center to 

discuss partnering to provide training to conservation 

professionals. The National Conservation Training 

Center trains and educates natural resource managers to 

accomplish our common goal of conserving fish, wildlife, 

plants, and their habitats. 
12 NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Year 2004 

coordination

Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory 

Committee 

The Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory 

Committee provides expert advice to the Departments of Commerce and the Interior on the 

implementation of MPA Executive Order 13158. 

The 30 Committee members are appointed 

by the Secretary of Commerce and, with their 

diverse backgrounds and experience, represent 

parties interested in the use and impact of MPAs 

as a management tool. The members represent 

a broad stakeholder community, including scientists, academia, commercial and recreational 

fishermen, other resource users, state and tribal 

resource managers, and environmentalists. In 

addition, nine federal agencies are represented 

by non-voting ex-officio members of the Committee. The Committee is supported by the National 

Marine Protected Areas Center. 

The MPA Federal Advisory Committee held 

three meetings in 2004. Key accomplishments 

included: 

• Elected Dr. Daniel Bromley, a professor of 

economics at the University of Wisconsin, as 

their chair, and Dr. Bonnie McCay, a professor in the Department of Human Ecology at 

Rutgers University, as their vice-chair. 

• Established three subcommittees to focus 

on: developing a national system of marine 

protected areas; stewardship and effectiveness 

of marine protected areas; and national and 

regional coordination of marine protected 

area efforts.

• Incorporated input from a variety of panels 

and speakers, including experts on Pacific Island MPA management, the cultural context 

for marine management, and spatial management 

by regional fishery management councils. 

• Established an ad-hoc Cultural Resources Working 

Group to define cultural resources within the context of the national system of MPAs, and to discuss 

the ways in which cultural practices and beliefs 

should be addressed in MPA management. 

• Generated reports from each subcommittee submitted to the full Committee for consideration. 

The Committee expects to make its first set of recommendations to the Secretaries of Commerce and the 

Interior by June 2005. 

International Coordination

The National Marine Protected Areas Center has coordinated with various international parties on global 

MPA issues. 

North American MPA Network

The National Marine Protected Areas Center works 

with the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation and the NOAA’s International 

Programs Office on marine projects under the Conservation of Biodiversity program. In its effort to design an 

integrated North American MPA Network (NAMPAN), 

part of an environmental side agreement to the North 

American Free Trade Agreement, the Commission for 

Environmental Cooperation has focused on coordinating, mapping, and inventorying federal MPAs on the 

Pacific coast of Canada, the United States, and Mexico. 

In 2004, the National MPA Center became the NOAA 

lead for the NAMPAN project.

NOAA participated in a meeting in San Francisco, 

California with Canadian and Mexican government 

agencies and scientists and non-governmental organizations from all three nations on the possible design and 

GOAL: Facilitate International, National, and Regional Coordination of MPA Activities

The National Marine Protected Areas Center works to facilitate the integration of local MPA 

sites, foster meaningful stakeholder participation in regional activities, and improve national 

and international linkages across MPA programs.
NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Year 2004 13 coordination

functions of a NAMPAN. The participants proposed 

revisions to the draft action plan framework, confirmed 

the decision to use the gray whale as an iconic figure for 

a pilot “Baja to Bering” MPA network project on the 

west coast, and discussed possible cooperative research, 

education, training and information exchange projects 

for the pilot. Since the San Francisco meeting, the National Marine Protected Areas Center helped develop a 

five-year plan for NAMPAN and completed the Baja-toBering Sea MPA Atlas.

Information Exchanges with Delegates

In an effort to share ideas and strengthen collaboration, the National Marine Protected Areas Center participated in information exchanges with delegates from 

Australia, China, and Korea, including with:

• Bruce Kingston, the director of communications and 

education for the Australia Great Barrier Reef Marine 

Park Authority, to share information on the Executive 

Order and implementing outreach strategies

• Dr. Jon Day of the Australia Great Barrier Reef 

Marine Park Authority to bring lessons learned 

from Australia’s experience in developing systems 

of MPAs to bear on the U.S. effort 

• Dr. Chang-Hee Lee and Dr. Paikho Rho, scientists 

from the Korea Environment Institute to share 

how the U.S. has used MPAs to protect estuarine 

habitats and about the roles of MPA establishment, 

management, and coordination 

• A Chinese delegation of marine and fisheries officials to share information on respective MPA efforts

Gulf of Maine

The National Marine Protected Areas Center’s northeast regional coordinator continued to work closely 

with the Gulf of Maine Council programs. The Council consists of representatives from U.S. and Canadian 

state, provincial, and federal governmental agencies 

that seek to maintain and enhance environmental quality in the Gulf of Maine for sustainable resource use by 

existing and future generations.

