National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Protected Areas Center, Silver Spring, Maryland

NOAA Progress Report: STATUS OF MPA EXECUTIVE ORDER 13158 AND NATIONAL MARINE PROTECTED AREAS CENTER FISCAL YEARS 2002 AND 2003 progress report
2 NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Years 2002 and 2003

Fiscal year 2002 was an important one for the National Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Center. The Center 

received its first funding from Congress, a $3 million appropriation. While some MPA initiative tasks began 

in 2001, including the development of MPA.gov and a collection of basic information about federal sites for 

the national inventory, fiscal year 2002 funds allowed NOAA to build a foundation to sustain these efforts. 

This growth continued in 2003 with a $4 million appropriation. 

Much of early 2002 was devoted to developing basic structures, including the preparation of plans, hiring 

core staff, and initiating contacts with stakeholders and potential national, regional, and local partners. Towards the end of the fiscal year, the three National MPA Center units, which include the Science Institute in 

California, the Training and Technical Assistance Institute in South Carolina, and the headquarters office in 

Maryland, were fully operating and most staff was on board. Fiscal year 2003 saw continued improvements 

including the hiring of the Center’s first regional coordinator in Boston, Massachusetts; the writing of a National MPA Social Science Research Strategy; and completion of “Understanding MPAs,” a course designed to 

provide a common understanding about MPAs for the public and stakeholders. 

The National MPA Center’s focus for 2002 and 2003 was on forging partnerships and becoming a stronger 

resource for information about the nation’s MPAs. With a solid staff in place and various projects well underway, the National MPA Center is ready for the challenges and opportunities to come. 

Sincerely, 

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

Director, National Marine Protected Areas Center

Message from National Marine Protected Areas Center Director

message
3 NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Years 2002 and 2003 background

The MPA Initiative and National MPA Center

Marine protected areas (MPAs) have been established throughout the United States by federal, 

state, commonwealth, territorial, local, and tribal 

authorities over the past several decades through 

a variety of laws and regulations to accomplish a 

number of specific purposes. As a result, the nation has a collection of sites managing portions 

of the marine and coastal environment, however, 

little thought had beten given to a comprehensive, 

integrated approach to protecting the nation’s 

natural and cultural marine heritage. Recognizing this deficiency, in early 2000 the President’s 

Council on Environmental Quality convened a 

team of representatives from federal management 

agencies to craft a mechanism which would bring 

some order to nationwide efforts 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 through MPAs.

Based on the team’s work, Presidential Executive Order 13158 was signed in May 2000. The 

Executive Order directs federal agencies to work 

closely with states, territories, commonwealths, 

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. In addition, the Executive 

Order established the National Marine Protected 

Areas Center within the U.S. Department of 

Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA), in cooperation with the 

Department of the Interior. 

National MPA Center Organizational Structure

The National MPA Center consists of three main 

components. The headquarters in Silver Spring, 

Maryland manages the Executive Order; develops 

policy; supports the MPA Federal Advisory Committee; coordinates inventory efforts; and provides outreach, education, and coordination support at 

national and regional levels. The National MPA Center 

also includes two institutes that are sources of specific 

nationwide technical expertise. The Science Institute, 

based in Santa Cruz, 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 

Training and Technical Assistance Institute, integrated 

with NOAA’s 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 a northeast 

regional representative who sits in the Massachusetts 

Coastal Zone Management Program office. This regional coordinator serves as the on-the-ground link to 

the MPA Center for New England entities involved in 

MPA-related activities.

Coordination within NOAA Programs

Although located within the NOAA’s National Ocean 

Service (NOS), Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource 

Management, the National MPA Center works cooperatively with other NOS 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, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Joint efforts 

include managing the MPA Federal Advisory Committee, creating the MPA.gov website, collecting the maBackground on Executive Order 13158 and the National 

Marine Protected Areas Center
4 NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Years 2002 and 2003

rine managed areas inventory, and other projects. 

The exchanges that occurred in 2002 and 2003 

on these projects ultimately led to the process of 

re-establishing the Federal Interagency Marine 

Protected Areas Working Group, which had not 

met since January 2001. The Working Group is 

made up of representatives of diverse federal agencies involved in marine protected areas and helps 

to coordinate federal implementation of actions 

called for under the Executive Order.

