Time to protect the ocean: what is an 'MPA' and why do we need them?

Jun 3, 2020

Adelie penguins stand atop ice near the French station at Dumont dâUrville in East Antarctica January 22, 2010. Russia and the Ukraine on November 1, 2013 again scuttled plans to create the world's largest ocean sanctuary in Antarctica, pristine waters rich in energy and species such as whales, penguins and vast stocks of fish, an environmentalist group said. The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources wound up a week-long meeting in Hobart, Australia, considering proposals for two "marine protected areas" aimed at conserving the ocean wilderness from fishing, drilling for oil and other industrial interests. Picture taken January 22, 2010. To match story ANTARCTIC-ENVIRONMENT/ REUTERS/Pauline Askin (ANTARCTICA - Tags: ENVIRONMENT POLITICS ANIMALS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - GM1E9B11JXC01

Marine protected areas are part of a global strategy to save the ocean. Image: REUTERS/Pauline Askin

Jane Lubchenco

Deputy Director, Climate and the Environment, The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy

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Graphic Guide to MPAs

Not all MPAs are created equal Image: Graphic Guide to MPAs

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