The MPA Center supported the Gulf of Maine Council 

on a two-year project to describe Gulf of Maine offshore 

habitats and identify regional conservation strategies. In 

2004, the Gulf of Maine Council Habitat Conservation 

Subcommittee, which leads the project, completed the 

Gulf of Maine Marine Habitat Primer. The Primer 

provides an overview of habitat characteristics, 

ecological functions, economic and recreational 

values, human impacts, and management considerations. In addition, funding has been secured 

and communications are underway for developing 

a human impact assessment in the Gulf of Maine. 

National Coordination

The National Marine Protected Areas Center’s key 

responsibilities include consulting with stakeholders on the design of a national system of MPAs 

and working with federal agencies to ensure that 

no MPAs are harmed by federal actions. The MPA 

Center has a variety of communication methods 

to keep federal agencies, site managers, and other 

partners apprised of the latest MPA-related activities and news. These communication methods 

include an inter-agency weekly email update and a 

monthly newsletter (MPA Connections).

Federal Briefings

In 2004, the National Marine Protected Areas 

Center briefed several federal agencies on the status 

of the MPA Center activities as they relate to implementing the MPA Executive Order, including developing the framework for a national system of MPAs 

and supporting the MPA Federal Advisory Committee. Such briefings took place with participants of 

the annual meeting of the U.S. Navy’s natural resource managers, members of the President’s Council on Environmental Quality, members of the Federal Geographic Data Committee Marine Boundary 

Working Group, participants in the Chairs and 

Executive Directors of the Federal Regional Fishery 

Management Councils meeting, and participants 

in the NOAA Fisheries constituent meeting led by 

NOAA Administrator Lautenbacher and NOAA 

Fisheries Deputy Director Rebecca Lent.

In addition, the MPA Center continued to assemble its Federal Inter-Agency Working Group 

to discuss progress on the Executive Order and 

possible recommendations that the MPA Federal 

Advisory Committee might make in 2005. 

Stakeholder Coordination

Among other outreach activities in 2004, the 

National Marine Protected Areas Center engaged 
14 NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Year 2004 

coordination

stakeholders at the national level to answer questions and encourage stakeholders to participate in 

the public process to develop the framework for 

the national MPA system. One example of such 

outreach includes the Center Director’s address 

to the National Association of Charterboat Operators at their annual meeting in Virginia. 

In addition, the National Marine Protected Areas 

Center worked with the Recreational Fisheries 

Working Group, a newly formed NOAA group 

to coordinate the development of a NOAA Recreational Fisheries Strategic Plan. The MPA Center 

participated in a stakeholder meeting organized 

by the Working Group to solicit feedback on a 

draft recreational fisheries strategic plan. 

Regional Coordination

Although protected areas management is placebased ecosystem management, regional coordination offers an opportunity to link management 

efforts at individual sites into larger, more effective networks, and to address issues of regional 

importance. The National Marine Protected 

Areas Center has supported regional coordination in several ways including the formation of 

a regional coordination team, development of an 

operational framework, the placement of regionally located staff members, and the implementation of regionally focused projects.

Regional Coordination Team

In 2004, the National Marine Protected Areas 

Center continued to build regional coordination 

capacity with the formation of the regional coordination team. This team helped to link MPAs at 

the regional level, identify opportunities for collaboration, strengthen natural and social science 

to support regional MPA natural and cultural 

resource management efforts, and support the 

development of the national system of MPAs. To 

guide the MPA Center’s regional coordination 

efforts, the team developed a framework which 

outlines its goals, staff roles, and communication protocols. The regional coordination team 

focused on implementing the following three core 

functions, which cut across the MPA Center’s 

goals: 1) monitoring regional landscapes; 2) 

building and coordinating partnerships; and 3) 

supporting and informing MPA science and technical 

training and assistance. 