National MPA Center Mission

The mission of the National MPA Center 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. 

National MPA Center Vision Statement

The vision of the National MPA Center is: An effective, science-based, and collaborative national system of 

marine protected areas conserving marine ecosystems 

and cultural resources throughout the U.S.

National MPA Center Goals

The National MPA 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 national and regional coordination of 

MPA activities

background
5 NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Years 2002 and 2003

Marine protected areas (MPAs) within the United 

States are currently created by a myriad of agencies with diverse 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 MPA 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 2002 and 2003 to support this goal.

MPA Federal Advisory Committee

In 2002, the Department of Commerce and the 

Department of the Interior considered nearly 350 

applicants who had been nominated by organizations and individuals for possible appointment 

to the MPA Federal Advisory Committee. A 

panel of experts from both departments selected 

candidates who represent the broad spectrum of 

interested parties throughout the nation, and the 

Department of Commerce appointed 30 individuals to the Federal Advisory Committee in 2003. 

Members of the Committee represent a broad 

stakeholder community, including scientists, academia, commercial and recreational fishermen, 

business interests, resource users and managers, 

and environmentalists. 

The MPA Federal Advisory Committee held its 

first meeting in Washington, D.C. in June 2003. 

During their second meeting in San Mateo, California in November 2003, the members 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. The Committee also proposed establishing three subcommittees to focus on a national 

system of MPAs, MPA stewardship and effectiveness, and national and regional coordination of 

MPA efforts. The Department of Commerce approved the subcommittees in April 2004. 

The Committee meets at least biannually to discuss and 

develop recommendations on implementing Section 4 

of the Executive Order for the Secretaries of Commerce 

and Interior. Federal Advisory Committee transcripts 

and minutes of the Committee’s meetings, member biographies, and links to agendas, background documents, 

public comments, and presentations can be found on 

MPA.gov at: http://www.mpa.gov/fac/fac.html.

MPA Terminology

The ongoing confusion over MPA terminology continues to complicate the national dialogue about whether, 

when, and how to use this management tool to sustain 

the health of the nation’s marine ecosystems and cultural resources. To clarify discussion about various MPA 

issues, the National MPA Center developed a common 

terminology and classification system for U.S. marine 

protected areas. The classification system describes 

the many types and purposes of MPAs based on six elements: primary conservation goal, level of protection, 

permanence of protection, constancy of protection, 

scale of protection, and allowable extractive activities. 

By defining each of these elements, individual MPAs 

can be described based on their goals and objectives, 

avoiding the confusing use of common names (such 

as sanctuary, reserve, park), which may have different 

meanings in various state and federal programs. 

Marine Managed Areas Inventory

The purpose of the marine managed areas (MMA) 

inventory is to provide a wide range of information to 

develop a comprehensive picture of the nation’s marine 

managed areas. The data collected include 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 

goals of the MMA inventory are to:

• Help regional, local, state, and federal managers, 

scientists, non-governmental organizations, and 

others to better analyze and understand what sites 

exist and the management goals of those sites. 

GOAL: Develop the Framework for a National System of MPAs

national system
6 NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Years 2002 and 2003

• Compile data to assist in the analysis and assessments defined in the Executive Order on 

issues such as threats to MMAs and effectiveness of MMAs in protecting natural and cultural resources. 

• 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 MMA inventory is designed to be as inclusive 

as possible, while maintaining a consistent and systematic approach to adding sites into the database. 

The criteria used to collect the MMA inventory are 

a broader and more inclusive interpretation of the 

MPA definition stated in the MPA Executive Order 

13158. The MMA inventory will be used to form 

a pool from which sites may later be considered for 

placement on a list of MPAs called for by the Executive Order. In addition, the National MPA Center 

will use the information in the MMA inventory to 

evaluate the potential impacts and effectiveness of 

existing MPAs on the resources they protect.