Regional Staff Members

The National Marine Protected Areas Center has furthered regional coordination in 2004 through the placement of regionally-focused staff members. The MPA 

Center’s northeast regional coordinator in Boston, 

Massachusetts was based in the Massachusetts Coastal 

Zone Management Program office. The Center’s Pacific 

regional coordinator for the Coast and the U.S. Pacific 

Islands resided in the MPA Center’s offices in Monterey, California. And the Pacific Islands local liaison 

(who was added to the MPA Center in 2004) serves 

the MPA Center part-time from Hawaii at the NOAA 

Pacific Services Center. These regional staff members 

serve as the on-the-ground links to the MPA Center for 

regional entities involved in MPA-related activities. 

Regional Projects

Many projects and activities were supported through 

the National Marine Protected Areas Center’s regional 

presence. Some regional project examples from 2004 

include:

• Socioeconomic Profile and Spatial Analysis of 

Fisheries in two central California National Marine 

Sanctuaries

The National MPA Center Science Institute entered a 

partnership with the Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell 

Bank National Marine Sanctuaries and EcoTrust to 

profile both the historic fisheries and the evolution of 

fishing activities occurring in the sanctuary. The profile 

will include information on actual numbers of boats actively engaged in each fishery; areas where the fishery is 

taking place; gear types; catch levels; a socio-economic 

profile of the harbors and marinas accessing the sanctuary; and an understanding of markets, changing gear 

types, and changing fisheries management regulations 

that influence this profile and the community. Information exchange with mariners will provide important 

input to the profile.

• Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary

The National Marine Protected Areas Center’s 

northeast regional coordinator participated in a 

maritime archeology working group meeting for 

the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary 

management plan review. 
NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Year 2004 15

• New England Fishery Management Council

The National Marine Protected Areas Center’s 

northeast regional coordinator participated in 

the New England Fishery Management Council 

Habitat/MPA Committee and Advisory Panel meeting. The committee and advisory panel discussed 

the integration of essential fish habitat for all managed species through the Omnibus Amendment, 

designating habitat research areas, and ecosystem 

management. The committee also reviewed a draft 

proposal to the MPA Center on holding public 

workshops to develop the Council’s MPA policy.

• Gulf of Maine

The MPA Center continued to attend quarterly 

NOAA Gulf of Maine MPA coordination meetings, 

with discussion focused on updates of program activity in the region. The group meets quarterly and 

attempts to improve coordination within NOAA 

on MPA-related issues on a regional basis. 

• PacificMPA.org and Online Regional Information Centers

In 2004, the MPA Center continued to maintain 

PacificMPA.org, while developing a plan to expand 

the pilot effort to a national database of online 

Regional Information Centers to provide “onestop-shopping” for comprehensive information on 

ongoing federal, state, and tribal MPA planning 

processes in all regions of the U.S. The MPA 

Center created a draft of the database with 

functioning query capabilities, clear navigation, and organized appearance. Data from 

the Pacific coast pilot website, which was 

launched in 2002, will be incorporated into 

the new national online Regional Information Centers. The regional information centers database was designed with the assistance 

of the NOAA Special Project Office. Initial 

data collection on processes in select regions 

of the U.S. has begun and will continue into 

2005.

Tribal Coordination

In 2004, the National Marine Protected Areas 

Center continued to work towards building 

tribal coordination capacity. For example, staff attended a workshop on “Government to Government Consultation” with tribal governments. The 

workshop emphasized the requirement to consult 

with tribes under a wide range of federal laws, and 

provided legal background and process advice to 

federal agencies. 

In addition, the MPA Center made plans to hire 

a tribal coordinator who will help complete the 

marine managed areas inventory database as well 

as serve as a liaison for the MPA Center as it develops the national system of MPAs. 

coordination
16 NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Year 2004 

MPA.gov

The U.S. website on marine protected areas, 

http://mpa.gov, was overhauled, updated, and 

expanded in 2004. New sections on MPA information and tools and MPA programs were added 

and navigation was improved. Later in 2004, the 

site underwent a second phase of restructuring in 

which several sections were added or enhanced. 