In July 2003, NOAA and the Department of the Interior 

published a Federal Register Notice requesting public 

comment on the proposed criteria, definitions, and data 

fields used in the development of an inventory of existing 

U.S. MMAs. Comments were received from Congress, 

non-governmental organizations, Fishery Management 

Councils, and private citizens. By the end of 2003, 

NOAA and Interior staff completed all comment reviews 

and began preparing formal responses.

The inter-agency MMA inventory team held regular status meetings throughout 2002 and 2003. The team is 

currently working with six federal programs and 28 of the 

35 coastal and Great Lake states, territories and commonwealths in the data collection and review process. Since 

data collection for the MMA inventory began, the federal 

programs have submitted all sites for the inventory for 

a total of nearly 300 sites and GIS data is 97 percent 

complete. Several programs are in the process of completing data forms and several are updating data that was 

entered in 2001. The National MPA Center continues to 

work with coastal and Great Lakes states to gather data, 

have that data reviewed and approved, and ultimately 

posted on MPA.gov at: http://www.mpa.gov/inventory/

inventory.html. In addition, the National MPA Center 

has plans to work with tribes to begin collecting their 

MMA data in 2004 and 2005. The National MPA Center estimates that when the inventory is complete, there 

will be between 1,000 and 1,500 MMA sites nationwide.

national system
7 NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Years 2002 and 2003

The National MPA 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 all affected stakeholder 

groups. The National MPA 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. 

Science and Analysis

MPA Social Science Research Strategy

The National MPA Center compiled an MPA 

Social Science Research Strategy based on a 

workshop held in 2002 with several agency and 

non-governmental partners. The strategy builds 

the capacity for and commitment to social science 

research by proposing practical ways to meet priority research needs and addressing issues that cross 

social science disciplines. The report can be found 

in the on MPA.gov at: http://www.mpa.gov/

virtual_library/Publications/Strategy_11504.pdf. 

Regional Social Science 

Research Strategy Workshops

In August 2003, the National MPA Center implemented the first in a series of planned regional “Social Science Research Strategy” workshops. Held in 

St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, this workshop brought 

together regional social scientists and MPA practitioners from southern Florida and the Caribbean. One 

outcome of the workshop was the development of 

a regional research program for South Florida and 

the Caribbean. A second workshop was held in 

Savannah, Georgia for the South Atlantic region, 

which included U.S. waters from Virginia to South 

Florida. The Center will host additional meetings in 

2004-2005 to identify and prioritize regional research 

needs specific to MPA planning, management, and 

evaluation and to help with the planning of comprehensive 

and individualized MPA social science research strategies.

National Natural Science Research Strategy

The National MPA Center partnered with the Communications Partnership for Science and the Sea (COMPASS) 

to prepare a natural science research strategy to identify 

biophysical (e.g., ecology, oceanography, fisheries, etc.) 

research themes and topics vital to MPA design, management and evaluation. A draft of the strategy is expected 

to be ready in 2004. A series of regional workshops will 

then be planned to identify regional priorities.

MPA Technology Needs Assessment

In 2003, the National MPA Center gathered representatives from government, industry, and academia to assess 

MPA-related applications of technology, gauge technical 

capacity within the marine management community, 

and evaluate associated needs. The results, incorporated 

into the MPA Technology Needs Assessment, will guide 

the National MPA Center and its supporting institutes as 

they design products and services to support a national 

system of MPAs. The assessment focused on the technological capacity within the management community (i.e., 

hardware, software, and expertise) and current applications of technology in MPA planning, implementation, 

and evaluation. The report can be found on MPA.gov 

at: http://www.csc.noaa.gov/mpa/MPA_TechnologyNe

edsAssessment.pdf. 

Training

Education Workshops 

In 2002, regional education workshops were held in Wye, 

Maryland; Morro Bay, California; and Two Harbors, Minnesota, reaching more than 100 educators who work with 

MPAs on the east coast, west coast and in the Great Lakes 

region. The workshops increased awareness of MPAs 

among educators, fostered educational partnerships, and 

promoted the inclusion of MPA-related themes in education materials. A product of these workshops was a free 

cloth poster with special MPA artwork provided by Jim 

Toomey, creator of Sherman’s Lagoon.