Pages were added on training and GIS/remote 

sensing in the information and tools section, 

and several items were added to the MPA Federal 

Advisory Committee pages, including meeting 

agendas and supporting documents; a Committee Structure page, which lists members of each 

of the subcommittees; and presentations given at 

past meetings. In addition to daily or weekly enhancements, an international page was added to 

the MPA Programs section and the MPA Center’s 

monthly newsletter MPA Connections, was archived on the site. 

Web pages on marine managed area systems 

(MMA) and programs for some coastal and Great 

Lakes, states, territories, and commonwealths 

were added to the site, in collaboration with 

state partner agencies. Each state or territory 

page includes a list of the relevant agencies that 

manage living and non-living coastal and ocean 

resources (including cultural) in the respective 

state. Legal citations, taken from analyzing states’ 

administrative codes and statutes, accompany the 

listing of the states’ MMA systems. In addition, 

an MMA site unique to that state is showcased. 

The information provides federal, state, and local program managers and decision-makers with 

insight into how state agencies address area-based 

management. 

MPA Virtual Library

The MPA Virtual Library grew considerably in 2004. 

More than 100 items (including books, reports, conference proceedings, journal articles, conferences, and 

website) were added to its MPA collection. The virtual 

library now includes more than 1,100 resources, which 

are searchable on MPA.gov.

Community Events/Booths

The National Marine Protected Areas Center participated in a number of outreach and education events 

aimed at reaching students, teachers, and community 

members at the local and national level. Examples of 

events where the MPA Center participated included:

• Monterey Institute of International Studies Earth 

Day event

• Navy’s Earth Day Celebration called “Celebrating 

Successful Partnerships”

• National Marine Sanctuary Program’s “Dive into 

Education” workshop at its annual education conference in Hawaii

• Monterey Bay Aquarium’s “Cooking for Solutions” 

event

• National Fishing and Boating Week in Washington, D.C.

• Maryland and Delaware Ocean Awareness Days

• Annual Lewes, Delaware Coast Day Celebration

• National Student Summit on Ocean Issues (Coastal America)

• College of Charleston (Marine Biology and Environmental Studies Graduate Programs)

OUTREACH AND EDUCATION

The education and outreach activities of the National Marine Protected Areas Center increase understanding and awareness of MPAs among government agencies, coastal and 

marine educators, managers, and stakeholders. The National Marine Protected Areas 

Center education and outreach activities support the development of programming that 

incorporates MPA themes and messages across all MPA Center goals.

outreach and education
NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Year 2004 17

Outreach Materials

The MPA Center produced several educational materials, 

including six additional pop-up displays that represent 

the MPA Center, biodiversity, education, many types/

many purposes, recreational activities, and submerged 

cultural resources; a two-sided poster that describes the 

lead agencies at the federal, state, commonwealth, territory, and tribal levels and the major laws, regulations, 

and acts that provide the authority to establish and manage marine protected areas; and more than 200 photographs from two MPAs in South Carolina and about 500 

photographic images of MPAs on the west coast.

MPA Connections

The National Marine Protected Areas Center’s monthly newsletter, MPA Connections, celebrated its two-year 

anniversary in November 2004. The newsletter provides updates on the MPA Center’s resources, training, 

research, management tools, publications, websites, 

public meetings, and the work of the MPA Federal Advisory Committee. MPA Connections is distributed via 

listserv to more than 3,000 recipients worldwide and is 

archived on MPA.gov. 

A special edition of MPA Connections was distributed 

in April 2004. The special edition was a request from 

the MPA Federal Advisory Committee to provide MPA 

stakeholders with an update of MPA Executive Order 

13158 and MPA Center activities. The newsletter included a letter from the MPA Center Director and highlights 

of the MPA Center’s work in three goal categories. 

Information Exchange for Marine Educators

In 2004, the National Marine Protected Areas 

Center continued distributing the monthly email 

newsletter for coastal and marine educators, titled 

Information Exchange for Marine Educators. 