GOAL: Improve MPA Stewardship and Effectiveness

stewardship/effectiveness
8 NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Years 2002 and 2003

GIS Training

The National MPA Center provided training in 

the use of geographic information systems (GIS) 

through two courses: Introduction to ArcGIS and 

Coastal Applications Using ArcGIS. Both Environmental Systems Research Institution-certified 

courses have been tailored specifically to meet the 

needs of coastal resource managers. In an effort 

to introduce coastal managers to the fundamentals 

of performing MPA site analyses with the aid of 

a GIS, the National MPA Center also developed 

the Siting Marine Protected Areas module that has 

been incorporated into a course titled “Coastal Applications.” The National MPA Center has trained 

NOAA staff members from Fisheries, the National 

Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, and the National Marine Sanctuary Program, among others.

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 2003, including the 

Apalachiola Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Florida and St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.

MPA Management Effectiveness Initiative

The National MPA Center is participating in an 

MPA Management Effectiveness Initiative, which 

is an ongoing joint enterprise involving the IUCN 

World Commission on Protected Areas–Marine, 

the World Wide Fund for Nature, and NOAA’s National Ocean Service. These organizations are collaborating to improve the management of MPAs by 

providing managers, planners, and other decision 

makers with a guidebook containing methods and 

indicators to assess the effectiveness of MPA sites. 

“Understanding MPAs” Workshop

In September 2003, the National MPA Center piloted the newly developed “Understanding Marine 

Protected Areas” workshop at the Aquarium of 

the Pacific in Long Beach, California. The oneday workshop provides training to stakeholders 

(including the general public) on the basic principles and 

issues surrounding MPAs. The National MPA Center has 

partnered with Coastal America to bring “Understanding 

MPAs” to a number of aquariums that are designated as 

Coastal Ecosystem Learning Centers. The course was also 

held at the Seattle Aquarium and the National Aquarium 

in Baltimore, and more workshops are planned in 2004 

and 2005. 

Additional Courses

The National MPA Center’s Training and Technical Assistance Institute also offered the following courses in 2003:

• Public Issues and Conflict Management

• Project Design and Evaluation

• Hazards Training 

• The Coastal Zone Management Role in Managing 

Hazards 

• Web Content Design and Evaluation 

• Conducting Training Needs Assessments 

• Negotiating for Coastal Resources 

• Project Design and Evaluation 

• Survival Skills for Managing Coastal Resources

Technical Assistance

Digital Boundaries for National Marine Sanctuaries

The National MPA Center worked with the National 

Marine Sanctuary Program on developing digital marine 

boundaries and accompanying legal descriptions for all 

13 sanctuaries. Efforts continue into 2004 and include 

the analysis of the legal definitions of the boundaries and 

the development of digital representations. A peripheral 

product of this effort will be a document detailing the 

development of draft standards and methods for the 

establishment of marine protected areas boundaries. 

Enforcement Scoping Project

Both the MPA Needs Assessment and the MPA Technology Needs Assessment identified the importance of 

better understanding enforcement methods and techniques. To begin to address this, the National MPA 

stewardship/effectiveness

Center researched and synthesized existing informa-
9 NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Years 2002 and 2003

tion related to MPA enforcement. The resulting 

report, due in 2004, will examine current enforcement methodology and describe the main enforcement-related issues and priorities for marine 

protected areas sites. The report will also outline 

the numerous enforcement entities involved with 

MPAs and their respective jurisdictions.

Case Studies of Lessons Learned

The MPA Needs Assessment conducted in 2002 

revealed that both MPA managers and stakeholders want to use lessons learned from past MPA 

processes. National MPA Center staff researched 

and documented five U.S. MPA establishment processes. These five case studies demonstrated processes ranging in geographic location, purpose, and 

government involvement. The final report, titled 

Marine Protected Area (MPA) Process Review:

Case Studies of Five MPA Establishment Processes includes findings from stakeholder interviews 

that summarize the strengths and limitations of 

past MPA processes and provides recommendations for future and ongoing MPA planning efforts. The report, published in May 2003, can be 

found on MPA.gov at: http://www.csc.noaa.gov/

mpa/MPALessonsLearned.pdf. 

Marine Boundaries Best Practices Handbook

The National MPA Center is working with the 

Coastal Services Center and other NOAA and 

Department of the Interior partners to produce a 

handbook of best practices and steps that boundary 

crafters and GIS technicians can follow to create viable digital boundaries for marine managed areas. 

The Marine Boundaries Working Group of the Federal Geographic Data Committee began the project 

in 2003, and experts from various federal agencies 

have contributed to the manual. The handbook 

has been drafted and will be completed in 2005.

MarIS Mapping Tool

The National MPA Center developed a mapping 

tool called MarIS (Marine Information Service) 

for users unfamiliar with geographic information 

systems (GIS). Although MarIS functions within standard GIS software, it simplifies the format and allows 

the user to review data and generate standard maps for 

presentations, reports, or press releases. Developed in 

partnership with the National Marine Sanctuary Program and the National Centers for Coastal and Ocean 

Science, MarIS was delivered to national marine sanctuaries in California in 2003.

Navigating MPAs

In order to promote awareness of the nation’s MPAs 

within the maritime community, the National MPA 

Center and NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey jointly 

developed “Navigating the Nation’s Marine Protected 

Areas,” a project incorporating key information about 

existing MPAs into the Office of Coast Survey’s Coast 

Pilot and other navigational products. Information 

inserted into these publications will assist mariners and 

other users in understanding the location, purpose, 

jurisdictions, and allowed activities within these MPAs, 

thereby helping to promote their protection. 

Providers Network

In addition to providing direct training and technical 

assistance, the National MPA Center, took several steps 

in 2003 to facilitate managers’ access to external training and technical assistance resources. Staff members 

have been developing a database of existing providers as 

part of its goal to serve as a referral service for managers 

seeking assistance, information, and training on MPArelated topics. The list of providers spans governmental 

agencies, academic institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and private entities.

Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Tool

In an effort to reduce collisions between vessels and the 

endangered North Atlantic right whale and other marine 

mammals, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary 

partnered with the National MPA Center to develop a 

spatial analysis tool that creates zoning alternatives for 

MPA managers. Programming for this tool minimizes 

the risk of injury or mortality to marine mammals and 

the economic impact on the user community. By using 

this tool, the Sanctuary Advisory Committee can evaluate various vessel routes, speeds, and operating costs. 

stewardship/effectiveness
10 NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Years 2002 and 2003

The National MPA 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.

International Coordination

The National MPA Center has coordinated with 

various international parties on global MPA issues. 

For example, the National MPA Center and the 

Brazilian Environment Ministry’s National Protected Area Program discussed the status of MPA 

activity in the United States and the potential for 

future information exchanges. In addition, the 

National MPA Center continued to work with the 

North American Commission for Environmental 

Cooperation (CEC) and the National Ocean Service’s International Programs Office on marine 

projects under the Conservation of Biodiversity 

program. The CEC has focused on coordinating, 

mapping, and inventorying MPAs in Canada, the 

United States, and Mexico in its effort to design 

an integrated North American network of MPAs. 

Past and present projects featuring National MPA 

Center involvement include mapping marine and 

estuarine ecosystems of North America and determining management effectiveness of MPAs. The 

National MPA Center also worked with a nongovernmental organization-driven process called 

the Baja to Bering Initiative, which is involved 

in identifying corridors and enhancing linkages 

between MPAs throughout North America.

The National MPA Center’s northeast regional 

coordinator works closely with the Gulf of 

Maine Council programs and supports the 

NOAA representative to the Council. 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. 

National Coordination

The National MPA Center was created because Executive 

Order 13158 identified a need for an entity to coordinate 

with federal agencies, states, tribes, and local governments on MPA activities. The National MPA 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 National 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 two monthly newsletters (MPA Connections and the 

Information Exchange for Marine Educators). 