The newsletter features a list of MPA educational 

programs, new opportunities, calls for abstracts, 

funding and professional development opportunities, and websites of general interest to marine 

educators. The Information Exchange is available 

on MPA.gov and through the Department of the 

Interior’s National Park Service’s Research Learning Centers Clearinghouse educational website. 

Current: the Journal of Marine Education

The National Marine Protected Areas Center 

sponsored the July/August 2004 edition of Current: the Journal of Marine Education, dedicated 

to MPA issues. The journal is published by the 

National Marine Educators Association. The 

MPA Center worked with more than 50 authors, 

reviewers, editors, illustrators, and others to publish the edition. The articles covered a wide range 

of MPA-related topics, including migrating birds 

and whales, dunes and marshes in national parks, 

shipwrecks in the Great Lakes, and traditional 

Hawaiian fisheries management. The edition also 

featured illustrations by Jim Toomey, the creator 

of “Sherman’s Lagoon” cartoons. A Spanish language edition was also made available.

outreach and education
18 NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Year 2004 

• American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Conference

• Chesapeake Bay Program’s Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee Workshop

• Coastal America’s National Student Summit on Ocean Issues

• Coastal and Marine Resources and Property Workshop

• Coastal Program Managers’ Meetings 

• Coastal States Organization 33rd Annual Meeting

• Coastal Zone ’04 

• First International Marine Protected Areas Congress

• Gulf of Maine Council Meetings

• Gulf of Maine Summit

• Heritage Areas: Forum on Partnership Strategies and Heritage Development, USGS

• International Association of Marine Science Libraries

• Joint Ventures: Partners in Stewardship

• Maine Fisherman’s Forum

• Managing Our Nation’s Fisheries: Past, Present and Future

• Managing Visitor Use Impacts in Coastal and Marine Protected Areas Training Workshops

• Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee Meetings 

• Meeting of the Southeast Affiliate of the International Association of Aquatic and Marine Science Libraries and Information Centers

• MPA Federal Advisory Committee’s Subcommittee Meetings

• MPA Social Science Research Strategy Regional Workshop

• National Association of Charter Boat Operators Annual Meeting

CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS

As part of its mission, the National Marine Protected Areas Center participated in and/or 

sponsored numerous conferences and workshops in 2004. In some cases, National Marine 

Protected Areas Center staff members were presenters and facilitators. Many of the following 

conferences and workshops allowed the National Marine Protected Areas Center to display 

its latest educational exhibits, outreach materials, and reports.

conferences and workshops
NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Year 2004 19 conferences and workshops

• National Estuarine Research Reserves System and the National Estuarine Research 

Reserves Association Annual Meeting 

• National Interpreters Workshop

• National Marine Educators Association Annual Conference

• National Marine Sanctuary Program’s Annual Education Conference

• National Marine Sanctuary Program’s Annual Marine Heritage Program Meeting

• Navy Natural Resources Management Conference

• New England Fishery Management Council Meetings

• NOAA All Islands Coastal Zone Conference

• NOAA Fisheries Recreational Fisheries Working Group 

• NOAA Fisheries Southeast Region Constituent Meetings

• NOAA WebShop Annual Conference

• North American Association of Environmental Educators Annual Conference

• Northwest Atlantic Coastal Indicators Workshop

• Ocean Zoning: Can it Work in the Northwest Atlantic?

• Our Ocean Future: Implications of the Ocean Commission’s Recommendations 

for Governance of the Gulf of Maine, University of Maine School of Law

• Seventh Maritime Heritage Conference

• Society for Conservation Biology Conference

• South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Meetings

• Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Interagency Cooperation Working Group meeting 

• Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Maritime Archeology Working Group Meeting 

• Tenth International Coral Reef Symposium

• The Coastal Society’s Nineteenth International Conference

• US Environmental Protection Agency Pacific Islands Environment Conference

• US Man and the Biosphere at the Missouri Botanical Gardens

For More Information

For more information on the National Marine Protected Area Center, please visit 

http://mpa.gov, or contact mpainfo@noaa.gov.
Published: June 2005