Federal Agency Briefings

Among other outreach activities at the federal level, the 

National MPA Center participated in the annual meeting of the U.S. Navy’s natural resource managers. The 

participants learned about possible areas of naval interest in MPA-related activities. In addition, the National 

MPA Center Director briefed the President’s Council 

on Environmental Quality about the status of Executive Order 13158. Additional briefings to the Council 

on Environmental Quality will occur in 2004.

National MPA Center Retreat

The National MPA Center held its first annual retreat 

in January 2003, which involved staff from both NOAA 

and the Department of the Interior. The retreat focused 

on the MPA Executive Order, long-term priorities of the 

National MPA Center, criteria for success, the Center’s 

work towards a framework for a national system of 

MPAs, external communications, and partner agencies. 

The retreat reinforced the National MPA Center’s commitment to fostering better relationships with all communities that use and access the nations Great Lakes, 

coasts, and oceans. One of the major accomplishments 

was the crafting of a mission statement and vision statement for the National MPA Center. Participants also 

refined the National MPA Center’s goals.

GOAL: Facilitate National and Regional Coordination of MPA Activities

coordination
11 NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Years 2002 and 2003

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 MPA Center has supported coordination in both New England and 

the west coast, through a regional coordinator in 

Boston, Massachusetts and as an ancillary activity of the Science Institute based in Monterey, 

California. Many projects and activities were 

supported through this regional National MPA 

Center presence. Some of the 2002 and 2003 

regional projects included an “Ocean Zoning” 

workshop organized by the Gulf of Maine Council, a “Fisherman’s Forum” held by the Pacific Marine Conservation Council, and quarterly NOAA 

coordination meetings for the northeast on MPArelated activities. Plans are underway to locate 

regional coordinators within all U.S. regions. 

Several National MPA Center efforts link geographically separated regions. For example, the 

National MPA Center assisted the NOAA Coral 

Reef Conservation Program in its assessment of 

the state of marine managed areas in regions with 

coral reefs. Also, the National MPA Center is 

developing Online Regional Information Centers 

that will provide up-to-date information about the 

goals and objectives of planned MPAs, key public 

events, and ongoing reviews of environmental 

and management plans across the U.S.

Regional Information Centers

In 2002, in response to a need for coordination, 

the Science Institute in partnership with the 

Communication Partnership for Science and 

the Sea (COMPASS) developed a web-based information tool, www.PacificMPA.org, to serve as 

a central location for government MPA processes 

on the west coast. Designed to inform all stakeholders of MPA-related projects, meetings, and 

initiatives occurring on the west coast, this Pacific 

MPA information center strives to increase coordination and collaboration among users. Plans 

are underway to develop a series of these regional 

information centers for the other U.S. regions. 

Online regional information centers will provide 

up-to-date information about the goals and objectives 

of planned MPAs, key public events, and ongoing reviews of environmental and management plans across 

the U.S.

Tribal Coordination

The National MPA Center worked with the Northwest 

Indian Fisheries Commission, as well as tribal members, 

to discuss how the National MPA Center could best 

coordinate with tribes and engage tribal participation in 

PARTNERS

The National MPA Center recognizes its partners 

who assisted in achieving these accomplishments.

Alliance of Communities for Sustainable Fishing

American Museum of Natural History

Aquarium of the Pacific

Brazilian government

Bureau of Indian Affairs

California Sea Grant

Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans, 

Parks Canada, and Environment Canada

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Commonwealth of the Northern 

Mariana Islands 

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Commonwealth of Virginia

Communication Partnership for Science 

and the Sea

Council for Environmental Cooperation

Coastal America

Coastal States Organization

Duke University

Environmental Defense 

Government of Guam

Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands

Gulf of Maine Council

Marine Conservation Biology Institute

Mexican government

Minerals Management Service

coordination

Continued on page 12
12 NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Years 2002 and 2003

Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant

MIT Sea Grant

Monterey Bay Aquarium

National Estuarine Research Reserves Systems

National Marine Sanctuary Program

National Park Service

National Sea Grant College Program

Native American Fish and Wildlife Society

New England Aquarium

New York Department of State

Northeast Fisheries Management Council

Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission

Ocean Wilderness Network 

Oregon State University 

Pacific Coast Federation of Fisherman’s 

Association

Pacific Fisheries Management Council 

Pacific Marine Conservation Council 

Partnership for International Studies of 

Coastal Oceans 

Point Reyes Bird Observatory 

Rhode Island Sea Grant

Save our Shores

SeaWeb

South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council 

State of Alabama

State of Alaska

State of California

State of Connecticut

State of Delaware

State of Florida

State of Georgia

State of Hawaii

State of Maine

State of Maryland

State of Michigan

State of Mississippi

State of New Hampshire

State of New Jersey

State of New York

State of Oregon

State of Rhode Island

State of Washington

Surfrider Foundation

The Nature Conservancy 

The Ocean Conservancy

University of California, Santa Barbara 

University of California, Santa Cruz 

University of Miami

University of Rhode Island, Coastal 

Resources Center

University of South Carolina, Baruch Institute 

for Marine and Coastal Sciences

University of South Florida 

University of Washington 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

West Virginia University

PARTNERS (CONTINUED)

the marine managed areas inventory. Discussions 

on tribal coordination were held with agencies and 

organizations such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 

NOAA Fisheries, and the Native American Fish 

and Wildlife Society. To increase internal education, NOAA Fisheries and the National MPA Center organized a seminar entitled “Understanding 

American Indian Culture and Politics” for NOAA 

employees that work with tribes.

Outreach and Education

The education and outreach activities of the National 

MPA Center increase understanding and awareness of 

MPAs among government agencies, coastal and marine 

educators, managers, and stakeholders. The National 

MPA Center education and outreach activities support 

the development of programming that incorporates 

coordination

MPA themes and messages across all Center goals. 
13 NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Years 2002 and 2003

MPA.gov Redevelopment

In late 2003, the National MPA Center began the 

process to overhaul the national website on MPAs, 

MPA.gov, which was originally launched in 2000. 

After extensive review and input from internal 

and external audiences, the site was redeveloped, 

content was updated, new MPA sections were created, and the site was given a fresh look. With its 

relaunch in early 2004, the website now provides 

information about the status of activities under the 

MPA Executive Order. The website also includes 

definitions and common MPA terminology, a virtual library with over 1,000 resources, specifics on 

the Federal Advisory Committee, updates on the 

inventory of marine managed areas, facts sheets, 

frequently asked questions, a glossary, and more.

MPA Connections

The National MPA Center’s monthly newsletter, 

MPA Connections, celebrated its one-year anniversary in November 2003. The newsletter provides 

updates on the National MPA Center’s resources 

and opportunities, including training, research, 

management tools, publications and studies. 

MPA Connections is distributed via listserv to 

more than 2,400 recipients worldwide and is archived on MPA.gov. It was the first NOAA newsletter and one of the first conservation newsletters 

to be promoted on FirstGov.gov. 

Clarifying Misconceptions 

about Marine Protected Areas

Among the highlights featured in MPA Connections is an ongoing series entitled “Clarifying 

Misconceptions about Marine Protected Areas.” 

Topics have included definitions of MPAs, history of MPAs, MPA legislative authorities at 

the state and federal levels, and public involvement on MPA decision-making. The series was 

made into a fact sheet available on MPA.gov at 

http://www.mpa.gov/information_tools/pdf/

Factsheets/mpamisconceptions2.pdf.

Information Exchange for Marine Educators 

As a service to marine educators, the National MPA 

Center began distributing a monthly email newsletter for coastal and marine educators, titled Information 

Exchange. The newsletter features a list of MPA educational programs, new opportunities, calls for abstracts, 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 at: http://www.nature.nps.gov/learningcenters/. 

MPA Library

The MPA library grew considerably in 2003. It now 

includes more than 1,000 resources which are searchable on MPA.gov. Library staff developed a controlled 

vocabulary list of keyword search terms for use in 

searching the collection on MPA.gov. The list is a 

combination of two vocabularies: the Library of Congress Subject Headings and the Food and Agriculture 

Organization’s Aquatic Science and Fisheries Abstracts 

thesaurus. The list contains 2,500 key words and helps 

users browse the MPA collection more efficiently.

Fishermen’s Forums

The National MPA Center participated in the launching of a fishermen’s forum. The forums featured 

workshops and discussions on MPAs in general and 

marine reserves. These public forums were designed 

to improve the communication between fishermen and 

MPA agencies and scientists.

CONFERENCES

As part of its mission, the National MPA Center has 

participated in and/or sponsored numerous conferences and workshops in 2002 and 2003. In some 

cases, National MPA Center staff members were 

presenters and facilitators. Many of the following 

conferences and workshops allowed the National 

MPA Center to display its latest promotional exhibits, 

which in 2003 included new posters on marine protected areas, the MPA Library, and MPA legal authorities, as well as other outreach materials and reports.

American Fisheries Society Annual Meetings

Annual Meeting of the All Islands Coastal Zone 

Management Programs 

Central California Fishermen’s Forum on MPAs

Continued on page 14

coordination
14 NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Years 2002 and 2003

Channel Islands Marine Reserves Monitoring 

Workshop

Coastal and Marine Resources and Property 

Workshop Coastal GeoTools Conference

Coastal States Organization Annual Meeting

Coastal Zone ’03 Conference

Commission on Environmental Cooperation 

Workshops

Environmental Protection Agency Gulf of 

Maine Workshop

Federal Fisheries Management Council Chairs 

and Executive Directors Annual Meeting

George Basin/Puget Sound Research Conference

George Wright Society Protected Areas 

Conference

Groundfish Habitat Technical Review Committee Meeting

Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute 54th 

Annual Meeting

Gulf of Maine Council Meetings

International Association of Marine Science 

Libraries

Joint Ventures: Partners in Stewardship 

Conference

Maine Fisherman’s Forum

Managing Our Nation’s Fisheries Conference

Massachusetts Ocean Management Task Force

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Joint 

Management Plan Review

Monterey Institute of International Studies 

Earth Day Celebration

National Association of Charterboat Operators 

Annual Meeting

National Estuarine Research Reserve System 

Education Workshop

National Estuarine Research Reserves System 

Annual Meeting 

National Marine Educators Association Annual 

Meeting 

National Marine Sanctuaries Educators Annual 

Meeting

National Marine Sanctuary Maritime Heritage 

Program Annual Meeting

National Marine Sanctuary Program Educators 

Meeting

National Marine Sanctuary Program Research 

Coordinators Annual Meeting

National Marine Sanctuary Program Shipwreck 

Database Workshop

National Marine Sanctuary Program Submerged Cultural Resources Workshop

National MPA Center Science Institute Social 

Science Workshop 

Native American Fish and Wildlife Society 

Conferences 

New England Fishery Management Council 

Meetings

North American Association for Environmental 

Education Conference

Northwest Atlantic Coastal Indicators Workshop

Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission Tribal 

Marine Protected Areas Workshop

Science and Management of Protected Areas 

Association Conference

Southeast Coastal Ocean Science Conference 

and Workshop

Sportfishing Leadership Conference

State of the Beach, Surfrider Foundation

Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary 

Management Plan Review Meetings 

Sustaining Seascapes 

The Coastal Society Meetings 

Train the Trainer Education Workshops

U.S. Navy Natural Resource Managers Annual 

Meeting

World Parks Congress

Women’s Aquatic Network MPA and Educator 

Workshops

CONFERENCES (CONTINUED)

coordination
15 NOAA Progress Report: Status of MPA Executive Order 13158 and National Marine Protected Areas Center Fiscal Years 2002 and 2003

Integrating Fisheries and MPA Science

The National MPA Center worked with the 

South Atlantic Fishery Management Council to 

coordinate workshops and technical assistance 

concerning the use of MPAs as a fisheries management tool. The National MPA Center and NOAA 

For More Information

For more information on the 

National Marine Protected Area Center, please visit 

http://mpa.gov or contact mpainfo@noaa.gov. 

Fisheries supported four MPA “Workshops for Stakeholders,” held by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council primarily for commercial fisherman. In 

addition, the National MPA Center assisted the South 

Atlantic Fisheries Management Council with the technical aspects of MPA work, such as map generation.